Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 20:25
Then Jehoshaphat and his people went to carry off the plunder, and they found on the bodies an abundance of goods and valuables—more than they could carry away. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jehoshaphat and the Judahite army arrive at the battlefield after God's intervention, encountering only dead enemies with no survivors remaining.
The words — The Hebrew שְׁלָלָם (she.la.la/m) denotes their specific booty, while לָ/רֹב (la./ro) literally means to abundance or in great quantity.
The thread — The narrative of gathering massive spoils appears in 1 Samuel 30:19, where not a single item is missing from recovered plunder, and the theme of responding to divine rescue echoes in 2 Kings 7:9, where witnesses confront their silence during a day of deliverance.
Why it lands — The text records a three-day collection of untransportable wealth before the army gathers to bless the Lord, requiring readers to acknowledge that overwhelming provision precedes and demands worship rather than mere accumulation.
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
And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 30:19 Nothing was missing, young or old, son or daughter, or any of the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David brought everything back.
- Numbers 31:15 “Have you spared all the women?” he asked them.
- 2 Kings 7:9 Finally, they said to one another, “We are not doing what is right. Today is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until morning light, our sin will overtake us. Now, therefore, let us go and tell the king’s household.”
- Psalms 68:12 “Kings and their armies flee in haste; she who waits at home divides the plunder.
- Proverbs 3:15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire compares with her.
- Ezekiel 39:8 Yes, it is coming, and it will surely happen, declares the Lord GOD. This is the day of which I have spoken.
- Exodus 3:22 Every woman shall ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians.”
- Exodus 12:35 Furthermore, the Israelites acted on Moses’ word and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold, and for clothing.
- Judges 8:24 Then he added, “Let me make a request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his plunder.” (For the enemies had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)
- Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.