2 Chronicles 20:7 kjv
Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
2 Chronicles 20:7 nkjv
Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?
2 Chronicles 20:7 niv
Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?
2 Chronicles 20:7 esv
Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?
2 Chronicles 20:7 nlt
O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham?
2 Chronicles 20 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 43:3 | For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior... | God as "our God" / Israel's God |
| Psa 48:14 | For this God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death. | God as "our God" |
| Jer 31:33 | ...I will be their God, and they shall be My people. | God as "our God" / Covenant relationship |
| Gen 15:18-21 | On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram... the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites... to the River of Egypt. | Promise of land / Future dispossession |
| Exo 23:28 | I will send My terror before you, and will throw into confusion all the people to whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs. | God drives out inhabitants |
| Deut 7:1-2 | When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you go to possess... and clears away many nations before you... you shall utterly destroy them. | God clears the land |
| Josh 3:10 | ...you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will certainly drive out before you... | God's active dispossession |
| Psa 44:2 | You drove out the nations with Your hand, But You planted them... | God's divine action in conquest |
| Gen 12:7 | Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." | Promise of land to Abraham's seed |
| Gen 13:15 | ...all the land which you see I will give to you and your descendants forever. | Land promise "forever" |
| Deut 6:10 | ...the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers... to give you great and beautiful cities which you did not build. | God gives the land as a gift |
| Psa 105:11 | "To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance." | God's gift of the land |
| Rom 4:13 | For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. | Promise to Abraham's seed |
| Gal 3:16 | Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ. | "Seed" of Abraham, pointing to Christ |
| Isa 41:8 | But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the descendant of Abraham My friend. | Abraham as "God's friend" |
| Jam 2:23 | And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. | Abraham called "friend of God" |
| Gen 17:8 | Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession... | Land as "everlasting possession" |
| Exo 32:13 | Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self... I will give to your descendants all this land. | Appealing to covenant promises and ancestors |
| Neh 9:8 | You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him... giving the land of the Canaanites... | Affirming God's covenant with Abraham |
| Dan 9:15 | And now, O Lord our God... You who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand... | Appealing to God's past powerful acts |
| Deut 7:9 | Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy... | God's faithfulness to covenant |
| Psa 89:34 | My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. | God's unchanging covenant |
2 Chronicles 20 verses
2 Chronicles 20 7 Meaning
2 Chronicles 20:7 is part of King Jehoshaphat's prayer during a national crisis, where he confronts the invading armies by reminding God of His established covenant and historical acts. The verse affirms God's unique identity as "our God," who supernaturally removed the land's former inhabitants for His people Israel, thus fulfilling His everlasting promise to Abraham, whom He intimately calls His friend. It serves as a profound appeal to God's past faithfulness and unchangeable character as the basis for divine intervention in their present plight.
2 Chronicles 20 7 Context
This verse is part of King Jehoshaphat's impassioned prayer in 2 Chronicles 20, delivered when Judah faced an overwhelming invasion from Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites. Upon receiving the alarming news, Jehoshaphat set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. This public prayer, offered in the house of the Lord before the congregation, lays out the crisis before God, not in despair, but by recounting God's past mighty deeds and covenant promises to Israel. Verse 7 specifically reminds God of His original, foundational act of establishing Israel in the land through divine conquest and His enduring promise to Abraham. This prayer becomes the catalyst for God's miraculous intervention, leading to Judah's unparalleled victory without fighting, thus reinforcing the Chronicler's theme of divine sovereignty and the effectiveness of seeking the Lord.
2 Chronicles 20 7 Word analysis
- Art not You (הֲלֹא־אַתָּה Ha-lo-atâ): A rhetorical question in Hebrew, which is a strong affirmation meaning, "Surely You are!" It is not a query expressing doubt but a declaration of unwavering faith and recognition of God's undisputed identity and power.
- our God (אֱלֹהֵינוּ ’Ĕlōhênū): Emphasizes a deep, personal, and covenantal relationship. Elohim is the generic term for God, but the suffix "-einu" signifies possession and intimacy, highlighting that this specific and all-powerful God belongs to Israel and is uniquely dedicated to them.
- who did drive out (הוּא הִנְהַרְתָּ Hū hinn̄hartā): From the root נהר (nahar), implying a strong, forceful, or overflowing action, akin to a river rushing forth. In this context, it signifies a decisive and forceful dispossession, orchestrated solely by God, not by Israel's strength.
- the inhabitants of this land (יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת yōšəvē hā’āreṣ hazzōṯ): Refers to the Canaanite nations (Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites, Girgashites, etc.) whom God removed to make way for Israel.
- before Your people Israel (מִפְּנֵי עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל mippənê ‘amməḵā yiśrā’ēl): Signifies that God led the way and fought on their behalf, preceding Israel in battle and clearing their path. It underlines God's direct involvement and priority in the conquest, diminishing any human boasting.
- and gave it (וַתִּתְּנָהּ wattittənāh): Implies a sovereign divine gift. The land was not conquered by Israel's might but divinely bestowed upon them as an inheritance, emphasizing God's complete ownership and authority over the land and its distribution.
- to the seed of Abraham (לְזֶרַע אַבְרָהָם ləzera‘ ’aḇrāhām): "Seed" (zera‘) denotes descendants. This directly references the patriarchal promises and covenants made with Abraham concerning the land, confirming its fulfillment through Israel's occupation.
- Your friend (אֹהַבְךָ ’ōhavḵā): A profound and intimate designation for Abraham, emphasizing a unique and cherished personal relationship with God built on trust and mutual devotion. This term elevates Abraham to an unparalleled status and implies that God acts based on this deep connection. It is echoed in Isa 41:8 and Jam 2:23.
- forever (לְעוֹלָם lə‘ôlām): Denotes perpetuity and enduring permanence. The promise of the land was not temporary but a perpetual inheritance, affirming God's unchanging faithfulness to His covenant word.
Words-Group by Words-Group Analysis:
- "Art not You our God": This is an address rooted in covenant theology. It declares God's unique relationship and responsibility towards Israel, serving as the very foundation of Jehoshaphat's plea. It is a powerful theological claim to divine proprietorship and protection.
- "who did drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel": This phrase succinctly recaps God's historical, supernatural intervention in establishing Israel in Canaan. It attributes the entire conquest not to Israel's military might but to God's forceful and direct action, reinforcing His absolute sovereignty over nations and land.
- "and gave it to the seed of Abraham Your friend forever": This section anchors God's past actions in His eternal covenant with Abraham. It identifies the "why" behind the dispossession: the fulfillment of a divine promise to His chosen friend's descendants. The "forever" solidifies the enduring nature of this divine grant, making it a powerful basis for a plea for continued divine favor and protection of that very land.
2 Chronicles 20 7 Bonus section
- Jehoshaphat's prayer highlights a crucial principle of prayer: appealing to God's revealed character, His covenant faithfulness, and His past mighty deeds, rather than solely on human need or despair.
- The unique designation of Abraham as "God's friend" emphasizes intimacy and is foundational to understanding the privileged status of Abraham's descendants (Israel) in God's eyes and promises.
- The Chronicler, writing to a post-exilic community, might be subtly reminding them of the perpetuity of God's land promises, offering hope that though exiled, the covenant still holds for a future return.
- This verse undergirds the later, unprecedented non-military victory, emphasizing that divine intervention is paramount and human efforts are secondary in God's plans.
2 Chronicles 20 7 Commentary
2 Chronicles 20:7 serves as the lynchpin of Jehoshaphat's prayer, shifting the focus from the immediate threat to God's immutable character and past faithfulness. It is a masterclass in appealing to God based on His identity and proven track record. By recalling that God "did drive out the inhabitants," Jehoshaphat implicitly argues that the same power that established them in the land is capable of defending it again. The reference to "the seed of Abraham Your friend forever" invokes the enduring, unconditional covenant made with Abraham, highlighting the depth of God's commitment and personal bond. This is not just a historical recap, but a powerful act of faith, reminding God (and themselves) that He is inherently obligated by His own holy character and word to protect what He has given "forever." It instructs believers to pray by grounding requests in God's promises and previous acts, building confidence not on the present crisis but on the consistent character of God throughout history.