and with them, some of the Ammonites This is Amalek. Why were they called Ammonites? Because they changed their dress and their language to resemble that of the Ammonites and mingled with them, and came to wage war against Israel. This can be proven below in the chapter (verse 22): “And at the time they commenced, etc. the Lord placed liers-in-wait against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir.” We find that the Ammonites mentioned here are Amalekites who changed their tongue and their dress. This is what the Kallir set down in the section of Zachor: Remember the tyrant who hid among the Ammonites; he breached the vineyards of Ein-Gedi when he was brought, i.e., remember what Amalekite the tyrant did - he hid among the Ammonites and came to breach the vineyards of Israel at that time, as it is written: “and behold they are in Hazazon-Tamar which is Ein-Gedi,” and Ein-Gedi is close to the territory of Amalek, as is stated in (Gen. 14:7): “and they struck down the whole field of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwell in Hazazon- Tamar.”

the same is Ein-Gedi i.e., They said to him, “They have already come so close to us.”

also from all the cities of Judah That you should not say, when it is stated initially, “And the Judeans gathered to seek,” that these were the inhabitants of Jerusalem only, but they came from all the cities of Judah.

and that You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations and in Your hand is strength and might to conduct Your rule over them; therefore, we beseech You to save us from them.

and in Your hand is strength and might in wars and might, hardiess in French, boldness.

and no one can stand with You No creature can stand against You of all the kingdoms of the nations, and an example of this is (Josh. 1:5): “No man shall stand before You.” (Rabbi Menahem the son of Helbo explained it in this manner.)

and given it to the seed of Abraham Therefore, it is incumbent upon You to preserve it in their hands and to drive these peoples out. Even a flesh and blood king, and even an ordinary man, when he gives a present to his friend and someone comes to rob him of it, he exerts himself to preserve it in his hand. How much more so [should] You [do so]! Perhaps You will say, “I gave it to them only temporarily.” Therefore, it says, “forever.” You gave it to us for an eternal inheritance.

and therein they built You a Sanctuary for Your name, saying that “should evil come upon us, etc.” judgment or any judgment, whether sword, pestilence, or famine.

and we shall cry out to You from our distress in the Temple.

and You will hear and save as Solomon prayed before You, and You promised him to do so, as is written (above 6:24): “And if Your people is struck down,” continuing with the entire chapter until (verse 30): “and forgive and give to each man according to his ways.” And the Lord accepted his prayer, as it is written (ibid. 7:12): “And the Lord appeared to Solomon, and said to him: I have heard your prayer,” continuing with the entire chapter until (ibid. verse 14) “and forgive their sin and heal their land.” Now I pray that You remember the promise which You promised him, and hear and save us from our enemies who are coming upon us.

And now about all that You promised us to save us from our enemies who are coming upon us.

behold the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, against whom You did not permit Israel to come to wage war.

when they came out of the land of Egypt and they should have remembered the kindness [we performed] and come to our aid, but they - not only did they not remember our kindness, to be with us in all our troubles, but they repayed us with evil and attacked us.

to drive us out of Your inheritance, which You caused us to inherit You Yourself. Therefore, on what basis can they contest our inheritance?

but our eyes are upon You to save us.

also their infants It is customary that when troops attack a country, the infants, wives, and children flee the villages to the fortified cities.

You shall not fear, neither shall you be dismayed This refers back to what they said, (verse 12) “we have no strength before this multitude.” The prophet said to them, “Although they outnumber you, do not fear them.”

for the war is not yours but God’s This refers back to (verse 12) “and we do not know,” and the prophet replied, “It is surely as you have said, that your eyes and your trust are upon the Holy One, blessed be He, to save you.” So will He do, for the war is not yours but God’s.

on the ascent to Haziz the name of a place.

set yourself This refers back to (verse 15) “for the war is not yours.”

and see the salvation of the Lord This refers back to the above: “Have You, our God, not caused us to inherit (sic)?” And the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “You are right. It is up to Me to preserve it in your hands.”

Tomorrow go forth before them and I shall wage war on your behalf. And they believed, and hurried, and arose early in the morning.

and you will be believed Heb. וְתֵאָמֵנוּ. You will be trustworthy and prosper. An example is (Isa. 7: 9) “for you cannot be believed (לֹא תֵאָמֵנוּ).”

the Lord placed liers-in-wait He placed liers-in-wait to annihilate them and destroy them. An example is found in the case of Abijah the son of Rehoboam (13:13): “And Jeroboam turned the ambush.” Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, turned them one against another, and later, Moab returned and aided the children of Ammon, and they both rose up against the children of Seir.

when they finished with the inhabitants of Seir, each one helped his friend to destroy The Holy One, blessed be He, turned one against the other until they were completely destroyed; until the corpses fell to the ground with no survivors.

to the extent that they could not carry them away because of the quantity.

they congregated to the valley of Berachah To the valley which was later called the valley of Berachah, because of the incident [that took place there], as is explained immediately following, as Scripture states for there they blessed the Lord and gave thanks for all the good that He had done for them, that He saved them from their enemies.

And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries, with harps, and with trumpets These three musical instruments correspond to “all the men of Judah and Jerusalem and Jehoshaphat.”

And he went in the way of his father Asa and did not turn away From what did he not turn away? to do what was right From the good and upright way of his father he did not turn away, but from the bad ways of Asa he did turn away, as is written (above 16:2): “And Asa brought forth silver and gold,” and the entire incident, but Jehoshaphat did not do so, but trusted in the Holy One, blessed be He, all his life.

in the words of Jehu the son of Hanani who said to King Jehoshaphat, (19:2) “[Did you go] to aid the wicked?”

and could not go - Heb. וְלֹא עָצְרוּ, lit., they did not hold in. The meaning is: The ships could not muster the strength to go, and they were broken.