2 Chronicles 20:24

2Ch 20:24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they [were] dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

Ver. 24. And none escaped.] Ne ignifer quidem reliquus est factus, ut in Proverbio est. See the like history in Jdg 7:22-25, and learn how we may be freed from our spiritual enemies - viz., not by our own might and merits, but by faith in Christ, who hath made us more than conquerors, {Rom 8:37} that is, triumphers. {2Co 2:14}

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.

when Judah came toward the watchtower in the wilderness--Most probably the conical hill, Jebel Fereidis, or Frank Mountain, from the summit of which they obtained the first view of the scene of slaughter. Jehoshaphat and his people found the field strewed with dead bodies, so that they had not to fight at all, but rather to take possession of an immense booty, the collection of which occupied three days. On the fourth they set out on their return to Jerusalem in the same order and joyful mood as they came. The place where they mustered previous to departure was, from their public thanksgiving service, called, "The Valley of Berachah" ("benediction"), now Wady Bereikut.

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

(24) And when Judah came.—Now Judah had come; by the time the slaughter was complete.

Toward the watch tower.—The look-out of the desert. A height overlooking the wilderness of Jeruel (2Ch_20:16). The word mizpeh means watch-tower in Isa_21:8.

They looked.—And they looked.

Behold, they were dead bodies.—Comp. 2Ki_19:35.

None escaped.—No survivors were anywhere visible. Vulg., “Porro Juda cum venisset ad speculam quae respicit solitudinem vidit procul . . . nec superesse quemquam qui necem potuisset evadere.”

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

24. toward the watch tower] R.V. to the watch-tower. This tower may have been one of the castles mentioned in 2Ch_17:12.

unto the multitude] R.V. upon the multitude.

and none escaped] R.V. and there were none that escaped.

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.

When Judah came towards the watch tower in the wilderness,.... Which might stand upon the hill or cliff of Ziz, for the sake of the direction of travellers, and the preservation of them from thieves and robbers:

they looked unto the multitude; which they could take a view of from the top of the hill:

and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped; all to a man slain, there was not one to be seen standing on his feet.

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

The march of Judah from Jerusalem would take five or six hours. By the time they reached the watch-towers in the wilderness of Jeruel all was over.

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

Tower. Maspha, in the tribe of Benjamin, (C.) or some other (H.) eminence. M.

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).

Toward the watch-tower; which stood upon the cliff of Ziz, mentioned above, 2Ch 20:16, or some other hill which looked toward the wilderness, where their enemies lay encamped, whose numbers, and order, and condition they could decry from thence.

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

24. Watchtower in the wilderness — The tower near Tekoa, which commanded a wide view over the neighbouring desert. Compare 2Ch_26:10; 2Ki_9:17, note.

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

The watch-tower. Seemi, 2Ch_26:10, where, however, the ordinary lDg and not the present word (only found, except as a proper name, here and, (Isa_21:8) is employed. It is scarcely likely that a built watch-tower is intended even here, but rather a lofty site and point of view from which a large number of people could see. The proper names Mitzpeh (Mizpeh) and Mitzpah (Mizpah) are of course familiar. They looked unto the multitude. Judah and its army and heralding Levite singers would see now in new significance the thing said by Jahaziel in our ver. 16, "Ye shall find them at the end of the brook-course, before the wilderness of Jeruel." And none escaped; i.e. "without an exception.

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

The watch tower - Which stood upon the cliff of Ziz, mentioned ver. 16, and looked toward the wilderness, where their enemies lay encamped, whose numbers, and order, and condition, they could descry from thence.

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

Now, when Judah came to the height in the wilderness (מצפּה, specula, watch-tower, here a height in the wilderness of Tekoa, whence one might look out over the wilderness Jeruel, Ch2 20:16), and turned, or was about to turn, against the multitude of the enemy (ההמון referring back to Ch2 20:12), behold, they saw "corpses lying upon the earth, and none had escaped," i.e., they saw corpses in such multitude lying there, that to all appearance none had escaped.

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.)

Behold, they were dead

The word "behold" is used here to mark a surprising event.

they were dead, fallen to the ground

The phrase "fallen to the ground" is an idiomatic way to say that "they were dead." AT: "they were all dead on the ground" (See: Idiom and Doublet)

translationWords

Judah

desert

die

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.