II Chronicles 20:26
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On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, where they blessed the LORD. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Beracah to this day.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
On the fourth day the men of Judah gathered themselves together, to give thanks to God the Lord for this blessing, in a valley which thence received the name בּרכה עמק (valley of blessing), and which cannot have been far from the battle-field. Thence they joyfully returned, with Jehoshaphat at their head, to Jerusalem, and went up, the Levites and priests performing solemn music, to the house of God, to render further thanks to the Lord for His wondrous help (Ch2 20:27.). The ancient name בּרכה still exists in the Wady Bereikut, to the west of Tekoa, near the road which leads from Hebron to Jerusalem. "A wide, open valley, and upon its west side, on a small rising ground, are the ruins of Bereikut, which cover from three to four acres" (Robinson's New Biblical Researches, and Phys. Geogr. S. 106; cf. v. de Velde, Memoir, p. 292). Jerome makes mention of the place in Vita Paulae, where he narrates that Paula, standing in supercilio Caphar baruca, looked out thence upon the wide desert, and the former land of Sodom and Gomorrah (cf. Reland, Pal. illustr. pp. 356 and 685). There is no ground, on the other hand, for the identification of the valley of blessing with the upper part of the valley of Kidron, which, according to Joe 3:2, Joe 3:12, received the name of Valley of Jehoshaphat (see on Joe 3:2). - On Ch2 20:27, cf. Ezr 6:22; Neh 12:43.
Open source ↗We have here, I. The great danger and distress that Jehoshaphat and his kingdom were in from a foreign invasion (Ch2 20:1, Ch2 20:2). II. The pious course he took for their safety, by fasting, and praying, and seeking God (Ch2 20:3-13). III. The assurance which God, by a prophet, immediately gave them of victory (Ch2 20:14-17). IV. Their thankful believing reception of those assurances (Ch2 20:18-21). V. The defeat which God gave to their enemies thereupon (Ch2 20:22-25). VI. A solemn thanksgiving which they kept for their victory, and for a happy consequences of it (Ch2 20:26-30). VII. The conclusion of the reign of Jehoshaphat, not without some blemishes (Ch2 20:31-37).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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And Moses built an altar and named it The LORD Is My Banner.
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and redeemed His people.
You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I will appease Esau with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps he will accept me.”
The poles of the ark extended far enough that their ends were visible from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are there to this day.
No longer will you be called Forsaken, nor your land named Desolate; but you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be His bride.
And David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
and he called that place Bethel, though previously the city had been named Luz.
This became known to all who lived in Jerusalem, so they called that field in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)