What Does 2 Chronicles 20:13 Mean in the King James?
And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Judah, whose name is bound to praise, stands before the LORD with its whole household, including those too young to speak for themselves.
THE MEANING
Judah stands before the LORD as a whole community, with little ones, wives, and children present. This gathering includes those with little power to act or speak; they belong within the people’s shared presence before God.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that standing before God belongs only to those with public agency: the little ones and the household are present in Judah’s stance.
THE ROOT
עֹמְדִים
ʿomdîm
GROWS FROM
עמד
ʿ-m-d
Stand, remain, take one’s stand.
English “stood” can sound like a momentary posture, while עמד also carries the sense of remaining or taking one’s stand. Here the stance is shared: the young and dependent are present within Judah’s standing before the LORD.
ALSO GROWS
ʿāmad: To stand, remain, or take one’s stand.
עָמַד
This verb shares all three root consonants and shows that standing can describe a continuing position, not only a physical pose.
maʿămād: A standing place, station, or position.
מַעֲמָד
This noun shares the root consonants and lets “stood” open into the place a person or people occupy.
THE PATTERN
A people’s presence before God includes the whole gathering, even those with the least power to act or speak.
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.THE THREAD
And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.The same root עמד (ʿ-m-d, “stand” or “remain”) appears in “before whom I stand.” In both verses, standing before the LORD is a position of presence; 2 Chronicles widens that stance from one speaker to a gathered people and their households.
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