2 Chronicles 20:13 kjv
And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
2 Chronicles 20:13 nkjv
Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD.
2 Chronicles 20:13 niv
All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD.
2 Chronicles 20:13 esv
Meanwhile all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
2 Chronicles 20:13 nlt
As all the men of Judah stood before the LORD with their little ones, wives, and children,
2 Chronicles 20 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Chr 20:13 | And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. | The focus verse: corporate, unified national appeal to God. |
| Joel 2:15-16 | Blow the trumpet in Zion... Gather the people, sanctify the congregation... assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants... | Strong parallel for corporate national humbling, including children, in a time of crisis. |
| Jon 3:5-8 | The people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth... even the king and his nobles... even the livestock! | Example of corporate repentance and seeking God with complete, all-inclusive earnestness. |
| Deut 31:12-13 | Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner... that they may hear... and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn. | Corporate gathering for instruction, learning, and worship, emphasizing generational inclusion. |
| Acts 4:24 | When they heard this, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth..." | Corporate, unified prayer by believers facing opposition, showing solidarity in seeking God. |
| Neh 9:3-4 | And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law... and confessed and worshiped the LORD their God with a loud voice. | Corporate standing for public worship, confession, and prayer by the assembled community. |
| Exod 14:13-14 | Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will accomplish for you today..." | Standing firm in the face of an enemy, waiting for God's deliverance rather than acting by human strength. |
| Ps 33:16-19 | The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength... But the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love. | Emphasizes reliance on divine protection over human or military might in times of threat. |
| Ps 121:1-2 | I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. | Illustrates an individual's deep reliance on God as the sole source of help and salvation. |
| Ps 123:1-2 | To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master... so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us. | A posture of profound dependency and humility before God, looking to Him for mercy and deliverance. |
| Isa 41:10 | Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. | Divine promise of God's presence, strength, and help to those who trust in Him, applicable in crises. |
| Zeph 3:17 | The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. | Assurance of God's powerful presence and saving action among His people in difficult times. |
| Matt 18:20 | For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. | Reinforces the principle of Christ's presence in corporate gathering and prayer. |
| Matt 19:14 | But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." | Affirmation of the value and inclusion of children within God's spiritual community. |
| Deut 6:6-7 | You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house... | Importance of intergenerational spiritual instruction and inclusion of children in the faith journey. |
| Eph 6:4 | Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. | Parents' role in nurturing children in faith, integrating them into the ways of the Lord. |
| Ps 78:4-7 | We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD... | The generational mandate to pass on the knowledge of God's mighty acts and His Law. |
| Jer 29:13 | You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. | The promise to those who seek God with wholehearted earnestness, whether individually or corporately. |
| Heb 4:16 | Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. | Invitation to approach God confidently for help in times of distress, often applicable to collective prayer. |
| Ps 22:3-5 | Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. | Corporate acknowledgment of God's faithfulness, reminding Him of past deliverances for current need. |
| Ezra 9:5 | At the evening sacrifice, I rose from my humiliation, with my tunic and my cloak torn, and fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God... | A leader's public display of deep humility and prayer, setting an example for corporate action. |
| Mic 6:8 | He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? | Highlights the requirement for humility as a core aspect of relationship with God, corporately applied here. |
2 Chronicles 20 verses
2 Chronicles 20 13 Meaning
This verse describes the posture and composition of the entire nation of Judah, under King Jehoshaphat, standing unitedly "before the LORD" in a moment of extreme national crisis. It highlights a collective act of humility, dependency, and urgent seeking of divine intervention, emphasizing the inclusion of even the most vulnerable members – the "little ones, their wives, and their children." It signifies a complete, national surrender and appeal to God, demonstrating their total reliance on Him for deliverance.
2 Chronicles 20 13 Context
2 Chronicles chapter 20 describes a severe crisis faced by King Jehoshaphat and the kingdom of Judah. A vast coalition of armies – from Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir – invaded Judah, intending to utterly destroy them. Faced with an overwhelmingly superior enemy, King Jehoshaphat, instead of mustering an army, sought the LORD and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. This declaration was an act of profound spiritual leadership, moving the nation to communal prayer and seeking divine intervention. Verse 13 immediately follows Jehoshaphat's earnest prayer (vv. 5-12), where he acknowledged Judah's utter helplessness ("we are powerless against this great horde... we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you"). The verse thus depicts the national response to this crisis and their king's call – a united, visible demonstration of faith, humility, and desperate reliance on God, culminating in the collective awaiting of God's word or deliverance.
2 Chronicles 20 13 Word analysis
- And all Judah: The Hebrew word `kol Yahudah` (כל־יְהוּדָה) emphasizes totality and unity. It wasn't just the men, the soldiers, or the leaders, but the entire kingdom of Judah, representing a unanimous national commitment to seeking God. This underscores the grave nature of the threat and the deep, communal conviction to turn to the divine for help.
- stood before the LORD: The Hebrew phrase `'omediym lifney YHWH` (עֹמְדִים לִפְנֵי יְהוָה) indicates a posture of reverence, petition, and awaiting. "Stood" (`'amad`) is a common biblical posture for prayer, worship, receiving instruction, or judgment. "Before the LORD" (`lifney YHWH`) signifies being directly in His presence, indicating the sacredness of the assembly and their direct appeal to God Himself, in contrast to seeking human solutions. It speaks of accountability, worship, and humble expectation.
- with their little ones, their wives, and their children: This enumeration using Hebrew terms `tapam`, `nesheyhem`, `u-vnehem` (טַפָּם נְשֵׁיהֶם וּבְנֵיהֶם) is highly significant.
- their little ones (`tapam`): Refers specifically to toddlers or young children, emphasizing vulnerability and complete dependency.
- their wives (`nesheyhem`): Highlights the inclusion of women, often overlooked in military or civic assemblies, demonstrating that the crisis and the act of seeking God concerned every part of society.
- and their children (`u-vnehem`): This might refer to older children or include the previous two categories collectively, reinforcing the idea that no one was exempt from this national spiritual gathering.
2 Chronicles 20 13 Bonus section
This verse subtly polemicizes against the common ancient Near Eastern practice of relying solely on military might or appeals to local deities in times of war. Instead, Judah demonstrates an unwavering monotheistic trust in YHWH, the sovereign God of Israel. The inclusion of the entire populace, especially women and children, might also hint at an underlying legal or covenantal gathering, reminiscent of covenant renewal ceremonies where the entire community was assembled to hear God's law and reaffirm their commitment to Him. This comprehensive assembly not only underscored the direness of their situation but also built solidarity and common purpose among the people, as they collectively focused on God, paving the way for spiritual unity and a shared experience of divine deliverance.
2 Chronicles 20 13 Commentary
2 Chronicles 20:13 serves as a profound depiction of corporate national humility and utter reliance upon God in the face of insurmountable odds. It transcends a mere historical record, providing a powerful example of what it means for a people, from the highest leader to the most vulnerable child, to actively and unitedly turn to God. This gathering was not an act of military strategy but an outward manifestation of an inward spiritual state, a national recognition of their powerlessness and the omnipotence of God. By "standing before the LORD" with their entire families, they symbolically laid everything before Him—their lives, their future, and their very existence. This collective vulnerability and united faith formed the basis for God's miraculous intervention, demonstrating that true strength lies not in human might but in complete surrender and dependence on the Divine.