2 Chronicles 17:19

These were the men who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout Judah.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The narrator concludes King Jehoshaphat’s military inventory by identifying the standing force that reports directly to him. This roster immediately follows the contingent of Jehozabad and his 180,000 armed men (2 Chronicles 17:18).

The words — The Hebrew phrase אֵ֖לֶּה הַמְשָׁרְתִ֣ים ('E.leh ha/m.sha.re.Tim) literally renders "these [were] the ones who served." The preposition מִ/לְּ/בַ֞ד (mi./le./Vad) functions as "besides" or "in addition to," explicitly separating this direct staff from the garrisoned troops.

The thread — This distinction mirrors Jehoshaphat’s prior order to station troops in every fortified city of Judah (2 Chronicles 17:2). The division between mobile commanders and fixed urban garrisons continues the administrative pattern established under Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:12, 11:23).

Why it lands — The text demands the reader track the structural split between the king’s personal military staff and the decentralized city defenses. It presents the mechanics of royal authority and resource allocation without moral commentary.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

אֵ֖לֶּה'E.lehthese הַמְשָׁרְתִ֣יםha/m.sha.re.Tim[were] the/ [ones who] served אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַמֶּ֑לֶךְha./Me.lekhthe/ king מִלְּבַ֞דmi./le./Vad<from>/ <to>/ besides אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-[those] whom נָתַ֥ןna.Tanhe put הַמֶּ֛לֶךְha./Me.lekhthe/ king בְּעָרֵ֥יbe./'a.Reiin/ [the] cities of הַמִּבְצָ֖רha./miv.Tzar<the>/ fortification בְּכָל־be./kholin/ all יְהוּדָֽה׃ פye.hu.DahJudah

King James Version

These waited on the king, beside those whom the king put in the fenced cities throughout all Judah.

Cross-references

2 Chronicles 17:2 He stationed troops in every fortified city of Judah and put garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.
2 Chronicles 11:12 He also put shields and spears in all the cities and strengthened them greatly. So Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.
2 Chronicles 11:23 Rehoboam also acted wisely by dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and sought many wives for them.
2 Chronicles 17:12 Jehoshaphat grew stronger and stronger, and he built fortresses and store cities in Judah