2 Chronicles 20:7

Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7) Art not thou our God?—Didst not Thou, our God, drive out, &c. (Comp. Joshua 23:5; Joshua 23:9; Deuteronomy 4:38; Deuteronomy 11:23; and for the form of appeal, Isa. Ii. 9, 10. Comp. also Psalm 47:3-4.)

And gavest it to the seed of Abraham.—According to the Promise, Genesis 13:15-16; Genesis 15:18.

For ever.—Genesis 17:8, “for an everlasting possession.”

Thy friend.—Or, lover. So Isaiah 41:8, “seed of Abraham, my friend.” This title of Abraham is mentioned again by St. James (James 2:23). Hebron, the patriarch’s burial-place, is at this day known to the Muslim world as el-Khalil, “the Friend.”

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

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, whom should we trust to for relief, but the God we have chosen and served. Those that use what they have for God, may comfortably hope he will secure it to them. Every true believer is a son of Abraham, a friend of God; with such the everlasting covenant is established, to such every promise belongs. We are assured of God's love, by his dwelling in human nature in the person of the Saviour. Jehoshaphat mentions the temple, as a token of God's favourable presence. He pleads the injustice of his enemies. We may well appeal to God against those that render us evil for good. Though he had a great army, he said, We have no might without thee; we rely upon thee.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Abraham thy friend - Historically, this is the first use of this remarkable expression, afterward repeated (marginal references). The ground of the expression is to be found principally in Genesis 18:23-33, where Abraham spoke with God as a man with his friend (compare Exodus 33:11).

2 Chronicles 20:8, 2 Chronicles 20:9

The appeal recalls Solomon's prayer (marginal references), which God had formally accepted by sending down fire from heaven to consume the accompanying offering.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

6-12. And said, O Lord God of our fathers—This earnest and impressive prayer embraces every topic and argument which, as king and representative of the chosen people, he could urge. Then it concludes with an earnest appeal to the justice of God to protect those who, without provocation, were attacked and who were unable to defend themselves against overwhelming numbers.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

i.e. To whom thou hast engaged thyself by covenant to be his friend, and the friend of his seed for ever, and therefore we trust thou wilt not forsake us his posterity.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Art not thou our God,.... In a peculiar sense, not merely as the Creator and Governor of men, but in a covenant relation their covenant God and Father:

who didst drive out the inhabitants of the land before thy people Israel; the seven nations of Canaan, to make way and room for Israel:

and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? made a deed of gift of it to them, and settled it on them till the coming of the Messiah, and that as an instance of love and friendship to Abraham; and wilt thou therefore suffer it to be taken from his seed?

Geneva Study Bible

Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and {d} gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?

(d) He grounds his prayer on God's power, by which he is able to help and also on his mercy, which he will continue toward his, as he has once chosen them and began to show his graces toward them.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7. Art not thou our God, who didst drive out] R.V. Didst not thou, O our God, drive out. Cp. Deuteronomy 9:5.

thy friend] Cp. Isaiah 41:8.

2 Chronicles 20:7

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The prayer which Jehoshaphat directed to Jahve the God of the fathers, as the almighty Ruler over all kingdoms, consists of a short representation of the circumstances of the case. Jahve had given the land to His people Israel for an everlasting possession, and Israel had built a sanctuary to His name therein (2 Chronicles 20:7 and 2 Chronicles 20:8); but they had in no way provoked the Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites to fall upon them, and to drive them out of their land (2 Chronicles 20:10 and 2 Chronicles 20:11). On these two facts Jehoshaphat founds his prayer for help, in a twofold manner: in respect to the first, calling to mind the divine promise to hear the prayers offered up to God in the temple (2 Chronicles 20:9); and in reference to the second, laying emphasis upon the inability of Israel to fight against so numerous an enemy (2 Chronicles 20:12). In his manner of addressing Jahve, "God of our fathers," there is contained a reason why God should protect His people in their present distress. Upon Him, who had given the land to the fathers for a possession, it was incumbent to maintain the children in the enjoyment of it, if they had not forfeited it by their sins. Now Jahve as a covenant God was bound to do this, and also as God and ruler of heaven and earth He had the requisite power and might; cf. Psalm 115:3. להתיצּב עמּך אין, there is none with Thee who could set himself, i.e., could withstand Thee: cf. the similar phrase, 2 Chronicles 14:10; and for the thought, see 1 Chronicles 29:12. - On 2 Chronicles 20:7, cf. Joshua 23:9; Joshua 24:12; Exodus 23:20., etc.; on 2 Chronicles 20:7, cf. Genesis 13:15., 2 Chronicles 15:18, etc.; on אהבך, Isaiah 41:8.