New Living Translation
2 Chronicles 24:20
20Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands and keep yourselves from prospering? You have abandoned the Lord, and now he has abandoned you!”
2 Chronicles 24:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you.
- New International Version (NIV)Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, "Thus says God, 'Why do you break the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.'"
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you.’ ”
Context of 2 Chronicles 24:20
18They decided to abandon the Temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and they worshiped Asherah poles and idols instead! Because of this sin, divine anger fell on Judah and Jerusalem. 19Yet the Lord sent prophets to bring them back to him. The prophets warned them, but still the people would not listen. Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands and keep yourselves from prospering? You have abandoned the Lord, and now he has abandoned you!” 21Then the leaders plotted to kill Zechariah, and King Joash ordered that they stone him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s Temple. 22That was how King Joash repaid Jehoiada for his loyalty—by killing his son. Zechariah’s last words as he died were, “May the Lord see what they are doing and avenge my death!”
Read all of 2 Chronicles 242 Chronicles 24:20 word by word
וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֗ים לָֽבְשָׁה֙ אֶת־זְכַרְיָה֙ בֶּן־יְהוֹיָדָ֣ע הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד מֵעַ֣ל לָעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם כֹּ֣ה׀ אָמַ֣ר הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים לָמָה֩ אַתֶּ֨ם עֹבְרִ֜ים אֶת־מִצְוֹ֤ת יְהוָה֙ וְלֹ֣א תַצְלִ֔יחוּ כִּֽי־עֲזַבְתֶּ֥ם אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה וַיַּֽעֲזֹ֥ב אֶתְכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the Spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- cameלָבֵשׁlâbash lâbêsh · to clotheH3847
- upon Zechariahזְכַרְיָהוּzekaryâh zekaryâhû · ZechariahH2148
- the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Jehoiadaיְהוֹיָדָעyehôyâdâ‛ · JehoiadaH3077
- the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- which stoodעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
- above the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Why transgressעָבַר‛âbar · to pass: trespassH5674
- ye the commandmentsמִצְוָהmitsvâh · commandmentH4687
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- that ye cannot prosperצָלֵחַtsâlach tsâlêach · to prosperH6743
- because ye have forsakenעָזַב‛âzab · to leave: forsakeH5800
Cross-references for 2 Chronicles 24:20
- 2 Chronicles 15:1Then the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded,
- 2 Chronicles 20:14the Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men standing there. His name was Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite who was a descendant of Asaph.
- Judges 6:34Then the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with power. He blew a ram’s horn as a call to arms, and the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him.
- 1 Chronicles 12:18Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the leader of the Thirty, and he said, “We are yours, David! We are on your side, son of Jesse. Peace and prosperity be with you, and success to all who help you, for your God is the one who helps you.” So David let them join him, and he made them officers over his troops.
- 2 Chronicles 23:11Then Jehoiada and his sons brought out Joash, the king’s son, placed the crown on his head, and presented him with a copy of God’s laws. They anointed him and proclaimed him king, and everyone shouted, “Long live the king!”
- Numbers 14:41But Moses said, “Why are you now disobeying the Lord’s orders to return to the wilderness? It won’t work.
- 1 Samuel 13:13“How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
- 2 Samuel 12:9Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife.
- Zechariah 7:11“Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing.
- 2 Chronicles 15:2and he went out to meet King Asa as he was returning from the battle. “Listen to me, Asa!” he shouted. “Listen, all you people of Judah and Benjamin! The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you.
- Deuteronomy 29:25“And the answer will be, ‘This happened because the people of the land abandoned the covenant that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.
- 1 Chronicles 28:9“And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.
- Jeremiah 2:19Your wickedness will bring its own punishment. Your turning from me will shame you. You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is to abandon the Lord your God and not to fear him. I, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!
- Jeremiah 4:18“Your own actions have brought this upon you. This punishment is bitter, piercing you to the heart!”
- Jeremiah 5:19“And when your people ask, ‘Why did the Lord our God do all this to us?’ you must reply, ‘You rejected him and gave yourselves to foreign gods in your own land. Now you will serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’
Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 24:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah - "When he saw the transgression of the king and of the people, burning incense to an idol in the house of the sanctuary of the Lord, on the day of expiation; and preventing the priests of the Lord from offering the burnt-offerings, sacrifices, daily oblations, and services, as written in the book of the law of Moses; he stood above the people, and said." - Targum.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Stood above the people - Zechariah, the high priest, took up an elevated position, perhaps on the steps of the inner court, which was elevated above the outer court, where the people would be.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-27Verses 15-27 See what a great judgment on any prince or people, the death of godly, zealous, useful men is. See how necessary it is that we act in religion from inward principle. Then the loss of a parent, a minister, or a friend, will not be losing our religion. Often both princes and inferior people have been flattered to their ruin. True grace alone will enable a man to bring forth fruit unto the end. Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, being filled with…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-22Jehoiada carefully protected the Lord’s temple courtyard from bloodshed and preserved David's dynasty. Ironically, Zechariah, his son, was murdered there by King Joash, whom Jehoiada had protected during the coup. Jesus mentioned this murder when criticizing religious leaders (Matthew 23:35; Luke 11:51). “May the LORD see this and call you to account”: This prayer for vengeance was similar to those King David prayed against Saul's injustices (compare…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-2217-22. Now came the princes of Judah, and make obeisance to the king--Hitherto, while Joash occupied the throne, his uncle had held the reins of sovereign power, and by his excellent counsels had directed the young king to such measures as were calculated to promote both the civil and religious interests of the country. The fervent piety, practical wisdom, and inflexible firmness of that sage counsellor exerted immense influence over all classes. But now…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Chronicles 24:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 24
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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