“And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;”
My Notes
What Does 2 Chronicles 20:10 Mean?
In Jehoshaphat's prayer before battle, he makes a shrewd theological argument: God, these nations attacking us are the ones You specifically told Israel not to destroy during the Exodus. When Israel came out of Egypt, God commanded them to spare Ammon, Moab, and Edom (the people of Seir). Israel obeyed — they went around these nations rather than through them. And now those same spared nations are attacking the people who spared them.
Jehoshaphat's prayer is essentially saying: we showed them mercy because You told us to, and now they're rewarding our obedience with aggression. The grace Israel extended on God's command is being exploited by its recipients. There's a painful irony here that Jehoshaphat names directly to God.
This is one of the most rhetorically sophisticated prayers in Scripture. Jehoshaphat isn't just asking for help — he's presenting a case. He's reminding God of His own instructions and showing how the current situation contradicts the expected outcome of obedience. It's bold, honest, and deeply respectful all at once.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Have you ever extended grace to someone who later used it against you? How did you process that with God?
- 2.What does Jehoshaphat's bold, honest prayer teach about what's appropriate to bring before God?
- 3.How do you handle the tension between obedience and outcomes that don't match what obedience 'should' produce?
- 4.Is there an unfairness in your life right now that you need to honestly name before God?
Devotional
Jehoshaphat's prayer is brilliantly honest. He's essentially saying: God, we obeyed You. You told us not to touch these nations, and we didn't. We went the long way around. We respected their territory. And now they're coming to take ours. How is this fair?
There's no formula for prayer in Scripture, but there is a pattern: bring your honest reality to God, including the parts that feel unfair. Jehoshaphat doesn't pretend to be serene about the injustice. He names it. He tells God exactly what happened and why it doesn't seem right. This isn't faithlessness — it's the deepest kind of trust. You can only be this honest with someone you believe is listening and cares.
Have you ever obeyed God in a specific situation, extended grace or mercy because you believed it was right, and then watched the recipient of that grace turn around and harm you? Jehoshaphat's prayer validates that experience. You're allowed to bring the unfairness to God. You're allowed to say: I did what You asked, and this is what happened. Now what?
The answer, in Jehoshaphat's case, is one of the most dramatic deliverances in the Old Testament. But the prayer comes first. Honest, raw, theologically sophisticated prayer that presents God with the contradiction between His instructions and the current reality.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And now, behold, the children of Ammon, and Moab, and Mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they…
The Maonites of 2Ch 20:1 are here, and in 2Ch 20:22-23, called the “children” or inhabitants “of mount Seir.” Hence, we…
We left Jehoshaphat, in the foregoing chapter, well employed in reforming his kingdom and providing for the due…
mount Seir Here and in 2Ch 20:23 in the enumeration of the allied peoples "Mount Seir" takes the place of the "Meunim"…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture