And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer. — The seer whose father had suffered for his reproof of Asa (2 Chronicles 16:7-10), and who had himself already witnessed against Baasha, king of Israel (1 Kings 16:1-7).
To meet him. — Unto his presence (1 Chronicles 12:17; 2 Chronicles 15:2).
King. — The king. The prophets never shrank from facing the highest representatives of earthly power (comp. 1 Kings 21:20).
Shouldest thou help. — Literally, to help the ungodly. The infinitive (as in 1 Chronicles 5:1; 1 Chronicles 9:25), i.e., oughtest thou to help.
The ungodly. — .The emphatic word. (See Psalms 139:21-22; Psalms 119:158 : “I beheld the transgressors with loathing.”)
Them that hate the Lord. — And haters of Jehovah lovest thou? (The particle le prefixed to the word for “haters” is characteristic of the chronicler’s style.)
Therefore is wrath upon thee. — See the same phrase, 1 Chronicles 27:24. In the case of David, the Divine wrath was embodied in pestilence; what form did it take with Jehoshaphat? The following Chapter s seem to supply the answer. His land suffered invasion and his fleet shipwreck; his posterity was evil, and came to an evil end (2 Chronicles 20:21; 2 Chronicles 20:22). There may be reference also to the failure of the campaign in which Jehoshaphat had engaged, and his inglorious return to his own land.