He sought his father’s God and obeyed his commands instead of following the evil practices of the kingdom of Israel.
Parallel translations
- WEB but sought to the God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not in the ways of Israel.
- KJV But sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.
- BSB but he sought the God of his father and walked by His commandments rather than the practices of Israel.
- NKJV but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel.
- NASB but sought the God of his father, followed His commandments, and did not act as Israel did.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jehoshaphat sought the God of his father and walked in His commandments, not in Israel's ways. He chose covenant obedience over the northern kingdom's idolatry.
Overview
Jehoshaphat deliberately distances himself from the apostate practices of Israel and pursues God's law. The contrast highlights the choice every generation faces between faithfulness and conformity to surrounding sin. His obedient seeking of God models the wholehearted devotion the gospel calls believers to in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- 1 Kgs 12:28So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and behold your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
- Luke 1:6They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
- 1 Th 2:12to the end that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you into his own Kingdom and glory.
- 1 Th 4:1Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, that you abound more and more.
- 2 Kgs 17:19Also Judah didn’t keep the commandments of Yahweh their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.
- 2 Kgs 8:18He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did Ahab’s house; for he married Ahab’s daughter. He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight.
- Hos 4:15“Though you, Israel, play the prostitute, yet don’t let Judah offend; and don’t come to Gilgal, neither go up to Beth Aven, nor swear, ‘As Yahweh lives.’
- Jer 3:7–8I said after she had done all these things, ‘She will return to me;’ but she didn’t return; and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
- 1 Kgs 12:30This thing became a sin; for the people went even as far as Dan to worship before the one there.
- 1 Kgs 12:33He went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up to the altar, to burn incense.
- 1 Kgs 16:31–33As if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him.
- 1 Kgs 13:33–34After this thing Jeroboam didn’t return from his evil way, but again made priests of the high places from among all the people. Whoever wanted to, he consecrated him, that there might be priests of the high places.
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Christ at the center
Temple, priesthood, and the repeated need for a faithful king who seeks the LORD all point past every imperfect reign to the King and Temple who finally and fully dwell with God's people.
How 2 Chronicles 17:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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