2 Chronicles 19:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Therefore, do not be apprehensive that this obligation of ours stems from our belief. For the Lord our God, in whom there is no injustice and who possesses ultimate authority, is one who sees the present state of every individual and also knows what they will become. His perfect wisdom cannot lead to error. Yet, as the Gospel states: For He causes His sun to rise on both the wicked and the righteous, and sends rain on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45).

A reflection on the appointment of a judge from the St. Petersburg nobility regarding the responsibility of judges to serve with reverence for God. "Therefore let the fear of the Lord be upon you: act with prudence, for the Lord our God does not tolerate injustice, hypocrisy, or greed" (2 Chronicles 19:7). These admonitions come from the king of Judah, who established judges in his fortified cities, directed toward you as appointed judges. Jehoshaphat reminded the judges of both the weight of their duty—since they bear the Lord's authority—and the peril of diminishing this responsibility through human wrongdoing, thereby misaligning divine justice with human desires or corrupting judgment through bribery.

He addressed the judges, saying, "Consider your actions; for you are not executing human justice, but rather the Lord's, who is present with you in the matters of judgment. Now, let the reverence of the Lord be upon you." (2 Chronicles 19:6-7) This devout king spoke these words to the judges. Would he not have spoken similarly to those who appointed the judges had he not taken on the role of choosing himself, rather than delegating it to the nobles and citizens? Should not the appointing authorities be aware of and appreciate the significance of the court just like the judges do? The gathering of judges is like sowing seeds that will flourish in the court; the court then serves as the harvest of what was sown during the election. Can we expect a prosperous harvest from poor sowing? How can there be good sowing if the sower is oblivious to what is being sown? You who sow righteousness and peace! Would you not wish to avoid sowing unrighteousness and discord, deceit and maliciousness? Noble men and citizens, now entrusted with the responsibility of electors and thus poised to judge future judges! As you prepare to take the solemn oath of service to your sovereign and your homeland, reflect deeply on the weighty task that lies ahead. "Consider what you do." Unmindful examiners view court matters merely as human affairs, failing to see what can and should be recognized in this realm. Even from their limited perspective, it’s clear that the court's organization—by electing the stewards of public order and justice—is among the most critical human endeavors. Much hinges on this; it affects the welfare or suffering of many, the order or chaos within society, and the strength or frailty of the bond between ruler and state. The court serves as the protector of property and personal safety, with the judge as its guardian. Without judgment, the world would be akin to what the land of Canaan once was, "a land..." (Num. 13:33), offering only the spoils of the strong, waiting for new marauders; where security would rely solely on the vigilant warrior or the might of the oppressor, until he too met someone stronger. The court, as the keeper of property rights for all, ensures that what is wrongfully claimed is safeguarded for its rightful owner, helping to secure the possession of that which was stolen. Acting as a sanctuary for the oppressed, the court provides defense against injustice, ensuring safety for those who might suffer harm. But what good is a strong fortification if its guardian cannot be trusted? What is a court fortified by laws if an unworthy judge is seated within? The law governs not just the defendant, but also the judge, guiding and restraining him; yet, the wisdom and justice contained within the law are rendered useless unless unveiled through a wise and just judge. The law is bound by necessity and cannot act to restrain the judge; however, the judge has the freedom to circumvent the law.

Just as a skilled hunter ensnares the clever beasts and subdues the powerful, thereby securing the meek for their safety, a wise judge should extend a net of lawful inquiry that catches the cunning and brings down the bold offenders, ensuring good citizens are safeguarded. When the judge is unskilled, innocent individuals may fall victim to nets meant for the guilty, or the guilty may escape. A just judge, guided by conscience, offers benefit to the innocent through acquittal and to the guilty through rightful condemnation, removing harm from one while addressing the greater evil of the other's actions. In contrast, an unjust judge tragically amplifies the wrongs he ought to diminish; the court becomes a realm filled with grievances he should have kept banished beyond its walls. Since he permits injustices to proliferate unchecked, he twists the law into a weapon for evil, transforming predators into rightful owners and treating the offenses of oppressors as just acts, thereby leading the righteous into despair, instilling fear in the timid, and tempting the vulnerable to seek happiness amongst wrongdoers. Such judgments, whether light or shadowed, depend upon the character of the judge—but they must be foremost in the minds of those who participate in electing judges. "Consider what you do." You guard the property and safety of all individuals; thus, your own welfare is entwined with theirs. The court serves not only individual interests, which cannot exist without the common good, but is also a vital instrument for public welfare and health. Unlike natural bodies, which are formed and maintained by the compulsion of necessity, society as a composite body is sustained by reason and liberty. Just as the human body requires a court to ascertain its members' activity and rest within the bounds of justice, so too does the artificial construct of human society demand a court that delineates and maintains the rights and obligations of its members, ensuring that duties do not impede rights and rights do not obliterate duties. The court must foster the needs of society without violating the common good and should apply rewards and punishments as tools for safeguarding the community, not merely as adjuncts to private justice. Clearly, the judge, as a custodian of public order, must possess a comprehensive understanding of society's intricate structure; he must grasp the unity of this multifarious body at its core and recognize the diversity of its needs to be a faithful steward of its vitality and a healer of its ailments. If we exercise prudence when selecting a physician even for minor ailments of a single body part, how much more caution should you, voters, embody when choosing a physician for the health and survival of the entire societal body? "Consider what you do." The instrument for the welfare of the entire societal body and its members is particularly that of supreme authority, which represents the head and heart of this body. All members are bound to the head; yet, among them, the most crucial are those who aid in its beneficial dominion over others. They draw vital life from the heart; but do not the most essential members maintain the nearest proximity to it, ensuring its life-giving essence permeates the entire body? The judge serves as the eye of supreme power, overseeing the welfare of the state and each individual; as its muscle, directing them in proper motion; as its arm, extending protection; being the receiver and steward of life-giving strength flowing from the heart into the body of the state, the very love of the sovereign towards the subjects. Yet, what unity is there between the head or heart with the remainder of the body—the supreme authority with society—if the eye dims and fails to convey the state of the members or the dangers looming over them? What if a lax muscle fails to bear the weight of the members entrusted to its motion, instead causing disarray? What of the hand, which should shield and protect the members at the head’s command but instead subjects or torments them? If the instruments of the sovereign's wisdom and goodness obstruct their beneficial influence rather than distribute it throughout the state’s composition? You, electors, must, in your elections, present virtuous instruments to the supreme authority, having recognized their worthiness for this role ahead of time, within the election process itself. Your task should not only support a strong attachment between sovereign and state but also contribute to maintaining its integrity and sanctity—an always desired bond, all the more precious in our homeland, when it’s evidently grounded in love and enriched by the sovereign's trust in his people, as reflected in the very privilege of election bestowed upon you; for does not love prompt the autocratic power to afford its subjects such freedom and quasi-independence to self-govern? Does not trust enable the sovereign to accept the instruments of governance from the very hands of the subjects? Your responsibility, voters, is to honor this profound trust and beneath this love of authority. "Thus far, we have only considered human forms of judgment and their earthly arrangements. Yet within this earthly judgment, as in all earthly matters, lies something divine; or as the pious king articulated, judgment is not solely a human undertaking but also a work of God, who is inseparably present within it. 'You are not executing human judgment, but the Lord's, and He is with you in the matters of judgment.'"

Divine and human judgments can be traced back to their origin. In the beginning, God was the direct ruler and legislator of humanity; He granted humankind dominion over the earth while imposing limitations through the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The first transgression was committed, and God acted as the first judge on earth, locating both the offenders and the offense: "Where are you? What have you done?" (Gen. 3:9-13). He pronounced judgment upon the tempter and the deceived: "Cursed are you... I will multiply your sorrows... Cursed is the earth because of your actions." (Gen. 3:14-16). God judged the first act of murder by setting the spilled blood and His divine omniscience as witnesses: "The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground" (Gen. 4:10). God directly judged the corrupted first world, decreeing the flood's punishment; He judged the arrogant Babylonians and punished them with a confusion of languages; He adjudged the depraved Sodomites, incinerating their city as a physician excising contagions from the body. When the offenders tried to evade His judgment, He brought it right to the scene of the crime: "The Lord came down to observe the city and the tower" (Gen. 11:5), and when the outcry of iniquity from Sodom and Gomorrah grew loud, He declared, "I will go down to see if the accusations against them are justified" (Gen. 18:21). Even when all nations forsook the true God and His judgment, this judgment remained manifest in Israel, first through the leaders and judges appointed by God Himself, then by prophets sent by Him, and later through divinely sanctified kings. The divine work cannot be obliterated; therefore, the work of judgment, transitioning from God's selection to judges chosen by humanity, does not diminish in its divine significance. Thus, Moses instructed the people to select judges and reminded them, "The judgment is God's" (Deuteronomy 1:17). Jehoshaphat appointed them and exclaimed, "You are not executing human judgment, but the Lord's." God does not abandon His work; hence, in every judgment belonging to Him, He remains both present and active: "And He who is with you in the word of judgment."