The fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the countries, when they heard that Yahweh fought against the enemies of Israel.
Parallel translations
- KJV And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel.
- BSB And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.
- NKJV And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.
- NASB And the dread of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.
- NLT When all the surrounding kingdoms heard that the Lord himself had fought against the enemies of Israel, the fear of God came over them.
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
The surrounding nations were filled with dread when they heard that Yahweh himself had fought for Israel. God's deliverance of his people declares his power to the watching world.
Overview
The defeat of the invading coalition spread the fear of God among the kingdoms, echoing the dread that fell on Canaan after the Exodus. Such fear is meant to lead nations to acknowledge the true God rather than merely tremble at his might. It anticipates the day when every knee will bow at the name of the Lord.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- 2 Chr 17:10The fear of Yahweh fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.
- 2 Kgs 7:6For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians to hear the sound of chariots, and the sound of horses, even the noise of a great army; and they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us.”
- Exod 23:27I will send my terror before you, and will confuse all the people to whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.
- 2 Chr 14:14They struck all the cities around Gerar; for the fear of Yahweh came on them, and they plundered all the cities; for there was much plunder in them.
- Gen 35:5They traveled, and a terror of God was on the cities that were around them, and they didn’t pursue the sons of Jacob.
- Josh 9:9–11They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of Yahweh your God; for we have heard of his fame, all that he did in Egypt,
- Josh 2:9–11She said to the men, “I know that Yahweh has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.
- Josh 5:1When all the kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, who were by the sea, heard how Yahweh had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we had crossed over, their heart melted, and there was no more spirit in them, because of the children of Israel.
- Exod 15:14–16The peoples have heard. They tremble. Pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia.
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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 20:29 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.
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