2 Chronicles 20 · Verse 22

2 Chronicles 20:22

And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
2 Chronicles 20:22, King James Version

2 Chronicles 20:22 in other translations

BSBThe moment they began their shouts and praises, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated.
WEBWhen they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushers against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were struck.
ASVAnd when they began to sing and to praise, Jehovah set liers-in-wait against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, that were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
YLTAnd at the time they have begun with singing and praise, Jehovah hath put ambushments against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, who are coming in to Judah, and they are smitten,
DARBYAnd when they began the song of triumph and praise, Jehovah set liers-in-wait against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, who had come against Judah, and they were smitten.
BBEAnd at the first notes of song and praise the Lord sent a surprise attack against the children of Ammon and Moab and the people of Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were overcome.
WebsterAnd when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, who were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

What does 2 Chronicles 20:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
22. when they began to sing and to praise the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir--Some think that this was done by angels in human form, whose sudden appearance diffused an uncontrollable panic. Others entertain the more probable opinion that, in the camp of this vast horde, composed of different tribes, jealousies and animosities had sprung up, which led to widespread dissensions and fierce feuds, in which they drew the sword against each other. The consequence was, that as the mutual strife commenced when the Hebrew procession set out from Jerusalem, the work of destruction was completed before Jehoshaphat and his people arrived at the battlefield. Thus easy is it for God to make the wrath of man to praise Him, to confound the counsels of His enemies and employ their own passions in defeating the machinations they have devised for the overthrow of His Church and people.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 22 The Lord set ambushments - "The Word of the Lord placed snares among the children of Ammon and Moab; and the inhabitants of the mountain of Gibla, who came to fight with Judah; and they were broken to pieces:" so the Targum. Houbigant translates the place thus: "The Lord set against the children of Ammon and Moab ambushments of those who came from Mount Seir against Judah; and the children of Ammon and Moab were smitten: but they afterwards rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, and utterly destroyed them; who being destroyed, they rose up one against another, and mutually destroyed each other." This is probably the meaning of these verses. Calmet's version is not very different.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Chronicles 20:20-30

Jehoshaphat exhorted his troops to firm faith in God. Faith inspires a man with true courage; nor will any thing help more to the establishing of the heart in shaking times, than a firm belief of the power, and mercy, and promise of God. In all our trust in the Lord, and our praises of him, let us especially look at his everlasting mercy to sinners through Jesus Christ. Never was an army so destroyed as that of the…

Read the full comment on 2 Chronicles 20:20-30 →

2 Chronicles 20:22 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.

וּבְעֵת֩u.ve.'Etand at [the] timeH6256
הֵחֵ֨לּוּhe.Che.lu[when] they beganH2490
בְרִנָּ֜הve.ri.Nahwith a shout of joyH7440
וּתְהִלָּ֗הu.te.hi.Lahand praiseH8416
נָתַ֣ןna.Tanhe setH5414
יְהוָ֣ה\׀Yah.wehYahwehH3068
מְ֠אָֽרְבִיםMe.'a.re.vimambushersH693
עַל\־'al-onH5921
בְּנֵ֨יbe.Nei[the] people ofH1121
עַמּ֜וֹןa.MonAmmonH5983
מוֹאָ֧בmo.'AvMoabH4124
וְהַר\־ve.har-and [the] mountain ofH2022
שֵׂעִ֛ירse.'IrSeirH8165
הַבָּאִ֥יםha.ba.'Imwho were comingH935
לִֽיהוּדָ֖הli.hu.Dahto JudahH3063
וַיִּנָּגֵֽפוּ\׃vai.yi.na.Ge.fuand they were defeatedH5062

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

Cross references for 2 Chronicles 20:22

  • 1 Samuel 14:20

    And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.

  • Ezekiel 38:21

    And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.

  • Judges 7:22

    And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Beth–shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel–meholah, unto Tabbath.

  • Isaiah 19:2

    And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.

  • 2 Kings 6:17

    And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

  • Psalms 35:5-6

    Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them. Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.

  • 2 Chronicles 20:10

    And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;

  • 2 Chronicles 13:13

    But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them.

  • 1 Samuel 14:16

    And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
when they. Heb. in the time that they, etc. to sing and to.Heb. in singing and. the Lord set ambushments. Houbigant's version is, "the Lord set against the children of Amon and Moab ambushments of those who came from mount Seir against Judah; and the children of Ammon and Moab were smitten: but they afterwards rose up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, and utterly destroyed them; who being destroyed, they rose up one against one another, and mutually destroyed each other."
Jud 7:22; 1Sa 14:16,20; 2Ki 6:17; Ps 35:5,6; Isa 19:2; Eze 38:21
were smitten. or, smote one another.

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

Context

  • 2 Chronicles 20:21

    And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever.

  • 2 Chronicles 20:22

    And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

  • 2 Chronicles 20:23

    For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.

Read all of 2 Chronicles 20

2 Chronicles 20:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y como comenzaron con clamor y con alabanza, puso Jehová contra los hijos de Ammón, de Moab, y del monte de Seir, las emboscadas de ellos mismos que venían contra Judá, y matáronse los unos á los otros:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et au moment où ils commençaient le chant de triomphe et la louange, l’ Éternel mit des embûches contre les fils d’Ammon et de Moab et ceux de la montagne de Séhir, qui venaient contre Juda, et ils furent battus.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und zur Zeit, als sie begannen mit Jubel und Lobgesang, stellte Jehova einen Hinterhalt wider die Kinder Ammon, Moab und die vom Gebirge Seir, welche wider Juda gekommen waren; und sie wurden geschlagen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Cumque cœpissent laudes canere, vertit Dominus insidias eorum in semetipsos, filiorum scilicet Ammon, et Moab, et montis Seir, qui egressi fuerant ut pugnarent contra Judam: et percussi sunt.