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2 Chronicles 19

Jehoshaphat receives rebuke and establishes courts whose judgments must reflect YHWH’s justice, free from favoritism and corruption.

Jehoshaphat returns home to Jerusalem in peace, where Jehu the seer confronts him for helping the wicked. Jehu announces God’s wrath while acknowledging the king’s removal of idols and resolve to seek God. Jehoshaphat then travels among the people to bring them back to YHWH and appoints judges throughout Judah. In Jerusalem, he establishes a court with priests, Levites, and household heads, charging them to judge without favoritism or bribes and to warn people against guilt before God.

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2Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked, and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, wrath is on you from before the LORD.
3Nevertheless there are good things found in you, in that you have put away the Asheroth out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God.”
4Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem; and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the LORD, the God of their fathers.
5He set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city,
6and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you don’t judge for man, but for the LORD; and he is with you in the judgment.
7Now therefore let the fear of the LORD be on you. Take heed and do it; for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes.”
8Moreover in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed certain Levites, priests, and heads of the fathers’ households of Israel to give judgment for the LORD and for controversies. They returned to Jerusalem.
9He commanded them, saying, “You shall do this in the fear of the LORD, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.
10Whenever any controversy comes to you from your brothers who dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you must warn them, that they not be guilty toward the LORD, and so wrath come on you and on your brothers. Do this, and you will not be guilty.
11Behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the LORD; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all the king’s matters. Also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and may the LORD be with the good.”
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Key verses
2 Chronicles 19:2Jehu’s rebuke shows that the king’s safe return does not mean God approves of his help for the wicked.
2 Chronicles 19:3Alongside the rebuke, Jehu acknowledges Jehoshaphat’s removal of idols and his resolve to seek God.
2 Chronicles 19:7YHWH’s freedom from injustice, favoritism, and bribery sets the standard for every judge Jehoshaphat appoints.
Where this chapter reaches

Deuteronomy shares the charge to judges to reject favoritism and bribes, grounding human justice in God’s character. Romans and Acts also affirm God’s impartiality, while James condemns favoritism among believers, sharing this chapter’s concern that regard for status must not govern how people are treated.

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What do you notice about the rebuke and the recognition of good in Jehu’s words?

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Where might the judges’ charge against favoritism and bribes challenge how you make decisions?

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Questions people ask about 2 Chronicles 19

Why did Jehu rebuke Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 19?

Jehu rebukes Jehoshaphat for helping the wicked and loving those who hate YHWH. He says this has brought divine wrath upon the king. The rebuke also acknowledges good in Jehoshaphat: he has removed the Asheroth from the land and set his heart to seek God.

What does “with a perfect heart” mean in 2 Chronicles 19:9?

In this charge to the judges, the phrase describes wholehearted devotion and integrity in carrying out their work before God. The surrounding commands explain its shape: fear YHWH, refuse favoritism and bribes, and warn people against guilt. The passage does not claim that these judges are free from all sin.

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2 Chronicles · 36 chapters
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).