2 Chronicles 20:35 kjv
And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly:
2 Chronicles 20:35 nkjv
After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted very wickedly.
2 Chronicles 20:35 niv
Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, whose ways were wicked.
2 Chronicles 20:35 esv
After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly.
2 Chronicles 20:35 nlt
Some time later King Jehoshaphat of Judah made an alliance with King Ahaziah of Israel, who was very wicked.
2 Chronicles 20 35 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 7:2-4 | "...you shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them... for they will turn your sons away from following Me..." | Warnings against covenants with pagan nations. |
| Exod 34:15-16 | "...lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land... and your sons prostitute themselves with their gods." | Commands to avoid alliances that lead to idolatry. |
| Josh 23:12-13 | "Else, if you...make marriages with them... they will be snares and traps to you..." | Warnings of entanglement from unholy alliances. |
| Judg 2:2 | "...but you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?" | Disobedience by not casting out pagan inhabitants. |
| 1 Kgs 11:1-8 | "Solomon loved many foreign women... his wives turned away his heart after other gods..." | Example of compromise leading to idolatry. |
| 2 Chr 17:3 | "The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the former ways of his father David..." | Jehoshaphat's initial devotion to God. |
| 2 Chr 19:2 | "...Jehu the seer... went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, 'Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD?'" | Reprimand for an earlier alliance with Ahab. |
| 2 Chr 20:1-30 | "...You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD..." | Jehoshaphat's reliance on God preceding this verse. |
| 2 Chr 20:37 | "...Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works." | Prophecy of consequences for this specific alliance. |
| 1 Kgs 22:48 | "Jehoshaphat built Tarshish ships to go to Ophir for gold..." | Purpose of the failed venture mentioned in 2 Chron 20:36. |
| 1 Kgs 22:52-53 | "He did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father... serving Baal and worshiping him." | Ahaziah's wicked reign. |
| 2 Chr 22:3-4 | "He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly." | Ahaziah's wickedness stemming from Ahab's house. |
| Neh 13:23-27 | "I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair... Should we then commit all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?" | Condemnation of forbidden marriages/alliances. |
| Ps 1:1 | "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly..." | Warnings against associating with the wicked. |
| Prov 13:20 | "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed." | Consequences of choosing companions. |
| Prov 22:24-25 | "Do not make friends with an angry man... lest you learn his ways..." | Warnings against bad company. |
| Isa 30:1 | "Woe to the rebellious children," says the LORD, "who take counsel, but not of Me..." | Warnings against relying on worldly alliances. |
| Jer 2:18-19 | "And now what are you doing on the way to Egypt...? Your own wickedness will correct you..." | Seeking foreign alliances instead of God. |
| 2 Cor 6:14 | "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers." | New Testament principle against unholy partnerships. |
| Jas 4:4 | "Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." | Friendship with the world as enmity towards God. |
| Eph 5:11 | "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them." | Avoiding complicity with wickedness. |
| Amos 3:3 | "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?" | Principle of alignment in partnerships. |
2 Chronicles 20 verses
2 Chronicles 20 35 Meaning
2 Chronicles 20:35 reveals that King Jehoshaphat of Judah, despite his recent reliance on God for a miraculous victory, formed a strategic alliance with King Ahaziah of Israel. This alliance is immediately marked as problematic because Ahaziah is explicitly described as "who acted wickedly," indicating a significant moral and religious compromise on Jehoshaphat's part. The verse sets the stage for God's disapproval of this unholy partnership, which soon results in negative consequences for Jehoshaphat.
2 Chronicles 20 35 Context
This verse immediately follows one of the most remarkable accounts of divine intervention in the Old Testament, where God supernaturally defeated the massive armies of Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir on behalf of Jehoshaphat and Judah (2 Chronicles 20:1-30). Jehoshaphat, earlier in his reign, had implemented significant reforms and diligently sought the Lord (2 Chron 17). He was also previously admonished by Jehu the seer for an earlier alliance with the wicked King Ahab of Israel (2 Chron 19:2). Given this background of both reliance on God and previous warnings against unholy alliances, 2 Chronicles 20:35 highlights a persistent spiritual blind spot or political miscalculation on Jehoshaphat's part. It marks a swift turn from a posture of complete faith and obedience to one of pragmatic but compromising political maneuvering, demonstrating the recurring challenge even for righteous leaders to maintain purity amidst worldly pressures.
2 Chronicles 20 35 Word analysis
- After this: This phrase connects the event to the preceding miraculous victory in 2 Chronicles 20. It emphasizes a chronological sequence but also introduces a stark thematic contrast. The "this" refers to the unparalleled demonstration of God's power and faithfulness. The verse reveals Jehoshaphat's regression from pure faith immediately after experiencing such a profound display of divine deliverance.
- Jehoshaphat king of Judah: Jehoshaphat (יהוֹשָׁפָט - Yehoshaphat, meaning "Yahweh has judged") was generally a pious king of Judah, dedicated to restoring proper worship of God, reforming the judicial system, and teaching the Law to his people (2 Chron 17, 19). However, he also had a recurring weakness for making political alliances, even with wicked northern kingdom kings like Ahab and now Ahaziah, despite warnings from prophets and previous negative consequences.
- allied himself with: The Hebrew word used here is חָבַר (ḥāḇar). This verb means "to join," "to be united," "to league together," or "to enter into an alliance." It denotes a close association, a bond, or a partnership. The act of allying implied shared interests, military cooperation, or trade ventures. For Jehoshaphat, forming such a bond with Ahaziah suggested shared political or economic goals, demonstrating a reliance on worldly power rather than solely on God after a recent display of God's sufficiency.
- Ahaziah king of Israel: Ahaziah (אֲחַזְיָה - ʼAḥazyāh, meaning "Yahweh has grasped" or "Yahweh sustains") was the son of Ahab and Jezebel and reigned for only two years. His character and actions are detailed in 1 Kings 22:51-53 and 2 Chronicles 22:3-4. He inherited and continued the idolatrous worship of Baal and Asherah introduced by his parents, explicitly walking "in the ways of his father and mother" and making Israel "sin."
- who acted wickedly: The Hebrew is הִרְשִׁיעַ (hiršîaʿ), from the root רָשַׁע (rāshaʿ), meaning "to be wicked," "to be ungodly," "to commit wrong," or "to act guiltily." This is a strong moral and religious condemnation. It is a divine verdict on Ahaziah's character and reign. The explicit mention of Ahaziah's wickedness underscores the severity of Jehoshaphat's lapse, as it indicates a conscious decision to partner with someone whose life and reign directly opposed the principles of God. It's not merely a political alliance, but an alignment with ungodliness.
- allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly: This phrase emphasizes the deliberate nature of Jehoshaphat's choice to forge a union with a monarch whose defining characteristic was wickedness. This decision stands in stark contrast to Jehoshaphat's personal piety and previous commitment to serving God. It indicates a significant compromise of his spiritual principles for perceived political or economic gain, disregarding the theological implications of yoking himself with ungodliness. The Holy Spirit’s inclusion of Ahaziah’s wickedness in the text points out that this was a morally indefensible partnership, bringing God’s direct disapproval.
2 Chronicles 20 35 Bonus section
This incident leading to the ill-fated venture of building ships to Tarshish (mentioned in the subsequent verses, 2 Chron 20:36-37) illustrates a powerful spiritual truth: while God may spare His faithful children from direct consequences in His grace (as Jehoshaphat was spared at Ramoth Gilead despite his alliance with Ahab in 1 Kings 22), persistent patterns of disobedience or spiritual compromise will eventually bring forth their fruit. The specific nature of Ahaziah's wickedness was his dedication to the Baal worship established by his parents. Therefore, Jehoshaphat's alliance was not just political, but amounted to condoning and perhaps even tacitly supporting the spread of idolatry within the united venture. This continued pattern of questionable alliances even impacted the future of Judah, as intermarriage between the royal houses of Judah and Israel (through Ahab's daughter Athaliah marrying Jehoshaphat's son Jehoram) subsequently led to deep spiritual corruption and near destruction of the Davidic line in Judah (2 Chronicles 22).
2 Chronicles 20 35 Commentary
2 Chronicles 20:35 marks a jarring shift in Jehoshaphat's narrative. Following a magnificent demonstration of God's faithfulness and power through miraculous victory, the very next verse reveals a compromise. Jehoshaphat, despite having learned lessons from a similar misguided alliance with Ahab (2 Chron 19:2) and having recently trusted God completely, now forms a political alliance with Ahaziah, a king explicitly described as wicked. This verse highlights a critical and persistent human failing: the tendency to revert to worldly strategies and compromise even after experiencing divine intervention. It underscores that spiritual success does not exempt one from future temptations to trust in human wisdom over divine wisdom. The alliance with "wicked" Ahaziah indicates a failure to maintain spiritual discernment and prioritize God's holiness over political expediency or economic advantage, thus inviting divine judgment, as seen in the very next verses concerning the shipwreck (2 Chron 20:36-37).