the history of Elijah. This seems more plau.'sible than the suggestion of Kimchi, adopted by Keil, that the Lord had revealed to Elijah, before his
translation, J.'s wickedness, and that then Elijah wrote this letter, which was to be sent to the king at the proper time ; just as Elijah himself anointed
JEHOSIIAliEATH
JEHOSHAPHAT, VALLEY OF 5G1
Hazael and Jehu by Elislia's instrumentality (see AViu). Kennicott cuts the knot by conjecturing ' Elisha' for ' Elijah ' in 2 Ch il'-.
3. A priest, one of the commission appointed by Jehoshaphat to teach the Law, 2 Ch 17'.
N. J. D. Whitk.
JEHOSHABEATH.— See Jehosheba.
JEHOSHAPHAT (ocyi.T 'J" hath judged"). 1. King of Juduh, son of Asa. This reign marks a new departure in the mutual relations of Judah and Israel. Hitherto there had been a standing feud between the two kingdoms (I K 14* 15'- ""), but 'J. made peace with the king of Israel' (1 K 2i"). The immediate object of this policy was doubtless to enable the whole Hebrew race, hitherto weakened by internecine wars, to co- operate against their common enemies. Possibly, also, J. cherished a hope that the marriage of his heir Jehoram with Athaliah the daughter of Ahab, by which the political alliance was now cementeu, might, in the future, load to a peaceful re-establishment of the kingdom of David and Solomon. The actual result, however, of this alliance with the house of Omri brought to J. little credit in his relations witli foreign powers ; while at home, in the following reigns, it led to a recrudescence of Baal worsliip, and indirectly to the almost total extinction of the royal family of Judah (2 K U', cf. 2 Ch 2I«- "). Tliere is little told directly of J. in Kings (1 K 2-2"»). He com- pleted the extirpation of the Canaanitish abomina- tions begun by Asa, 1 K 15'^. Edora was so com- pletely subject to him that although it had a king (2 K 3 pasMm), yet he was merely a nominee (' deputy' 3S3) of the king of Judah. Hence, when Eilom revolted in the next reign (2 K 8*"), it is sii^nificantlv said they ' made a king over them- selves.' Edom being thus a va.ssal state, J. had access to the seaport of Ezion-geber, and attemijted to revive Solomon's trade with Ophir (cf. 1 K 9*) ; but the fleet was wrecked when start- ing on the first voyage, and J. was so disheartened that he declined to enter into partnership with Ahaziah of Israel in order to renew the attempt. In 2 Ch 20"''- the good king's misfortune is repre- sented as a punisliment for his having made a commercial alliance with Ahaziah ; and the destination of the ships is not Ophir, but Tarshish. Both here and in 2 Ch 9" tlie Chronicler mis- understands the term 'ships of Tarshish.' What- ever else we know from Kings about J. is found in the history of Israel. To the strong-willed monarchs of Oniri's line J. serves as a foil. They profited by the alliance witli Judah. When .Vliab desires to recover Kamoth-gilead, or Jehoram Moab, J. is ready with his set formula of aoiuiescence ( 1 K 22*, 2 K 3'). He is extremely scrupulous to inquire of a prophet of J", and is not satislii'il with an oracle which purports to come from Adonai (I K 22*', 2 K 3"); yet he seems quite unaftected when his ally is denounced, whether by Micaiali or Elisha. He is even per- suaded to risk liis own life to save that of Ahab (1 K 22»). From the Chronicler (2 Ch 17-2ii) we learn much more respecting J.'s internal adminis- tration of Judah. J. begins his reign with de- fensive measures against Israel (IT'- '). Hii early piety is rewarded, like that of David (1 Ch 29^) and Solomon (2 Ch 1"), with ' riches and honour in abundance' (17' IS'). He then sendaa commission, consisting of primus, Levites, and priests, to teach *Mii? book of llif law of the Lord in the cities of Juilali. (Jixlliniss at home is followed by |H';ue abroad. The Philistines and Arabians, so trouble- some to Jehoram (21''), bring tribute. J. raises a standing army, twice as large as that of Asa (2Ch 14»), of over 1,100,(X)0 men (IT""*). Ewald VOL. II. — ^6
tliinks that this incredible number refers to th« entire male population, but seel"'". The Chronicler then (ch. 18), contrary to the plan of his work, gives a long extract from the history of Israel — Ahab's expedition to Ramoth-gileaif — because of the share J. took in it. There are few variations of any interest except the needless addition in V." ' and the Lord helped,' etc. It was surely by J.'s accent, when he 'cried out,' that the Syrian captains 'saw that he was not the king of Israel.' On his return, J. is rebuked for ' helping the wicked' by the prophet Jehu (cf. 2 Ch 15- 10'). He then provides for the better administration of justice by appointing local judges in every fenced city (19*), and two courts of appeal, ecclesiastiial and civil, in Jerusalem, v.*, consisting of Levites, priests, and leading nobles, presided over respect- ively by the high priest and 'the ruler of the house of Judah' (cf. Dt 1" 16"* 17»). The Chronicler does not relate J.'s campai^ with Jehoram of Israel against Moab (2 K 3, avu Jehoram 1), but he gives in ch. 20 an account of a more complete deliverance from Moab, Edora, and Amnion. In this story there are two dillicukics. (a) The inhabitants of Mt. Seir, w."''=^(in v.' read with Targ. 'Edomites' for 'Ammonites,' see RVm), are here joined with Moab against Judah, whereas in 2 K 3 they not only join their suzerain J. in his attack on Moab, but are the bitterest enemies of that people (2 K 3*). (6) The abject terror of J. at this crisis (see esp. vv.'- '■') is quite unaccountable, if he really possessed a tithe of the army described in 17' •. On the other hand, Ewald (/// iv. 56 n. 2) fairly argues that 'the valley of Jeho.shaphat'(Jl 3^- '-), which he identifies with the Wady Bereikut ( = Beracah), implies some great victory of that king. He dates this event at the beginning of J. s reign, and thereby accounis for the complete subjugation of Edom, implied in Kings. The prayer of J. on this occasion has a remarkable reference to Solomon s prayer 1 K S"-", and to Dt 2*-'-">, iust as the speech of Jahaziel has to Ex 14"- ". 2. The recorder or chronicler in the reigns of David (2 S 8'« 20-*, 1 Ch 18") and Solomon (1 K 4»). 3. One of Solomon's twelve coiiimi.ssariat officers, 1 K 4". 4. Father of Jehu king of Israel, 2 K 9^- ". N. J. D. White.