2 Chronicles 20:22

22 They began to sing and praise him. Then the LORD hid some men and told them to wait. He wanted them to attack the people of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir. They had gone into Judah and attacked it. But they lost the battle.

2 Chronicles 20:22 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 20:22

And when they began to sing and to praise
They sung more or less all the way they went, from the time they set out, but when they came nearer the enemy, they sung louder and louder: the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount
Seir, which came against Judah;
some take them to be their own ambushments, which they set for the destruction of Judah; but the Lord turned them against their own confederates, mistaking them for Jews; so the Vulgate Latin version,

``the Lord turned their ambushments against themselves;''

or rather these were angels, who appeared in the form of the Edomites, and so fell upon the Ammonites and Moabites: and they were smitten;
by them, many of them were destroyed; hence it follows,

2 Chronicles 20:22 In-Context

20 Early in the morning all of the people left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they started out, Jehoshaphat stood up. He said, "Judah, listen to me! People of Jerusalem, listen to me! Have faith in the LORD your God. He'll take good care of you. Have faith in his prophets. Then you will have success."

21 Jehoshaphat asked the people for advice. Then he appointed men to sing to the Lord. He wanted them to praise him because of his glory and holiness. They marched out in front of the army. They said, "Give thanks to the Lord. His faithful love continues forever."

22 They began to sing and praise him. Then the LORD hid some men and told them to wait. He wanted them to attack the people of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir. They had gone into Judah and attacked it. But they lost the battle.

23 The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir. They destroyed them. They put an end to them. When they finished killing the men from Seir, they destroyed each other.

24 The men of Judah came to the place that looks out over the desert. They turned to look down at the huge army. But all they saw was dead bodies lying there on the ground. No one had escaped.