דברי הימים ב, פרק י״ט, פסוק ב׳

A sharp confrontation unfolds as a prophet steps directly into the path of a king to deliver a severe divine rebuke. Jehu goes out to meet King Jehoshaphat face-to-face, challenging him over his misguided alliances [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The prophet’s criticism targets the king's decision to join forces with Ahab, the wicked ruler of Israel, in a military campaign. Even close family ties, the prophet emphasizes, cannot justify offering assistance to a person of such corrupt character [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

This rebuke addresses two distinct layers of wrongdoing: the physical action and the internal mindset [מלבי״ם]. On a practical level, simply providing aid to those who commit evil is inherently wrong. Such help might be offered without any emotional attachment, perhaps driven purely by political interest or practical benefit, yet it remains completely unacceptable. On a deeper, internal level, the prophet condemns the emotional bond formed with God's enemies. Harboring affection for those who hate God represents a profound moral failure; rather than loving Ahab and coming to his aid, Jehoshaphat should have firmly rejected him.

As a direct result of these choices, God's intense anger was stirred against the king [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת דוד]. This anger was far from theoretical. It sparked a heavenly decree demanding that Jehoshaphat fall by the sword in battle [מלבי״ם]. This divine judgment nearly became a reality on the battlefield when the enemy chariot commanders surrounded Jehoshaphat and came dangerously close to killing him. Ultimately, however, God chose to spare him, intervening to save the king in the merit of his other good deeds [רלב״ג].