2 Chronicles 20:6

And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) Art not thou God in heaven.—So Psalm 115:2-3. Jehovah, the Worship of Israel, is no limited local or tribal deity, but God over all. (Comp. also the first clause of the Lord’s Prayer.)

And rulest not thou over all the kingdoms?—Comp. 1Chronicles 29:12 (David’s prayer), “and Thou reignest (rulest) over all; and in Thine hand is power and might.” This and next sentence should be rendered affirmatively, as in that place. (Comp. also Psalm 47:8 : “God reigneth over the heathen.”)

So that none is able to withstand thee.—Vulg., “nec quisquam tibi potest resistere;” LXX., καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν πρὸς σὲ ἀντιστῆναι. Literally, and there is none against thee to stand up. For this construction, comp. Psalm 94:16 : “Who will stand up for me with (i.e., against) workers of wickedness. (Comp. also Psalm 2:2; and the last words of Asa’s Prayer, 2Chronicles 14:11.) Syr. and Arab., “and I am standing and praying before thee.”

Benson Commentary

2 Chronicles 20:6-7. And said, O Lord God, &c. — Jehoshaphat himself was the mouth of the congregation to God, and did not devolve the work upon his chaplains. For though the kings were forbidden to burn incense, they were allowed to pray and preach. Art thou not God in heaven, &c. — Which none of the gods of the heathen are. Is not thy dominion supreme, over kingdoms themselves, and universal, over all kingdoms, even those of the heathen, that know thee not? Art thou not our God? — In covenant with us? To whom should we seek, to whom should we trust for relief, but to him whom we have chosen for our God, and who has chosen us for his people? Who gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend — To whom thou didst engage thyself to be his friend, and the friend of his seed for ever, and therefore we trust thou wilt not forsake us, his posterity.

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

Jehoshaphat's appeal is threefold:

(1) to God omnipotent 2 Chronicles 20:6;

(2) to "our God;"

(3) the God especially "of this house" the temple.

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

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And said, O Lord God of our fathers,.... Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whose covenant God he was:

art not thou God in heaven? that dwellest and rulest there, and dost whatever thou pleasest in the armies of it:

and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the Heathens? being King of kings, and Lord of lords, all the world over:

and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? his power being infinite, unlimited, and uncontrollable, and so not resistible by finite creatures, at least not so as to be stopped and overcome.

Geneva Study Bible

And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6. O Lord God] R.V. O LORD, the God; cp. 2 Chronicles 21:10; 2 Chronicles 21:12.

art not thou God] cp. Joshua 2:11.

rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen?] R.V. art not thou ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Cp. Psalm 22:28.

is there not power] R.V. is power. Cp. 2 Chronicles 14:11 (Asa’s prayer).

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 6-12. - The recorded prayers of Scripture are indeed what they might be expected to be, model prayers, and the present a model instance of the same (see homiletics). The prayer before us invokes the one God "in heaven;" claims him the God "of our fathers;" recites his universal authority above, below; pleads his former conduct of the "people Israel," in especial his stablishing of that people in their present land; most touchingly recalls his covenant of condescending, everlasting "friendship" with Abraham, the grand original of the people (Genesis 18:17-19, 33; Genesis 17:2; Exodus 33:11); makes mention of the consecration of the land by the sanctuary, and in particular of the very service of consecration and the special foreseeing provision in that service for a crisis like the present (1 Kings 8:33-45; 2 Chronicles 6:24-35; 2 Chronicles 7:1); and then (vers. 10, 11) states pointedly the case and complaint with its aggravations (Deuteronomy 2:4, 8, 9, 19; Numbers 20:21; Judges 11:18), and with a parting appeal, confession of their own weakness, ignorance, and dependence unfeigned, commits the cause of the alarmed people to God. Our eyes are upon thee. So, with a multitude of other passages, that supreme pattern one, Psalm 123:2. 2 Chronicles 20:6

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.