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Jehoshaphat Reproved by the Seer Jehu
v. 1. And Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, after the unfortunate campaign against the Syrians, returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. Cf 2Ch_18:16.
v. 2. And Jehu, the son of Hanani, the seer, went out to meet him, the same prophet who had been active in the northern kingdom under Baasha, 1Ki_16:1, and had probably been exiled for his fearless rebuke of idolatry, and said to King Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, literally, "Is it to help the wicked," and love them that hate the Lord? Ahab was God's open enemy, 1Ki_22:2, and therefore Jehoshaphat's league with him was an unholy alliance. Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord, God was displeased with him to the point of anger and punishment.
v. 3. Nevertheless, there are good things found in thee, which the Lord also freely acknowledged, in that thou hast taken away the groves, the wooden pillars sacred to the goddess Astarte, out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God, his personal character and life showed that he was still loyal to Jehovah.
v. 4. And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem; and he went out again through the people from Beersheba, on the extreme southern boundary, to Mount Ephraim, where the northernmost cities under his jurisdiction were situated, and brought them back unto the Lord God of their fathers, by reappointing the commissioners of religious instruction and thus renewing the people's knowledge of the Lord and of His holy Law. It is a most dangerous thing for the children of God to make friends with ungodly, wicked people. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. The damage done by such forbidden friendship is usually corrected only by a repentance which is zealous to return to the Lord and to perform His holy will.