ELIEZER SON OF DODAVAH, OF MARESHAH · TWO KINGDOMS

Eliezer. One sentence against Jehoshaphat's ships, in Chronicles only.

SCRIPTURE CALLS

Prophet

ERA

Two kingdoms 930–586 BC

IN THE DAYS OF

Jehoshaphat · Ahaziah of Israel

BOOK

None bears the name

HOW THE WORD CAME

“Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying”.

THE CALL

How the word came

  • “Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying”. 2 Chronicles 20:37

BEFORE THE KINGS

Before two kings

KING OF JUDAH

Jehoshaphat

“Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works.”

2 Chronicles 20:37 (KJV) →

KING OF ISRAEL

Ahaziah of Israel

THE MESSAGE

The word in its main themes

A joint venture broken

“the LORD hath broken thy works”

2 Chronicles 20:37 (KJV) →

THE WORD TO …

To whom the word was spoken

TO JEHOSHAPHAT

“Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works.”

2 Chronicles 20:37 (KJV) →

COMPANIONS AND OPPONENTS

Who stood with him, and against him

Dodavah, his father

HOW THE STORY ENDS

Scripture says, tradition says

SCRIPTURE SAYS

  • From the textScripture names Eliezer only here. 2 Chronicles 20:37

TRADITION SAYS

No tradition is recorded here.

OPEN QUESTIONS

Where readers have differed

Side by side

The texts

Kings: Jehoshaphat made ships “to go to Ophir for gold”, they were broken at Ezion-geber, and when Ahaziah asked to send his servants in the ships, “Jehoshaphat would not”. Chronicles: Jehoshaphat joined Ahaziah to make ships “to go to Tarshish”, Eliezer prophesied, and the ships were broken. Kings does not name Eliezer. 1 Kings 22:48–49 2 Chronicles 20:35–37

One sequence: the joint fleet was wrecked, then Jehoshaphat refused a second venture

C. F. Keil (1872); Matthew Poole (1683–1685); the Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897)

Keil: Ahaziah wanted another attempt after the first ships were broken, and Jehoshaphat refused “after the fulfilment of Eliezer's prediction”. He takes Chronicles' “to go to Tarshish” to have sprung “from an erroneous interpretation of the expression ‘ships of Tarshish’”. 1 Kings 22:48–49 2 Chronicles 20:36–37 [65][78][88]

The common source is out of order

The Pulpit Commentary on Chronicles (1880–1897)

The “dislocation of both manner and matter” in both accounts “probably betrays something out of order … in the more original source, from which both drew”. 2 Chronicles 20:34–37 1 Kings 22:45–50 [93]

IN SCRIPTURE

Every passage

CHAPTERS · 2

2 Chronicles 20 1 Kings 22

PASSAGES · 2

2 Chronicles 20:35–37 1 Kings 22:48–49

WHAT SCRIPTURE DOES NOT SAY

  • Kings does not mention Eliezer or a partnership in the broken ships.
  • Nothing else is told of Eliezer.

SOURCES

Where this page comes from

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