2 Chronicles 20 · Verse 2

2 Chronicles 20:2

Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazon–tamar, which is En–gedi.

2 Chronicles 20:2, King James Version

2 Chronicles 20:2 in other translations

BSB	Then some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the Sea; they are already in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, En-gedi).
WEB	Then some came who told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea from Syria. Behold, they are in Hazazon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi).
ASV	Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea from Syria; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (the same is En-gedi).
YLT	And they come in and declare to Jehoshaphat, saying, ‘Come against thee hath a great multitude from beyond the sea, from Aram, and lo, they are in Hazezon-Tamar--it is En-Gedi.'
DARBY	And they came and told Jehoshaphat saying, A great multitude is come against thee from beyond the sea, from Syria; and behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar, which is Engedi.
BBE	And they came to Jehoshaphat with the news, saying, A great army is moving against you from Edom across the sea; and now they are in Hazazon-tamar (which is En-gedi).
Webster	Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side of Syria; and behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi.

What does 2 Chronicles 20:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

2. from beyond the sea on this side Syria--Instead of "Syria," some versions read "Edom," and many able critics prefer this reading, both because the nomad tribes here mentioned were far from Syria, and because express mention is made of Mount Seir, that is, Edom. The meaning then is: this confederate horde was composed of the different tribes that inhabited the far distant regions bordering on the northern and eastern coasts of the Red Sea. Their progress was apparently by the southern point of the Dead Sea, as far as En-gedi, which, more anciently, was called Hazezon-tamar (Ge 14:7). This is the uniform route taken by the Arabs in their marauding expeditions at the present day; and in coming round the southern end of the Dead Sea, they can penetrate along the low-lying Ghor far north, without letting their movements be known to the tribes and villages west of the mountain chain [Robinson]. Thus, anciently, the invading horde in Jehoshaphat's time had marched as far north as En-gedi, before intelligence of their advance was conveyed to the court. En-gedi is recognized in the modern Ainjidy and is situated at a point of the western shore, nearly equidistant from both extremities of the lake [Robinson].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 2 On this side Syria - Instead of מארם mearam, from Syria, I would read with one of Kennicott's MSS. (89) מאדם meedom, from Edom, which alteration brings it to truth and does not require the change of half a letter, as it consists in the almost imperceptible difference between ר resh and ד daleth. We do not read of any Syrians in this invasion, but we know there were Edomites, or inhabitants of Mount Seir. Hazazon-tamar - "In the wood of palm trees, that is, in Engedi." - Targum. This is the meaning of the word, and it is probable that they lay hid here.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Chronicles 20:1-13

In all dangers, public or personal, our first business should be to seek help from God. Hence the advantage of days for national fasting and prayer. From the first to the last of our seeking the Lord, we must approach him with humiliation for our sins, trusting only in his mercy and power. Jehoshaphat acknowledges the sovereign dominion of the Divine Providence. Lord, exert it on our behalf. Whom should we seek to…

Read the full comment on 2 Chronicles 20:1-13 →

2 Chronicles 20:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיָּבֹ֗אוּvai.ya.Vo.'uand people cameH935

וַיַּגִּ֤ידוּvai.ya.Gi.duand they toldH5046

לִֽיהוֹשָׁפָט֙li.ho.sha.Fatto JehoshaphatH3092

לֵאמֹ֔רle.Mor<to> sayingH559

בָּ֣אba'[is] comingH935

עָלֶ֜יךָ'a.Lei.khaon youH5921

הָמ֥וֹןha.Mona multitudeH1995

רָ֛בravgreatH7227

מֵעֵ֥בֶרme.'E.verfrom [the] other sideH5676

לַיָּ֖םlai.Yamof the seaH3220

מֵאֲרָ֑םme.'a.Ramfrom AramH758

וְהִנָּם֙ve.hi.Namand there theyH2009

בְּחַֽצְצ֣וֹןbe.cha.Tzon[are] in HazezonH2688

תָּמָ֔רta.MarTamarH2688

הִ֖יאhi'itH1931

עֵ֥ין'ein[is] EnH5872

גֶּֽדִי\׃Ge.diGediH5872

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Chronicles 20:2

Genesis 14:7
And they returned, and came to En–mishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezon–tamar.
1 Samuel 23:29
And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at En–gedi.
Joshua 15:62
And Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and En–gedi; six cities with their villages.
Genesis 14:3
All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.
Joshua 3:16
That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.
Song of Solomon 1:14
My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of En–gedi.
Numbers 34:12
And the border shall go down to Jordan, and the goings out of it shall be at the salt sea: this shall be your land with the coasts thereof round about.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

beyond the sea.That is, the Dead or Salt Sea, the western and northern boundary of Edom, which is the reading of one of Dr. Kennicott's MSS. (89,) instead of {aram}, "Syria."
Ge 14:3; Nu 34:12; Jos 3:16
Hazazon-tamar.
Ge 14:7
En-gedi.
Jos 15:62; 1Sa 23:29; So 1:14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

2 Chronicles 20:1
It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
2 Chronicles 20:2
Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazon–tamar, which is En–gedi.
2 Chronicles 20:3
And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

Read all of 2 Chronicles 20

2 Chronicles 20:2 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y acudieron, y dieron aviso á Josaphat, diciendo: Contra ti viene una grande multitud de la otra parte de la mar, y de la Siria; y he aquí ellos están en Hasasón-tamar, que es Engedi.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et on vint et on rapporta à Josaphat, en disant: Il est venu contre toi une grande multitude, de l’autre côté de la mer, de la Syrie; et voici, ils sont à Hatsatson-Thamar, qui est En-Guédi.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und man kam und berichtete Josaphat und sprach: Eine große Menge ist wider dich gekommen von jenseit des Meeres, von Syrien; und siehe, sie sind zu Hazezon-Tamar, das ist Engedi.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Veneruntque nuntii, et indicaverunt Josaphat, dicentes: Venit contra te multitudo magna de his locis quæ trans mare sunt, et de Syria: et ecce consistunt in Asasonthamar, quæ est Engaddi.