Commentary on 2 Chronicles

Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Do not doubt that this duty of ours is a part of religion because God, "with whom there is no iniquity," whose power is supreme, who not only sees what each one is but also foresees what he will be, who alone cannot err in his judgment because he cannot be deceived in his knowledge, nevertheless acts as the Gospel expresses it, "He makes his sun to rise on the good and bad, and rains on the just and unjust."

Just read the books of Paralipomenon and this is what you will find written in the second book: "And the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabians who border on the Ethiopians. And they came up to the land of Judah and wasted it, and they carried away all substance that was found in the king's house." Here we have a clear indication of how God stirs up enemies to lay waste those countries that he judges to be deserving of such punishment. And yet, was it not of their own will that the Philistines and Arabs came to lay waste the country of Judah? Or did they so come of their own will that the Scripture lies where it tells us that the Lord stirred up their spirit to do so? On the contrary. Both statements are true because they did come of…

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• More works by Augustine of Hippo

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