· Translation: KJV

2 Chronicles 20:23For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, utterly to kill and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another.

The setting

Tekoa wilderness, Israel, ~873 BC. Three allied armies suddenly turn weapons on each other in supernatural confusion...

The emotion here: documenting divine justice with reverent wonder

The original word

shamad (שמד) — to annihilate completely, exterminate utterly

Why it matters

Archaeological evidence shows this area was a strategic crossroads for ancient armies

Read with care

What most readers miss in 2 Chronicles 20:23

The text emphasizes they 'helped to destroy' each other - it was methodical, not random chaos

Common misconceptionMany see this as God being violent. Actually, God simply removed His restraining hand and let evil destroy itself - this is how sin naturally works.

Bible Genome reading

2 Chronicles 20:23 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionjoyful
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power60%
Quotability40%
Memorability60%
Crisis relevance60%
Standalone50%
Themes:enemy confusionself-destructiondivine strategy

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 2 Chronicles 20

2 Chronicles 20:23 comes from the book of 2 Chronicles, written during the United Kingdom period. The setting is the battlefield. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is joyful, with a comfort power of 60% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include enemy confusion, self-destruction, divine strategy. Notable phrases: stood up against; utterly to kill and destroy.

Your reflection

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