1 Kings 22:41-50

II. SUMMARY OF THE REIGN OF JEHOSHAPHAT 22:41-50

TRANSLATION

(41) Now Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to rule over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. (42) Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and twenty-five years he ruled in Jerusalem. And the name of his mother was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. (43) And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father not deviating from it, to do that which was right in the eyes of the LORD. But the high places he did not remove; the people were yet sacrificing and offering incense in the high places. (44) And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. (45) Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might which he demonstrated, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah. (46) And the rest of the male prostitutes which remained from the days of Asa his father he removed from the land. (47) There was no king in Edom; a vassal was king. (48) Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were smashed in Ezion-geber. (49) Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with your servants in the ships; but Jehoshaphat was not willing. (50) And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jehoram his son ruled in his place.

COMMENTS

In 1 Kings 22:41-51 the historian takes up again briefly the history of Judah where he left off in 2 Kings 15:24 with the mention of the accession of Jehoshaphat. To the reign of this fine king the Chronicler devotes four Chapter s; the author of Kings treats his reign in the briefest possible fashion. The additional information contained in Chronicles about Jehoshaphat's reign may be summarized as follows:

1. Apparently prior to his alliance with Ahab, Jehoshaphat strengthened himself against Israel by garrisoning all his fortified cities (2 Chronicles 17:1-2).

2. Philistines and Arab tribes brought costly presents to Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:5; 2 Chronicles 17:10 ff.).

3. Judah was invaded by a coalition of Moabites, Ammonites and Edomites. The invaders, however, turned upon and de stroyed one another (2 Chronicles 17:7-9).

4. Jehoshaphat launched certain educational reforms by sending forth qualified leaders to teach the law throughout the land (2 Chronicles 17:7-9).

5. The king also reformed the system of administering justice (2 Chronicles 19:4-11).

Fourth King of Judah
JEHOSHAPHAT BEN ASA
870-848 B.C.*
(He whom Yahweb judges)

1 Kings 15:24; 1 Kings 22:41-50; 2 Kings 8:16; 2 Chronicles 17:1 to 2 Chronicles 21:3

Synchronism
Jehoshaphat 1 = Ahab 4
Contemporary Prophets
Jehu son of Hanani; Jahaziel the levite;
Eliezer

Mother: Azubah

Appraisal: Good

Mercy and truth preserve the king; and his throne is upheld by mercy.

Proverbs 20:28

*coregent from 873 B.C.

Jehoshaphat followed in the footsteps of his father Asa, and did not in his old age attempt to turn aside from the way of righteousness as his father had done. Two flaws in his reign are pointed out by the historian: (1) he did not remove the high places outside Jerusalem where the people worshiped Yahweh contrary to the Law of Moses (1 Kings 22:43); and (2) he made peace with Ahab of Israel (1 Kings 22:44) thus ending the state of hostilities between the two kingdoms which had existed for over seventy years. To seal this alliance, Jehoshaphat arranged a marriage between his son Jehoram, and Athaliah the daughter of Ahab (2 Chronicles 18:1). It was probably the mutual fear of the rising power of Damascus that forced the rival sister kingdoms to seek this reconciliation.

Other outstanding accomplishments of Jehoshaphat were recorded in the primary source utilized by the author of Kings, the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah (1 Kings 22:45). The account of Jehoshaphat closes out with the mention of three significant facts: (1) Jehoshaphat completed the task that his father had begun in removing the male cult prostitutes from the land (1 Kings 22:46); (2) he was able to re-subjugate the territory of Edom[510] and install a vassal king over that territory (1 Kings 22:47); and (3) he attempted to revive the naval enterprise of Solomon. Tarshish ships, i.e., large sea-going vessels bound for Ophir and Tarshish (cf. 2 Chronicles 20:36), were launched from the Edomite seaport of Ezion-geber. Unfortunately these ships were dashed to pieces by a storm before they got out of the harbor (1 Kings 22:48). A prophet of God explained the disaster as being the result of an ungodly alliance between Jehoshaphat and Ahab's son Ahaziah (2 Chronicles 20:37). When the Northern king proposed a second venture in which his subjects would join those of Jehoshaphat,[511] this godly king rightly rejected it (1 Kings 22:49). He had learned his lesson. At his death, Jehoshaphat was buried in the city of David with his royal ancestors. His son Jehoram[512] succeeded him on the throne (1 Kings 22:50).

[510] Edom seems to have regained its independence soon after the death of Solomon (cf. 2 Kings 11:14);but from this text and 2 Kings 8:20; 2 Kings 8:22 it would appear that Edom had again been made subject to Judah probably by Jehoshaphat himself (cf. 2 Chronicles 17:10-11).

[511] It would appear that whereas both kings had shared in the building of the first fleet, only the sailors of Judah had manned the ships. Because of their close association with the Phoenicians, some subjects of the Northern Kingdom may have been highly skilled sailors.

[512] Both Jehoshaphat and Ahab had sons named Jehoram (cf. 2 Kings 1:17). The two kings may have agreed to use the same name in advance of the birth of the two princes as a symbol of their friendship for one another. See Honor, JCBR, p. 331.