II Chronicles 20:27 · Bible study
2 Chronicles 20:27 Commentary: Joy Over Enemies?
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore 2 Chronicles 20:27: God-given joy after victory.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God gives His people a joyful, worshipful return after a miraculous victory over invaders.
- Key words: "made them rejoice" (śimmaḥām, Piel causative), God is the direct source of joy; "enemies" (oyveihem), national foes, not personal.
- Main debate: The compatibility of rejoicing over enemies’ defeat with Jesus’ command to love enemies; resolved by many by noting the different redemptive-historical context.
- Theological theme: God alone saves; worship is the proper human response; joy is a divine gift, not a human achievement.
- Best use: A model for corporate thanksgiving and for trusting God in overwhelming situations, read through the lens of Christ’s fuller revelation.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at their head, returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for Yahweh had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
KJV King James Version 1769
Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for Jehovah had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And they turn back, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head, to go back unto Jerusalem with joy, for Jehovah hath made them rejoice over their enemies.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And they returned, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for Jehovah had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And every man of Juda, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem returned, and Josaphat at their head, into Jerusalem with great joy, because the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y todo Judá y los de Jerusalem, y Josaphat á la cabeza de ellos, volvieron para tornarse á Jerusalem con gozo, porque Jehová les había dado gozo de sus enemigos.
E todo Judá e os de Jerusalém, e Josafá à cabeça deles, voltaram a Jerusalém com alegria, porque o SENHOR lhes havia dado alegria de seus inimigos.
Tous les hommes de Juda et de Jérusalem, ayant à leur tête Josaphat, partirent joyeux pour retourner à Jérusalem, car l’ Éternel les avait remplis de joie en les délivrant de leurs ennemis.
Also kehrte jedermann von Juda und Jerusalem wieder um und Josaphat an der Spitze, daß sie gen Jerusalem zögen mit Freuden; denn der HERR hatte ihnen eine Freude gegeben an ihren Feinden.
Daarna keerden alle mannen van Juda en Jeruzalem weder, en Josafat in de voorspitse van hen, om wederom met blijdschap tot Jeruzalem te komen; want de HEERE had hen verblijd over hun vijanden.
Tutti gli uomini di Giuda e di Gerusalemme, con a capo Giosafat, partirono con gioia per tornare a Gerusalemme, perché l’Eterno li avea ricolmi d’allegrezza, liberandoli dai loro nemici.
Zatem obrócili się wszyscy mężowie Judzcy i Jeruzalemscy, i Jozafat przed nimi, aby się wrócili do Jeruzalemu z radością; albowiem ucieszył ich był Pan nad nieprzyjaciołami ich.
И пошли назад все Иудеи и Иерусалимляне и Иосафат во главе их, чтобы возвратиться в Иерусалим с веселием, потому что дал им Господь торжество над врагами их.
猶大 人 和耶路撒冷 人都 歡歡喜喜地 回 耶路撒冷，約沙法 率領他們；因為 耶和華 使他們戰勝仇敵，就歡喜快樂。
Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem went back, with Jehoshaphat at their head, coming back to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them glad over their haters.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Chronicles 20:27
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators from across traditions agree that this verse concludes a dramatic narrative of God’s direct deliverance. The men of Judah and Jerusalem, with King Jehoshaphat at their head, return to Jerusalem in a celebratory procession. The Hebrew verb śimmaḥām (Piel perfect, causative) means “he made them rejoice,” a gift from Yahweh rather than a self-generated emotion. Gill notes that the joy comes from “a complete victory, and making them masters of so much wealth and riches.” Matthew Henry highlights the preceding worship: the singers went out before the army, and God set ambushes. The Cambridge Bible notes the LXX intensifies it to ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ μεγάλῃ (“with great rejoicing”). All agree that the joy is rooted in God’s active intervention, not in human triumph. Keil and Delitzsch connect it to the procession to the temple with music (v. 28). The consensus: this is a historical report of liturgical joy after God’s miraculous victory, with the king leading the people in thanksgiving.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- OT-contextual view: Under the old covenant, Israel’s national enemies were instruments of God’s judgment; rejoicing in their defeat was rejoicing in God’s righteous deliverance of His covenant people.
- Canonical-Christian view: In light of Christ’s teaching to love enemies, this joy is reoriented toward the defeat of spiritual evil rather than human foes; the focus is on God’s salvation, not on the destruction of people.
What is clear: The verse clearly teaches that God is the source of the people’s joy, that He gave them victory, and that their response was corporate worship with Jehoshaphat leading.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| God as source of joy | All traditions affirm that the Hebrew causative verb shows God actively giving joy to His people. | No debate: the grammar is clear and uncontested among the supplied commentators. |
| Rejoicing over enemies | Christians agree that God’s judgment is righteous and that His people may celebrate deliverance. | Some emphasize that in Christ we pray for enemies and love them (Matt 5:44), seeing the OT as a different stage of revelation. Others say the joy is in God’s justice, not in human suffering. |
| Historicity of the battle | All supplied commentators treat this as a historical event. | No significant debate in the supplied sources; some scholars may question the size of the armies, but that is not addressed here. |
| Valley of Beracah location | Keil & Delitzsch and others identify it as Wady Bereikut west of Tekoa. | There is no debate in the supplied material; the identification is accepted. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Second Chronicles 20 sits within a narrative of King Jehoshaphat’s reign. Earlier, he made a disastrous alliance with Ahab (ch. 18) and was rebuked by the prophet Jehu (19:2). In chapter 20, the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir invade Judah. Jehoshaphat leads the nation in prayer and fasting, and Jahaziel the Levite prophesies that the battle belongs to God. The army is sent out with singers, not soldiers, praising the “beauty of holiness.” As they sing, God sets ambushes that cause the invading forces to turn on each other and destroy themselves completely.
When the Judahites arrive at the lookout point, they see only dead bodies. They spend three days gathering spoil, so much that on the fourth day they assemble in a valley to bless the Lord, naming it “Beracah Valley” (valley of blessing). Then comes our verse: the return to Jerusalem with joy. The procession includes stringed instruments, harps, and trumpets as they go up to the temple (v. 28). The kingdom receives rest on every side as the fear of God falls on surrounding nations.
Keil and Delitzsch identify the valley as the Wady Bereikut, west of Tekoa, citing Robinson’s researches. Jerome mentions it in his Life of Paula. The scene is a liturgical procession from the battlefield to the sanctuary, with Jehoshaphat leading visibly, what Adam Clarke calls a “noble and persuasive pattern” of kingship.
The Chronicler emphasizes that God alone gives victory; human strength is secondary. The joy is not a natural reaction to plunder but a God-produced response to divine salvation.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries and translations note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is consistent across the manuscripts consulted. The LXX adds μεγάλῃ (“great”) to the joy, but this does not change the meaning. The verse is stable and well-preserved.
Reception History
In synagogue and church tradition, this verse has been read as part of the prophetic haftarah portions linked to the deliverance narratives. The valley of Beracah became a place of pilgrimage and memory, referenced by Jerome in his account of Paula’s journey to the Holy Land. Christian readers have often seen in this story a type of spiritual warfare: the enemy is defeated by praise, and the people return to the house of God rejoicing. The phrase “the Lord had made them to rejoice” has been cited in hymns of deliverance and in liturgies of Thanksgiving, especially after times of national crisis. The verse echoes in Nehemiah 12:43, where joy is also described as God’s gift.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God gives the victory and the joy. The verb śimmaḥām is causative, God works the joy into the people. Their gladness is not from circumstances alone but from God’s active gift.
- Joy flows from worship that precedes action. Before the battle, they sang; after the victory, they blessed. Worship is both the preparation and the result of God’s deliverance.
- Leadership leads the way in thanksgiving. Jehoshaphat is “at their head,” visibly modeling return to God’s house. The king’s posture shapes the nation’s.
Five-point outline
- God fights for His people when they pray (vv. 3, 12).
- Faith responds to God’s promise before seeing it (v. 20).
- Praise becomes the strategy for battle (vv. 21, 22).
- God’s victory is thorough; what remains is only blessing (vv. 24, 26).
- The response of God’s people is corporate, joyful worship led by their leader (vv. 27, 28).
Illustration hooks
- A school team wins a championship after months of loss; they cheer not just because they won, but because the coach taught them to trust the process. The joy is deeper than the score.
- After a community works together to clean up after a flood, neighbors celebrate with a meal. The joy is not from the disaster but from shared effort and relief.
- A patient receives a clean bill of health after cancer treatment; the celebration includes the doctors and nurses who supported them. The victory is corporate.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I find joy when I am still struggling, not after a victory?
- Does this story mean God wants me to hate my enemies?
- What do I do when the “enemies” in my life are not foreign armies but depression or addiction?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows the people of God returning from battle not with swagger but with worship. Jehoshaphat leads them into the temple, and their joy is explicitly from God. As we read, we might ask: where does our own sense of victory come from? And how does this Old Testament joy connect to the New Testament call to love enemies? The questions below are meant to help your group move from observing the details to living their implications.
Discussion questions
- What do you notice about the order of events: prayer, promise, praise, battle, spoil, blessing, return?
- Why does the Chronicler emphasize that the joy is “made” by God? What difference does that make?
- How does Jehoshaphat’s position “at their head” shape the nature of the return?
- Read Nehemiah 12:43, a similar phrase. How does corporate worship express itself in both passages?
- This story ends with rejoicing over defeated enemies. How does that fit with Jesus’ command to love our enemies? (Consider the different covenantal context.)
- In your own life, when has God given you victory and joy in a situation where you felt surrounded?
- What enemy (personal, relational, spiritual) might you need to entrust to God rather than fight yourself?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 2:1 | Hannah prayed, and said, “My heart exults in Yahweh! My horn is exalted in Yahweh. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. |
| II Samuel 6:14 | David danced before Yahweh with all his might; and David was clothed in a linen ephod. |
| II Samuel 6:15 | So David and all the house of Israel brought up Yahweh’s ark with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet. |
| Nehemiah 12:43 | They offered great sacrifices that day, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; and the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even far away. |
| Psalms 20:5 | We will triumph in your salvation. In the name of our God, we will set up our banners. May Yahweh grant all your requests. |
| Psalms 30:1 | A Psalm. A Song for the Dedication of the Temple. By David. I will extol you, Yahweh, for you have raised me up, and have not made my foes to rejoice over me. |
| Isaiah 35:10 | Then Yahweh’s ransomed ones will return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” |
| Isaiah 51:11 | Those ransomed by Yahweh will return, and come with singing to Zion. Everlasting joy shall be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy. Sorrow and sighing shall flee away. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke emphasizes that Jehoshaphat led by personal example, placing himself at the front in every demanding spiritual exercise. His willingness to endure hardship alongside his people made his leadership not only noble but powerfully persuasive.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible editors argue that "with joy" is better rendered as "with rejoicing," a more active and festive term. They support this by citing the parallel account in 2 Chronicles 20:28 and the Septuagint's Greek phrase meaning "with great rejoicing."
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights that the people's joy came directly from God, not from their own circumstances or efforts. The Lord Himself caused them to rejoice over their enemies, making their victory a reason for worship rather than self-congratulation. This frames their celebration as a gift of divine grace.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that the people's joy on returning to Jerusalem was not merely emotional but a direct gift from God. He observes that the Lord himself made them rejoice over their enemies by granting a complete victory and abundant wealth, and they continued their praise in the temple just as they had in the valley.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch identify the Valley of Beracah with the modern Wady Bereikut, west of Tekoa, a site mentioned by Jerome as Caphar baruca. They see no basis for equating it with the Valley of Jehoshaphat in the Kidron Valley, which is associated with Joel's prophecy.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws from Jehoshaphat's words a simple principle for any believer: faith in God secures you, and faith in his prophets brings success. The king's instruction that praising God's beauty of holiness would go before the army is not empty ceremony—it is the very means by which God fights for his people.