“Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.”
My Notes
What Does 2 Chronicles 19:7 Mean?
2 Chronicles 19:7 is King Jehoshaphat's charge to the judges he's appointing throughout Judah — and the theology behind the charge eliminates every excuse for corruption.
"Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you" — the Hebrew yĕhi phachad-Yahweh 'aleykem (let the fear/dread of the LORD be upon you) is the foundation. Before any instruction about procedure or conduct, Jehoshaphat establishes the interior condition: fear God. Every decision these judges make will be audited by someone they can't bribe, deceive, or impress.
"Take heed and do it" — the Hebrew shimru va'asu (guard/watch and do) pairs two verbs: pay attention and act on what you see. The guarding comes first — watch carefully, examine the situation — and the doing follows. Careless judgment is as dangerous as corrupt judgment.
"For there is no iniquity with the LORD our God" — the Hebrew ki-'eyn 'im-Yahweh 'Elohenu 'avlah (for there is no unrighteousness/injustice with the LORD our God) establishes the divine standard. God has zero iniquity. No bias. No corruption. No imperfection in His justice. The judges are being told to imitate a standard that is absolute. The God they serve is perfectly just — and they must aim for the same perfection.
"Nor respect of persons" — the Hebrew vĕlo' massa'-phanim (and no lifting of faces, no favoritism) uses the Hebrew idiom for partiality: lifting someone's face means showing favor based on who they are rather than what they've done. God doesn't lift faces. The rich and the poor receive the same justice. The powerful and the weak are treated identically. The judges must do the same.
"Nor taking of gifts" — the Hebrew vĕlo' miqqach-shochad (and no accepting of bribes) completes the triad. No injustice. No favoritism. No bribery. Three forms of corruption, all eliminated by one principle: the fear of the LORD.
The triad works as a comprehensive anti-corruption charter. Iniquity corrupts the system. Respect of persons corrupts the process. Bribes corrupt the person. God is free from all three. And the judges — imaging God's justice on earth — must be likewise free.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Three forms of corruption: injustice, favoritism, bribery. Which of these three is the most subtle threat in the authority you currently carry?
- 2.'No respect of persons' — no lifting faces. Where do you treat people differently based on status, wealth, or influence rather than truth?
- 3.The foundation is 'the fear of the LORD.' How does the awareness that God watches your decisions change the quality of those decisions?
- 4.God's justice is the standard: zero iniquity, zero favoritism, zero corruption. How do you aim for a standard that's absolute when you know you'll fall short?
Devotional
No injustice. No favoritism. No bribes. Three things God doesn't do. Three things the judges can't do.
Jehoshaphat is appointing judges throughout Judah, and before he gives them a single case file, he gives them the theology that governs their work. God has no injustice in Him. God shows no favoritism. God takes no bribes. You serve that God. Now judge like Him.
The three prohibitions cover every form of judicial corruption the ancient world knew. Iniquity — the system itself being bent toward wrong outcomes. Respect of persons — treating people differently based on status, wealth, or connection rather than truth. Taking of gifts — allowing money to redirect justice toward the one who pays. Every corruption is addressed. Every excuse is eliminated.
The phrase "respect of persons" literally means "lifting faces" in Hebrew. When a powerful person entered the courtroom, the judge might "lift their face" — acknowledge their status, defer to their influence, let their importance tilt the scales. God doesn't lift faces. The wealthy and the destitute stand equally before Him. The judge who fears God must make the same refusal.
The order matters: first the fear of the LORD (the interior foundation), then the practical conduct (take heed and do). You can legislate against corruption, but the only reliable prevention is the interior awareness that God is watching and God doesn't tolerate what He doesn't practice. The fear comes first. The justice follows.
If you carry any authority — as a parent, a leader, a boss, a decision-maker — this verse is your charter. The standard isn't human fairness, which fluctuates with mood and circumstance. The standard is God's justice, which has zero defect. You won't achieve it perfectly. But the aim is absolute. And the fear of the LORD is what keeps the aim true.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Moreover, in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of…
Jehoshaphat, having done what he could to make his people good, is here providing, if possible, to keep them so by the…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture