2 Chronicles 24:19 kjv
Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.
2 Chronicles 24:19 nkjv
Yet He sent prophets to them, to bring them back to the LORD; and they testified against them, but they would not listen.
2 Chronicles 24:19 niv
Although the LORD sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.
2 Chronicles 24:19 esv
Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the LORD. These testified against them, but they would not pay attention.
2 Chronicles 24:19 nlt
Yet the LORD sent prophets to bring them back to him. The prophets warned them, but still the people would not listen.
2 Chronicles 24 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 7:25-26 | "From the day your fathers came out of the land... sent all My servants the prophets... but they did not listen..." | God sent prophets; people refused to listen. |
| Neh 9:26 | "...rebellious and rebelled against You... killed Your prophets... committed great blasphemies." | Israel rebelled and killed prophets. |
| Neh 9:30 | "Many years You bore with them... warned them by Your Spirit through Your prophets, yet they would not listen." | God's patience and warning through prophets. |
| Zech 7:11-12 | "They refused to pay attention... made their hearts like flint lest they should hear the law and the words." | Hardened hearts refusing to hear God's word. |
| Lk 13:34 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets..." | Jesus' lament over Jerusalem's rejection of prophets. |
| Matt 23:37 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you!" | Jerusalem's historical rejection of God's messengers. |
| Acts 7:51-53 | "You stiff-necked people... You always resist the Holy Spirit... which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?" | Stephen's rebuke: ongoing resistance to God's Spirit and prophets. |
| Isa 30:9-11 | "...rebellious people... will not hear the law of the LORD... say to the seers, ‘Do not see visions’..." | People prefer flattering lies over truth. |
| Jer 25:4-7 | "The LORD has sent to you all His servants the prophets again and again... but you have not listened." | God's persistent sending of prophets unheeded. |
| Ezek 3:7 | "But the house of Israel will not listen to you, for they will not listen to Me..." | People's rejection of prophet is rejection of God. |
| Rom 2:4 | "Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" | God's kindness designed for repentance, often spurned. |
| 2 Pet 3:9 | "The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise... but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." | God's patience is for the purpose of repentance. |
| Exod 34:6-7 | "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness..." | Description of God's compassionate character. |
| Psa 103:8 | "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love." | God's enduring mercy and slowness to anger. |
| Isa 55:7 | "Let the wicked forsake his way... and return to the LORD, that He may have compassion on him..." | Call to repentance and God's promise of mercy. |
| Ezek 33:11 | "Say to them, ‘As I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live’." | God desires life through repentance, not death. |
| Joel 2:12-13 | "Return to Me with all your heart... Rend your hearts and not your garments." | Urgent call for genuine, inward repentance. |
| Prov 1:24-33 | "Because I have called and you refused... you spurned all my counsel... so I will laugh at your calamity." | Consequence of rejecting wisdom and warnings. |
| Hos 6:1 | "Come, let us return to the LORD; for He has torn us, that He may heal us..." | Invitation to return to God for healing. |
| 2 Chron 36:15-16 | "The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by His messengers... But they kept mocking the messengers of God." | Similar Chronicler account of persistent warnings and rejection. |
| Jer 18:11-12 | "Return now, every one of you, from his evil way... But they said, ‘It is hopeless! We will walk according to our own plans’." | People's stubborn resolve to follow their own desires. |
| Deut 30:1-3 | "...if you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice... then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes..." | Conditional promise of restoration upon return to God. |
| Jer 13:17 | "...My eyes will weep bitterly... because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive." | Weeping over Judah's pride and refusal to listen. |
2 Chronicles 24 verses
2 Chronicles 24 19 Meaning
Despite Judah's egregious spiritual defection under King Joash, abandoning the LORD and embracing idolatry, God in His enduring grace and long-suffering character initiated a persistent call for their return. He dispatched His chosen prophets to deliver urgent divine warnings, compelling the people back into covenant fidelity. These messengers faithfully performed their duty, laying out God's case against their rebellion and providing a clear path to repentance. However, the people, hardening their hearts and unwilling to forsake their apostasy, deliberately refused to heed these critical messages, setting themselves on a path toward divine judgment.
2 Chronicles 24 19 Context
Following the death of the venerable High Priest Jehoiada, who had guided King Joash through his formative years and oversaw a period of faithfulness including the repair of the temple, a significant spiritual decline enveloped Judah. Joash, now adult and susceptible to the influence of Judah's ungodly princes, swiftly abandoned the LORD and returned to the idolatry of Asherim and idols (2 Chron 24:17-18). Verse 19 encapsulates God's compassionate and immediate response to this apostasy. Before inflicting judgment, He exercised long-suffering mercy by sending His appointed messengers to call the nation back, highlighting His relentless pursuit of a covenant relationship even when forsaken. This verse sets the stage for the dramatic confrontation that would lead to the martyrdom of Zechariah, Jehoiada’s son, revealing the depth of Judah's rebellion and paving the way for divine retribution.
2 Chronicles 24 19 Word analysis
Yet he sent (וַיִּשְׁלַח waiyishlach): This phrase, introduced by "yet" (indicating contrast or concession), highlights God's initiative and grace. Despite Judah's profound betrayal and rapid return to idolatry, God did not immediately abandon them. Instead, He actively and intentionally "sent" – demonstrating His steadfast love, patience, and commitment to His covenant people, giving them an opportunity for repentance before judgment. It speaks of divine action and proactive mercy.
prophets (נְבִיאִים n'vi'im): These were God's specially appointed spokespersons. Unlike priests, who primarily maintained rituals, prophets conveyed God's direct message, often confronting sin, calling for repentance, foretelling future events, and offering hope. Their role was critical in times of spiritual decline, acting as God's conscience to the nation.
to them (אֲלֵיהֶם aleihem): Directly indicates that God's message was targeted at the people and leaders of Judah, who had turned away. It was a direct address, not a general or unspecific warning.
to bring them back (לַהֲשִׁיבָם lahasivâm): Rooted in the Hebrew word "shuv" (שוב), meaning "to turn," "return," or "repent." This is a core biblical concept signifying a fundamental change of direction from sin toward God, restoring a right relationship. The purpose of the prophetic ministry was not just condemnation, but primarily restoration to covenant obedience.
to the LORD (לַיהוָה laYahweh): Specifies the divine recipient of their "return." Their defection was from Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. Thus, their return had to be specifically to Him, forsaking all other deities.
they testified against them (וַיָּעִידוּ בָם waiya'i'du vam): The verb "yadad" (יעד) implies bearing witness or giving solemn warning, often in a legal or covenantal sense. The prophets' words served not merely as advice but as an official divine indictment and witness against the people's disobedience. By rejecting these warnings, the people made themselves legally accountable before God. This establishes a basis for future judgment.
but they would not pay attention (וְהֵם לֹא הֶאֱזִינוּ v'hem lo he'ezinu): "Not pay attention" signifies an active, stubborn refusal to listen, understand, or obey. It highlights the people's willful resistance and the hardness of their hearts. This was not a passive oversight but a deliberate rejection of God's plea, emphasizing their culpability.
"Yet he sent prophets to them to bring them back to the LORD": This phrase beautifully portrays God's enduring grace, active pursuit, and fervent desire for His people's repentance and restoration. Despite their open rebellion, His immediate response was one of compassion, offering a path to reconciliation.
"they testified against them, but they would not pay attention": This grouping contrasts the prophets' faithful discharge of their duty (bearing clear witness and warning) with the people's persistent and obstinate rebellion. It underlines the theme of accountability, as their refusal to heed the clear divine word became a formal rejection, inviting ultimate consequences.
2 Chronicles 24 19 Bonus section
The narrative of 2 Chronicles often highlights a repeating pattern: a king begins well but declines, followed by God sending prophets, whose warnings are largely ignored, leading to judgment. This verse is a microcosm of that pattern. The particular apostasy under Joash is rendered more poignant because he had been saved as an infant, raised in the temple under the righteous Jehoiada, and initiated significant religious reforms (temple repair). His rapid fall into idolatry immediately after Jehoiada's death illustrates the devastating influence of corrupt advisors and the vulnerability of even those raised in godly environments to peer pressure and personal compromise. This specific instance of rejected prophetic warnings foreshadows the martyrdom of Zechariah (2 Chron 24:20-22), Jehoiada's own son, who dared to confront the king and people, symbolizing the pinnacle of their rejection of God's Word through His messengers. This theme culminates in Jesus' lament over Jerusalem, who continuously rejected and persecuted God's sent ones throughout history (Lk 13:34, Matt 23:37).
2 Chronicles 24 19 Commentary
2 Chronicles 24:19 unveils a profound truth about God's character and humanity's perennial struggle. Despite Judah's severe backsliding under Joash, God's enduring patience prevailed. His act of sending prophets was not a casual gesture but a deliberate, loving intervention, demonstrating His persistent commitment to His covenant people. These prophets, His faithful servants, unequivocally laid out the consequences of sin and the necessity of returning to the LORD, serving both as earnest invitations to repentance and as formal witnesses against disobedience. However, the tragic reality depicted is the stubborn human heart's capacity for resistance. The phrase "they would not pay attention" highlights a deliberate, willful refusal to listen and obey, signaling a hardened resolve to continue in apostasy. This verse teaches that God consistently provides opportunities for turning back, yet true accountability lies in our response to His gracious warnings. When such divine appeals are defiantly ignored, it inevitably precipitates a season of judgment, not because God delights in wrath, but because His justice demands it where His mercy is rejected.