away the anger of God which was upon them, by sending back the prisoners. To soften the hearts of the rude warriors, and to gain them for his purpose, he tells them (2Ch 28:9), “Because the Lord God of your fathers was wroth, He gave them (the men of Judah) into your hand:” your victory over them is consequently not the fruit of your power and valour, but the work of the God of your fathers, whose wrath Judah has drawn upon itself by its defection from Him. This you should have considered, and so have had pity upon those smitten by the wrath of God; “but he have slaughtered among them with a rage which reacheth up to heaven,” i.e., not merely with a rage beyond all measure, but a rage which calls to God for vengeance; cf. Ezr 9:6.
Verse 10
2Ch 28:10 “And now the sons of Judah and Jerusalem ye purpose to subject to yourselves for bondmen and bondwomen!” יהוּדה בּני is accus., and precedes as being emphatic; i.e., your brethren, whom the wrath of God has smitten, you purpose to keep in subjection. אתּם also is emphatically placed, and then is again emphasized at the end of the sentence by the suffix in לכם: “Are there not, only concerning you, with you, sins with Jahve your God?” i.e., Have you, to regard only you, not also burdened yourselves with many sins against the Lord? The question הלא, is a lively way of expressing assurance as to a matter which is not at all doubtful.
Verse 11
After thus quickening the conscience, he calls upon them to send back the prisoners which they had carried away from among their brethren, because the anger of Jahve was upon them. Already in their pitiless butchery of their brethren they had committed a sin which cried to heaven, which challenged God's anger and His punishments; but by the carrying away of the women and children from their brethren they had filled up the measure of their sin, so that God's anger and rage must fall upon them.
Verses 12-13
This speech made a deep impression. Four of the heads of the Ephraimites, here mentioned by name, - according to 2Ch 28:12, four princes at the head of the assembled people, - came before those coming from the army (על קוּם, to come forward before one, to meet one), and said, 2Ch 28:13, “Bring not the captives hither; for in order that a sin of Jahve come upon us, do you purpose (do you intend) to add to our sins and to our guilt?” i.e., to increase our sins and our guilt by making these prisoners slaves; “for great is our guilt, and fierce wrath upon Israel.”
Verse 14
Then the armed men (החלוּץ, cf. 1Ch 12:23) who had escorted the prisoners
