2 Chronicles 20:2

2Ch 20:2 Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they [be] in Hazazontamar, which [is] Engedi.

Ver. 2. From beyond the sea.] The Dead Sea, which ran between Judea and Syria; and about this sea was their rendezvous.

Which is Engedi.] See Jos 15:62. Here were the gardens of balsam, saith Zeigler, and the woods of palm trees.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ch 20:2. Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat — That brought him the surprising intelligence of this invasion, when his enemies had already entered his kingdom. Saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea — The Dead sea, beyond which mount Seir lay; and from this side Syria — Largely so called, and so it includes the Moabites and Ammonites. And it may be thus expressed, to intimate that they came by the instigation of the Syrians, to revenge themselves of Jehoshaphat for joining with Ahab against them.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20:2 Translating the word as Edom instead of Aram is consistent with the Chronicler’s later description of the armies (20:10, 22-23) and with the geographical description of the attack from the southeast through En-gedi. (Aram was northeast of Judah.)

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Called the dead Sea, where God destroyed the five cities for sin.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

from beyond the sea on this side Syria--Instead of "Syria," some versions read "Edom," and many able critics prefer this reading, both because the nomad tribes here mentioned were far from Syria, and because express mention is made of Mount Seir, that is, Edom. The meaning then is: this confederate horde was composed of the different tribes that inhabited the far distant regions bordering on the northern and eastern coasts of the Red Sea. Their progress was apparently by the southern point of the Dead Sea, as far as En-gedi, which, more anciently, was called Hazezon-tamar (Gen 14:7). This is the uniform route taken by the Arabs in their marauding expeditions at the present day; and in coming round the southern end of the Dead Sea, they can penetrate along the low-lying Ghor far north, without letting their movements be known to the tribes and villages west of the mountain chain [ROBINSON]. Thus, anciently, the invading horde in Jehoshaphat's time had marched as far north as En-gedi, before intelligence of their advance was conveyed to the court. En-gedi is recognized in the modern Ainjidy and is situated at a point of the western shore, nearly equidistant from both extremities of the lake [ROBINSON].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 2. On this side Syria] Instead of מארם mearam, from Syria, I would read with one of Kennicott's MSS. (89) מאדם meedom, from Edom, which alteration brings it to truth and does not require the change of half a letter, as it consists in the almost imperceptible difference between ר resh and ד daleth. We do not read of any Syrians in this invasion, but we know there were Edomites, or inhabitants of Mount Seir.

Hazazon-tamar] "In the wood of palm trees, that is, in Engedi." - Targum. This is the meaning of the word, and it is probable that they lay hid here.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(2) Then there came some that told.—And they (i.e., messengers; Vulg., “nuntii”) came and told.

Cometh.—Is come.

The Sea.—The Dead Sea, east of which lay the territories of Ammon and Moab; while to the south of it, not far from Petra, was Maon.

On this side Syria.—Heb., from Aram; and so LXX. and Vulg. But Edom is probably the true reading—a name often confused with Aram. As the invaders marched round the southern end of the Dead Sea, they were naturally described as coming from Edom. The Syr. and Arab. have: from the other side of the Red Sea.

Hazazon-tamar.—See Gen_14:7.

Engedi (Ain-jidy), midway on the western coast of the Dead Sea (see 1Sa_23:29), about thirty-six miles from Jerusalem. The Syr. and Arab, have Jericho for Hazazon-tamar (? meadow of palms). Jericho was also called “city of palms.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. on this side Syria] R.V. from Syria (so LXX.). The text is corrupt, and the words are either a gloss on from beyond the sea or a corruption of the original reading. From Edom is an easy correction.

which is En-gedi] R.V. (the same is En-gedi). Cp. G. A. Smith, Hist. Geography as quoted above, and Bädeker p. 140. En-gedi is on the west coast of the Dead Sea at a point where a rugged pass leads up into the hill-country of Judah.

Hazazon-tamar] Gen_14:7. The name seems to describe the place as stony and as containing palm-trees. It is in fact an oasis.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat,.... Deserters or spies, or some of the inhabitants of those parts where they had entered, who rode post haste to acquaint him with it:

saying, there cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; that is, beyond the Dead or Salt sea, the sea of Sodom; the Targum is,"beyond the west of Syria,''that sea being the western boundary of it:

and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi; See Gill on Gen 14:7.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Translate, “from beyond the sea, from Edom.” The “sea” intended is, of course, the Dead Sea. “Syria” (Aram) is probably a mistake of a copyist for “Edom” (compare 2Sa 8:12 note).

On Engedi, see 1Sa 23:29 note.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Sea of Sodom, (H.) or the Red Sea. D. --- Syria, which comprised the country of Ammon. M. --- Perhaps Edom might rather have been in the text, as we find no Syrians in this war, but many of the Idumeans. C. --- Adom and Arom, (Syria. H.) have often been confounded, 4 K. xvi. 6. C. --- Asasonthamar, "the palm-tree cottage," (Bochart) between Jericho and the Dead Sea.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

From beyond the sea, to wit, the Dead Sea, beyond which Mount Seir lay.

On this side Syria, or, and from Syria, largely so called, and so it includes the Moabites and Ammonites. And it may be thus expressed, to intimate that they came by the instigation of the Syrians, who thought by this means to revenge themselves on Jehoshaphat for joining with Ahab against them.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2. From beyond the sea — That is, the Dead Sea.

On this side Syria — Better, from Edom. The reading מארם, from Aram, or Syria, is so unsuitable that there is sufficient reason to substitute מאדם, from Edom. Compare the same error in the text of 2Sa_8:13. The invading army approached Jerusalem from the direction of Edom, having marched around the southern end of the Dead Sea. Hazazon-tamar was the more ancient name of En-gedi, the modern Ain Jidy, on the western shore of the Dead Sea. See at Gen_14:7, and Jos_15:62.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Beyond the sea on this aide Aram (Syria); i.e. south-east of the Salt Sea, and something west of Edom (the right reading in place of Aram, where a resh had turned out a daleth), Hazon-tamar Engedi; i.e. the place Engedi (Ain-jiddy), a living "spring of water" from a lime-cliff, half-way up the west coast of the Salt Sea, "in the midst of palms" (interpalmas), the compound word "Hazazon-tamar" meaning literally, "the division of the palm."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The sea - The dead sea, beyond which mount Seir lay. Syria - Largely so called, and so it includes the Moabites and Ammonites. And it may be thus expressed, to intimate that they came by the instigation of the Syrians, to revenge themselves of Jehoshaphat for joining with Ahab against them.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Then they came and announced to Jehoshaphat, sc. messengers or fugitives; the subject is indefinite, and is to be supplied from the context. "Against thee there cometh a great multitude from beyond the (Dead) sea." מארם also has no suitable sense here, since in the whole narrative nothing is said of enemies coming out of Syria; we should read מאדם with Calmet and others. As the enemy made their attack from the south end of the Dead Sea, the messengers announce that they were come from Edom. "Behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar," i.e., Engedi, the present Ain Jidy, midway along the west coast of the Dead Sea (see on Jos 15:62 and Gen 14:7), about fifteen hours from Jerusalem.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

the same is Ein-Gedi i.e., They said to him, “They have already come so close to us.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.