JEHOSIIAPHAT cuntnro, whom 7ehovah judges ; Sept. 'Icea-cOdz,), the fourth king of Judah, and son of Asa, whom he succeeded in B. C. 914, at the age of thirty-five, and reimed twenty-five years. He commenced his reign byfortifying his kingdom against Israel ; and having thus secured himself against surprise from the quarter which gave most disturbance to him, Ile proceeded to purge the land from the idolatries and idolatrous monuments by which it was still tainted. Even the high places and groves, which former well-disposed kings had suffered to remain, were by the zeal of Jelioshaphat in a great measure destroyed. The chiefs, with priests and Levites, proceeded from town to town, with the book of the law in their hands, instruct ing the people, and calling back their wandering affections to the religion of their fathers. This was a beautiful and interesting circumstance in the ope rations of the young king. Other good minces had been content to smite down the outward show of idolatry by force of hand ; but Jehoshaphat saw that this was not of itself sufficient, and that the basis of a solid reformation must be laid by provid ing for the better instruction of the people in their religious duties and privileges.
Jehoshaphat was too well instructed in the great principles of the theocracy not to know that his faithful conduct had entitled him to expect the divine protection. Of that protection he soon had manifest proofs. At home he enjoyed peace and abundance, and abroad security and honour. His treasuries were filled with the presents' which the blessing of God upon the people, in their basket and their store,' enabled them to bring. His re nown extended into the neighbouring nations, and the Philistines, as well as the adjoining Arabian tribes, paid him rich tributes in silver and in cattle. He was thus enabled to put all his towns in good condition, to erect fortresses, to organise a power ful army, and to raise his kingdom to a degree of importance and splendour which it had not enjoyed since the revolt of the ten tribes.
The weak and impious Ahab at that time occu pied the throne of Israel ; and Jehoshaphat, having nothing to fear from his power, sought, or at least did not repel, an alliance with him. This is alleged to have been the grand mistake of his reign ; and that it was such is proved by the con sequences. Ahab might be benefited by the con nection, but under no circumstance could it be of service to Jehoshaphat or his kingdom, and it might, as it actually did, involve him in much dis grace and disaster, and bring bloodshed and trouble into his house. His fault seems to have
been the result of that easiness of temper and over flowing amiability of disposition, which the carefnl student may trace in his character ; and which, al though very engaging attributes in private life, are not always among the safest or most valuable qualities which a king in his public capacity might possess.
After a few years we find Jehoshaphat on a visit to Ahab, in Samaria, being the first time any of the kings of Israel and Judah had met in peace. Ile here experienced a reception worthy of his great ness ; but Ahab failed not to take advantage of the occasion, and so worked upon the weak points of his chamcter as to prevail upon him to take arms with him against the Syrians, with whom, hitherto, the kingduin of Judah never had had any war or occasion of quarrel. Hovvever, Jehoshaphat was not so far infatuated as to proceed to the war without consulting God, who, according to the principles of the theocratic government, was the final arbiter of war and peace. The false prophets of Ahab poured forth ample promises of success, and one of them, named Zedekiah, resorting to material symbols, made him horns of iron, saying, Thus saith the Lord, with thee shalt thou smite the Syrians till they be consumed.' Still Jehosha phat was not satisfied ; and the answer to his fur ther inquiries extorted from him a rebuke of the reluctance which Ahab manifested to call Micaiah, ' the prophet of the Lord.' The fearless words of this prophet did not make the impression upon the king of Judah which might have been expected ; or, probably, he then felt himself too deeply bound in honour to recede. He went to the fatal battle of Ramoth-Gilead, and there nearly became the victim of a plan which Ahab had laid for his own safety at the expense of his too confiding ally. He persuaded Jeboshaphat to appear as king, while he himself went disguised to the battle. This brought the heat of the contest around him, as the Syrians took him for Ahab ; and if they had not in time discovered their mistake, he would certainly have been slain. Ahab was killed, and the battle lost [AHAB]; nut Jehoshaphat escaped, and returned to Jerusalem.