2 Chronicles 20:12

Our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast army that comes against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Judah’s assembled people, including families, address God directly while encircled by an invading force, immediately following their observation that the enemy intends to dispossess them of their inheritance.

The words — The phrase אֵין כֹּחַ (ein koach) literally translates to “there is no strength,” paired with לִפְנֵי הָמֹן (lifnei ha-mon, “before the multitude”), to state a factual condition of total inability against the approaching army.

The thread — The posture of fixed attention toward God for rescue recurs in Psalm 121:1, which queries the source of help, and in Psalm 25:15, where eyes directed to the LORD result in liberated steps.

Why it lands — It demands a clear admission of human incapacity in the face of overwhelming opposition and a deliberate shift of focus toward divine judgment rather than human planning.

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

King James Version

O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

Cross-references

Psalms 121:1 A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
Psalms 25:15 My eyes are always on the LORD, for He will free my feet from the mesh.
Psalms 141:8 But my eyes are fixed on You, O GOD the Lord. In You I seek refuge; do not leave my soul defenseless.
Psalms 123:1 A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to You, the One enthroned in heaven.
Deuteronomy 32:36 For the LORD will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants when He sees that their strength is gone and no one remains, slave or free.
2 Corinthians 1:8 We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.
Psalms 9:19 Rise up, O LORD, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your presence.
Psalms 43:1 Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; deliver me from deceitful and unjust men.
Judges 11:27 I have not sinned against you, but you have done me wrong by waging war against me. May the LORD, the Judge, decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
1 Samuel 3:13 I told him that I would judge his house forever for the iniquity of which he knows, because his sons blasphemed God and he did not restrain them.