The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 250

absolute fait,h in Jehovah as their covenant God, and perfect trust in his prophets as the bearers of his message. (2) Two things be promised-the permanent establishment of.their kingdom in spit~ of all attacks from without; its certain prosperity through bemg exempt from unbelief e. sure but fatal source of weakness and division. 4. Tl,e arrangements/or t'.t6 march. Jehoshaphat made specie.l preparations for encountering the foe. (1) A consultation was held with the people. Besides exhorting them as above recorded (Bertheau, Keil), be took them into counsel with himself in the dis- position next made. This conference occurred before the army left Jerus:ilem rather than on its reaching Tekoa. (2) Singers were appointed to march in front of the troops. Arrayed in sacred vestments, Levitical musicians were to praise the beauty of holiness, or to praise the Lord in the beauty of holiness, saying, " Praise the Lord ; for his mercy endureth for ever" (Ps. cxxxvi.). Their singing and pmisino- most likely began as they left the capital, was discontinued on the way to Tekoa, a;d was again resumed on reaching the vicinity of the enemy (ver. 22). 5. The advance toward.~ the foe. A singular method of warfare it must have seemed-as ridiculous as the march of Joshua's warriors round the walls of Jericho and the music of their rams' horns must have appeared to the inhabitants of that old Canaanitish fortress (Josh. vi. 12-16). II. 'l'HE SCE1'"E FROM Tim WATCH-TOWER. (Ver. 24.) This "watch-tower," a height in the wilderness of Tekoa which overlooked the desert of Jeruel, where the invading host lay encamped (ver. 16), was probably the conical hill Jebel Fureidis, or the Frank Mountain, from which a view can be obtained of the Dead Sea. and the mountains of :Moab (' Picturesque Palestine,' i. 137). From this elevation Jehoshaphat and his soldiers beheld the whole ground strewn with corpses, and not the vestige of a. living foe to be seen. The enemy had been: 1. Completely slaughtered. 'fhe dead bodies were so numerous that" to all appearance none had escaped" (Keil); but the· Chronicler manifestly intended to describe a case of not apparent, but real extermina- tion. Not merely all whom the men of Judah beheld prostrate on the field were dead, but of all who had come up against Judah none had escaped. 2. Seif-destroyed. They had fallen on and annihilated one another. That perhaps was not remarkable; thieves, robbers, and wicked men in general often fall out and destroy one another. 'l'he pity is they do not always do so before attacking other people. In this case two things were remarkable-the time when and the mode in which it happened. (l) It occurred' when the army began to march and the Levites to sing and to praise the Lord in the beauty of holiness (ver. 22). Exactly, then, wher. God's people were manifesting forth' their obedience, faith, zeal, and holiness, their enemies were destroying oae another.. The same thing would happen in the experience of the New Testament Church were she in a similar fashion to confront her adversaries, first arraying herself in the sacred garments of holiness, next trusting in God for the victories he had promised-in fact, praising him beforehand on account of them, and then going forth to behold them and gather up their fruits; her enemies, too, would destroy themselves. (2) It occurred· through the direct instrumentality of God. Jehovah set against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir (ver. 22) "liers in wait," supposed to have been angels or heavenly powers sent by God, and called insidiatores because of the work they did a~ainst the enemy (Bertheau, Ewald), but more probably "Seirites, greedy of spoil, who from an ambush made aa attack upon the Ammonites and Moabites" (Keil). These, becoming alarmed for their safety, not only repelled the "liers in wait," but turned with fury upon the Seirites marching with them, and absolutely exterminated them; after which, growing suspicious of one another, they flew at each other's throats and rested not until they had completely destroyed one another. III. THE GATHERING OF TlIE SPOIL. (Ver. 25.) 1. The articles. (1) Riches- movable property, such as cattle, tents, etc., the usual wealth of nomad,, (2) Dead bodies, i.e. corpses of men and carcases of animals; the former with clofoing and jewellery, the latter with harness and accoutrements. The reading "garments" (Der- theau, Clarke), though not unsuitable (Judg. viii. 26), is probably incorrect. (3) Precious jewels, "vessels of desire," gold and silver ornaments like those Gideon's soldiers took from the Midianitcs (Judg. viii. 25). 2. The quantity. So abundant that three days were occupied in collecting it, and when collected it was found to be more than they could carry. The ear-rings taken by Gideon's warriors from tho oH. xx.1-37.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 251