On his return from this imprudent expedition he was met by the just reproaches of the prophet Jehu. The best atonement he could make for this error was by the course he actually took. He re sumed his labours in the further extirpation of idolatry, in the instruction of the people, and the improvement of his realm. He now made a tour of his kingdom in person, that he might see the ordinances of God duly established, and witness the due execution of his intentions respecting the instniction of tbe people in the divine law. This tour enabled him to discern many defects in the local administration of justice, which he then ap plied himself to remedy. He appointed magis trates in every city, for the determination of causes civil and ecclesiastical ; and the nature of the abuses to which the administration of justice was in those days exposed, may be gathered from his excellent charge to them Take heed what ye do, for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you ; take heed and do it ; for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.' Then he established a supreme council of justice at Jeru salem, composed of priests, Levites, and • the chiefs of the fathers ; ' to which difficult cases were referred, and appeals brought from the pro vincial tribunals. This tribunal also was inducted by a weighty but short charge from the king, whose conduct in this and other matters places him at the very head of the monarchs who reigned °vet Judah as a separate kingdom.
The activity of Jehoshaphat's mind was then turned towards the revival of that maritime com merce which had been established by Solomon. The land of Edom and the ports of the Elanitic Gulf were still under the power of Judah ; and in them the king prepared a fleet for the voyage to Ophir. Unhappily, however, he yielded to the wish of the king of Israel, and allowed him to take part in the enterprise. For this the expedition was doomed of God, and the vessels were wrecked al. most as soon as they quitted port. Instructed by Eliezer, the prophet, as to the cause of this disaster, Jehoshaphat equipped a new fleet, and having this time declined the co-operation of the king of Ismel, the voyage prospered. The trade was not, how over, prosecuted with any zeal, and was soon aban doned [CommEncE].
In accounting for the disposition of Jehoshaphat to contract alliances with the king of Israel, we are to remember that there existed a powerful tie be tween the two courts in the marriage of Jehosha phat's eldest son with Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab ; and, when we advert to the part in public affairs which that princess afterwards took, it may well be conceived that even thus early she pos sessed an influence for evil in the court of Judah.
After the death of Ahaziah, king of Israel, jomm, his successor, persuaded Jelloshaphat to join him in an expedition against Moab. This alliance was, however, on political grounds, more excusable than the two former, as the Moabites, who were under tribute to Israel, might draw into their cause the Edomites, who were tributary to Judah. Besides, Moab could be invaded with most advantage from the south, round by the end of the Dead Sea ; and the king of Israel could not gain access to them in that quarter but by march ing through the territories of Jehoshaphat. The latter not only joined Joram with his own army, but required his tributary, the king of Edom, to bring his forces into the field. During seven days' march through the wilderness of Edam, the army suffered much from want of water ; and by tlae time the allies came in sight of the army of Moab, they were ready to perish from thirst. In this emergency the pious Jehoshaphat thought, as usual, of consulting the Lord ; and hearing that the prophet Elisha was in the camp, the three kings proceeded to his tent. For the sake of Jehoshaphat, and for his sake only, deliverance was promised ; and it came during the ensuing night, in the shape of an abundant supply of water, which rolled down the exhausted wadys, and filled the pools and hollow grounds. Afterwards Jehosha
phat took his full part in the operations of the campaign, till the armies were induced to withdraw in horror, by witnessing the dreadful act of Mesha, king of Moab, in offering up his eldest son in sacrifice upon the wall of the town in which he was shut up.
This war kindled another much more dangerous to Jehoshaphat. The Moabites, being highly ex asperated at the part he had taken against them, turned all their wrath upon him. They induced their kindred, the Ammonites, to join them, ob tained auxiliaries front the Syrians, and even drew over the Edomites ; so that the strength of all the neighbouring nations may be said to have been united for this great enterprise. The allied forces entered the land of Judah and encamped at En gedi, near the western border of the Dead Sea. In this extremity Jehoshaphat felt that all his defence lay with God. A solemn fa:,t was held, and the people repaired from the towns to Jerusalem to seek help of the Lord. In the presence of the assembled multitude the king, in the court of the temple, offered up a fervent prayer to God, con cluding with—` 0 our God, wilt thou not judge them, for we have no might against this great company that corneth against us, neither know we what to do ; but our eyes are upon thee.' He ceased ; and in the midst of the silence which ensued, a voice was raised pronouncing deliverance in the name of the Lord, and telling them to go out on the morrow to the cliffs over looking the camp of the enemy, and see them all overthrown without a blow from them. The voice was that of Jahaziel, one of the Levii es. His words came to pass. The allies quarrelled among themselves and destroyed each other ; so that when the Judahites came the next day they found their dreaded enemies all dead, and nothing was left for them but to take the rich spoils of the slain. This done, they returned with triumphal songs to Jerusalem. This great event was recog nised even by the neighbouring nations as the act of God ; and so strong was the impression which it made upon them, that the remainder of the good king's reign was altogether undisturbed. His death, however, took place not very long after this, at the age of sixty, after having reigned twenty-five years, B.C. 896. He left the king dom in a prosperous condition to his eldest son Jehoram, whom he had in the last years of his life as:.ociated with him in the government.
Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart,' was the character given to this king by Jelin, when, on that account, he gave to his grandson an honourable grave (2 Citron. xxii. 9). And this, in fact, was the sum and substance of his character. The Hebrew annals offer the ex ample of no king who more carefully squared all his conduct by the principles of the theocracy. He kept the Lord always before his eyes, and was in all things obedient to his will when made known to him by the prophets. Few of the kings of Judah manifested so much zeal for the real welfare of his people, or took measures so judi cious to promote it. His good talents, the bene volence of his disposition, and his generally sound judgment, are shown not only in the great mea sures of domestic policy which distinguished his reign, but by the manner in which they were executed. No trace can be found in him of that pride which dishonoured some and ruined others of the kings who preceded and followed him. Most of his errors arose from that dangerous facility of temper which sometimes led him to act against the dictates of his naturally sound judg ment, or prevented that judgment from being fairly exercised. The kingdom of Judah was never happier or more prosperous than under his reign ; and this, perhaps, is the highest praise that can be given to any king.—J. K.
[Four other persons bearing this name rtre men tioned ni the O. T. See 2 Sam. viii. 16, and Kings iv. 3 ; Chron. xv. 24 ; Kings .17; 2 KingS ix. 2, 14.]