Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place, and strengthened himself against Israel. 2He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken. 3YAHWEH1 was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father Dawud2, and did not seek the Baals, 4but sought the God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. 5Therefore YAHWEH established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat; and he had riches and honour in abundance. 6His heart was lifted up in the ways of YAHWEH: and furthermore he took away the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.
7Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, even Ben Hail, and Obadiah, and Zakariyya3, and Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; 8and with them the Levites4, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests. 9They taught in Judah, having the Book of the Taurat5 of YAHWEH with them; and they went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught among the people.
10The fear of YAHWEH fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were all around Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat. 11Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents, and silver for tribute; the Arabians also brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred male goats. 12Jehoshaphat grew very great; and he built in Judah castles and cities of store. 13He had many works in the cities of Judah; and men of war, mighty men of valour, in Jerusalem. 14This was the numbering of them according to their fathers’ houses: Of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the captain, and with him mighty men of valour three hundred thousand; 15and next to him Jehohanan the captain, and with him two hundred eighty thousand; 16and next to him Amasiah son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to YAHWEH; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour. 17Of Binyamin6: Eliada a mighty man of valour, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield; 18and next to him Jehozabad and with him one hundred eighty thousand ready prepared for war. 19These were those who waited on the king, besides those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.
- 17:3 YAHWEH, God’s personal Name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15: ‘God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”’ ↩︎
- 17:3 Dawud, this Arabic name is derived from David (Hebrew) and means “Beloved.” ↩︎
- 17:7 Zakariyya, this Arabic name is derived from the Hebrew name Zechariah, which means “YAHWEH remembers.” ↩︎
- 17:8 Levites, the descendants of Levi, one of the 12 sons of Prophet Yaqub (Jacob), from whose family line came all the priests who served in the Holy House of God, the Temple at Jerusalem. ↩︎
- 17:9 Taurat, this Arabic term is derived from the Hebrew word Torah, which means “instruction” or “teaching.” Depending on context, Taurat can refer to,
1. The whole Hebrew Bible contained here under the title Taurat, equivalent to what Jews today call Tanakh, and what Christians call the Old Testament.
2. The revelation given to Prophet Musa, that is, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, sometimes called the Pentateuch. Pentateuch is a Greek word meaning “five books” and includes Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. These five books are attributed to Prophet Musa himself. This is the traditional and most common meaning given to Taurat or Torah.
3. The Law of Musa found within the Pentateuch, with its hundreds of rules and regulations covering many aspects of daily life for the people of Israel. The most famous of these laws are the Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20.
4. Taurat can also refer to divine instruction and teaching in general without reference to a particular book of the Hebrew Bible. ↩︎ - 17:17 Binyamin, or Benjamin, derived from the Hebrew name Benyamin, meaning “Son of the right hand.” ↩︎