2 Chronicles 20 · Verse 37

2 Chronicles 20:37

Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
2 Chronicles 20:37, King James Version

2 Chronicles 20:37 in other translations

BSBThen Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works.” So the ships were wrecked and were unable to sail to Tarshish.
WEBThen Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have joined yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works.” The ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
ASVThen Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, Jehovah hath destroyed thy works. And the ships were broken, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
YLTand prophesy doth Eliezer son of Dodavah, of Mareshah, against Jehoshaphat, saying, ‘For thy joining thyself with Ahaziah, Jehovah hath broken up thy works;' and the ships are broken, and have not retained power to go unto Tarshish.
DARBYAnd Eliezer the son of Dodavah, of Mareshah, prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, Jehovah has broken thy works. And the ships were broken, and could not go to Tarshish.
BBEThen the word of Eliezer the prophet, the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah, came against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because you have let yourself be joined with Ahaziah, the Lord has sent destruction on your works. And the ships were broken and were not able to go to Tarshish.
WebsterThen Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

What does 2 Chronicles 20:37 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Chronicles 20:35-37

35-37. after this did Jehoshaphat ... join himself with Ahaziah ... to make ships--A combined fleet was built at Ezion-geber, the destination of which was to voyage to Tartessus, but it was wrecked. Jehoshaphat's motive for entering into this partnership was to secure a free passage through Israel, for the vessels were to be conveyed across the Isthmus of Suez, and to sail to the west of Europe from one of the ports…

Read the full comment on 2 Chronicles 20:35-37 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 37 The Lord hath broken, etc. - "The Word of the Lord hath broken." - Targum. Concerning Tarshish, Ezion-geber, and Ophir, and the voyage thither, see the notes on 1Kgs 10:22, and at 1Kgs 10:29 (note), and on 2Chr 9:26-28 (note). The Tarshish here is called by the Chaldee Torsos in the great sea, some place in the Mediterranean. On this subject the reader has, no doubt, already seen a great variety of opinions.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Chronicles 20:31-37

Jehoshaphat kept close to the worship of God, and did what he could to keep his people close to it. But after God had done such great things for him, given him not only victory, but wealth; after this, to go and join himself with a wicked king, was very ungrateful. What could he expect but that God would be angry with him? Yet it seems, he took the warning; for when Ahaziah afterward pressed him to join him, he…

Read the full comment on 2 Chronicles 20:31-37 →

2 Chronicles 20:37 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.

וַיִּתְנַבֵּ֞אvai.yit.na.Be'and he prophesiedH5012
אֱלִיעֶ֤זֶר'e.li.'E.zerEliezerH461
בֶּן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121
דֹּדָוָ֙הוּ֙do.da.Va.huDodavahuH1735
מִמָּ֣רֵשָׁ֔הmi.Ma.re.Shahfrom MareshahH4762
עַל\־'al-onH5921
יְהוֹשָׁפָ֖טye.ho.sha.FatJehoshaphatH3092
לֵאמֹ֑רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
כְּהִֽתְחַבֶּרְךָ֣ke.hit.cha.ber.Khaas making alliance youH2266
עִם\־'im-withH5973
אֲחַזְיָ֗הוּ'a.chaz.Ya.huAhaziahH274
פָּרַ֤ץpa.Ratzhe will breakH6555
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068
אֶֽת\־'et-<obj.>H853
מַעֲשֶׂ֔יךָma.'a.Sei.khaworks yourH4639
וַיִּשָּׁבְר֣וּvai.yi.sha.ve.Ruand they were brokenH7665
אֳנִיּ֔וֹת'o.ni.YotshipsH591
וְלֹ֥אve.Lo'and notH3808
עָצְר֖וּ'a.tze.Ruthey retainedH6113
לָלֶ֥כֶתla.Le.khetto goH1980
אֶל\־'el-toH413
תַּרְשִֽׁישׁ\׃tar.ShishTarshishH8659

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

Cross references for 2 Chronicles 20:37

  • Proverbs 13:20

    He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

  • 2 Chronicles 9:21

    For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

  • Joshua 7:11-12

    Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

  • 2 Chronicles 19:2

    And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.

  • Hebrews 12:6

    For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

  • Revelation 3:19

    As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

  • 1 Kings 22:48

    Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion–geber.

  • Proverbs 9:6

    Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

  • 2 Chronicles 16:9

    For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Because.
19:2; Jos 7:11,12; Pr 13:20
the Lord.
16:9; Pr 9:6; 13:20; Heb 12:6; Re 3:19
And the ships.
1Ki 22:48
to Tarshish.
9:21

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

Context

  • 2 Chronicles 20:36

    And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Ezion–geber.

  • 2 Chronicles 20:37

    Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

Read all of 2 Chronicles 20

2 Chronicles 20:37 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces Eliezer hijo de Dodava de Mareosah, profetizó contra Josaphat, diciendo: Por cuanto has hecho compañía con Ochôzías, Jehová destruirá tus obras. Y los navíos se rompieron, y no pudieron ir á Tharsis.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Éliézer, fils de Dodava, de Marésha, prophétisa contre Josaphat, disant: Parce que tu t’es lié avec Achazia, l’ Éternel a détruit tes œuvres: et les navires furent brisés, et ne purent aller à Tarsis.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Elieser, der Sohn Dodawas, von Marescha, weissagte wider Josaphat und sprach: Weil du dich mit Ahasja verbunden hast, hat Jehova dein Werk zerstört. Und die Schiffe wurden zertrümmert und vermochten nicht nach Tarsis zu fahren.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Prophetavit autem Eliezer filius Dodau de Maresa ad Josaphat, dicens: Quia habuisti fœdus cum Ochozia, percussit Dominus opera tua, contritæque sunt naves, nec potuerunt ire in Tharsis.