2 Chronicles 20:3

World English Bible (2000)

Jehoshaphat was alarmed, and set himself to seek to Yahweh. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיִּרָ֕א וַיִּתֵּ֧ן יְהוֹשָׁפָ֛ט אֶת־פָּנָ֖יו לִדְר֣וֹשׁ לַיהוָ֑ה וַיִּקְרָא־צ֖וֹם עַל־כָּל־יְהוּדָֽה׃

Transliteration

And wayyîrāʾ and wayyittēn yəhôšāpāṭ ʾet-face-his pānāyw to seek lidrôš to YHWH layhwh, and wayyiqrāʾ-fast ṣôm upon ʿal-all kol-yəhûdâ.

Grammar Details

• *wayyîrāʾ*: waw-consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he feared
• *wayyittēn*: waw-consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he set/placed/directed
• *yəhôšāpāṭ*: proper name - Jehoshaphat
• *ʾet*: direct object marker
• *pānāyw*: masculine plural noun + 3rd masculine singular suffix - his face
• *lidrôš*: preposition *lə* + qal infinitive construct - to seek/inquire
• *layhwh*: preposition *lə* + divine name - to YHWH
• *wayyiqrāʾ*: waw-consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he called/proclaimed
• *ṣôm*: masculine singular noun - fast
• *ʿal*: preposition - upon/over/throughout
• *kol*: construct masculine singular - all of
• *yəhûdâ*: proper name - Judah

Word Meanings

• *wayyîrāʾ*: and he feared/was afraid
• *lidrôš*: to seek/inquire/search for/consult
• *wayyittēn pānāyw*: idiom: set his face/determined/resolved
• *wayyiqrāʾ*: and he proclaimed/announced/called out

Referenced Verses

• 2 Chr 19:3 : 3 Nevertheless there are good things found in you, in that you have put away the Asheroth out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God."
• 1 Sam 7:6 : 6 They gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Yahweh, and fasted on that day, and said there, "We have sinned against Yahweh." Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.
• Jer 36:9 : 9 Now it happened in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, that all the people in Jerusalem, and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem, proclaimed a fast before Yahweh.
• Joel 1:14 : 14 Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders, and all the inhabitants of the land, to the house of Yahweh, your God, and cry to Yahweh.
• Joel 2:12-18 : 12 "Yet even now," says Yahweh, "turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning." 13 Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity. 14 Who knows? He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal offering and a drink offering to Yahweh, your God. 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion! Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly. 16 Gather the people. Sanctify the assembly. Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who nurse from breasts. Let the bridegroom go forth from his room, and the bride out of her room. 17 Let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, "Spare your people, Yahweh, and don't give your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'" 18 Then Yahweh was jealous for his land, And had pity on his people.
• Jonah 1:16 : 16 Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and made vows.
• Jonah 3:5-9 : 5 The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 6 The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 He made a proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, "Let neither man nor animal, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water; 8 but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and animal, and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?"
• Matt 10:28 : 28 Don't be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
• Dan 9:3 : 3 I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
• 2 Chr 11:16 : 16 After them, out of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
• Gen 32:7-9 : 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks, and the herds, and the camels, into two companies; 8 and he said, "If Esau comes to the one company, and strikes it, then the company which is left will escape." 9 Jacob said, "God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Yahweh, who said to me, 'Return to your country, and to your relatives, and I will do you good,' 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses, and of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant; for with just my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I have become two companies. 11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he come and strike me, and the mothers with the children.
• Gen 32:24-28 : 24 Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until the breaking of the day. 25 When he saw that he didn't prevail against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was strained, as he wrestled. 26 The man said, "Let me go, for the day breaks." Jacob said, "I won't let you go, unless you bless me." 27 He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." 28 He said, "Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed."
• Judg 20:26 : 26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came to Bethel, and wept, and sat there before Yahweh, and fasted that day until evening; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh.
• Ezra 8:21-23 : 21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a straight way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. 22 For I was ashamed to ask of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is on all those who seek him, for good; but his power and his wrath is against all those who forsake him." 23 So we fasted and begged our God for this: and he was entreated of us.
• Esth 4:16 : 16 "Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish."
• Ps 56:3-4 : 3 When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. 4 In God, I praise his word. In God, I put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?
• Isa 37:3-6 : 3 They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, 'This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of rejection; for the children have come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring forth. 4 It may be Yahweh your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which Yahweh your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.'" 5 So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6 Isaiah said to them, "Tell your master, 'Thus says Yahweh, "Don't be afraid of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.