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2
Chronicles Chapter Thirteen
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 13
This
chapter begins with the reign of Abijah, 2 Chronicles 13:1,
gives an account of a battle between him and Jeroboam, previous to which Abijah
made a speech to Jeroboam and his army, to vindicate his own cause, encourage
his own soldiers, and intimidate the enemy, and dissuade them from fighting, 2 Chronicles 13:3
and in the mean while Jeroboam laid an ambush for him, which greatly distressed
him, 2 Chronicles 13:13,
nevertheless he obtained a complete victory over him, 2 Chronicles 13:15,
and the chapter is concluded with some account of his family and reign, 2 Chronicles 13:21.
2 Chronicles
13:1 In the
eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah.
YLT
1In the eighteenth year of
king Jeroboam -- Abijah reigneth over Judah;
Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam began Abijah to reign
over Judah.; see Gill on 1 Kings 15:1.
2 Chronicles
13:2 2 He
reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Michaiah[a] the
daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
YLT
2three years he hath reigned
in Jerusalem, (and the name of his mother [is] Michaiah daughter of Uriel, from
Gibeah,) and war hath been between Abijah and Jeroboam.
He reigned three years in Jerusalem,.... See Gill on 1 Kings 15:2,
his mother's name also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of
Gibeah; see 2 Chronicles 11:20;
see Gill on 1 Kings 15:2.
and there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam; and in this
chapter is an account of a battle fought between them, not recorded in the book
of Kings.
2 Chronicles
13:3 3 Abijah
set the battle in order with an army of valiant warriors, four hundred thousand
choice men. Jeroboam also drew up in battle formation against him with eight
hundred thousand choice men, mighty men of valor.
YLT
3And Abijah directeth the
war with a force of mighty men of war, four hundred thousand chosen men, and
Jeroboam hath set in array with him battle, with eight hundred thousand chosen
men, mighty of valour.
And Abijah set the battle in array, with an army of valiant man of
war, even four hundred thousand chosen men,.... Collected such an
army of select men, led them into his enemy's country, and set them in order of
battle:
and Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him, with eight
hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour; double the
number of Abijah s army, he having ten tribes to collect out of, and Abijah but
two.
2 Chronicles 13:4 4 Then Abijah stood on Mount
Zemaraim, which is in the mountains of Ephraim, and said, “Hear me,
Jeroboam and all Israel:
YLT
4And Abijah riseth up on the
hill of Zemaraim that [is] in the hill-country of Ephraim, and saith, `Hear me,
Jeroboam and all Israel!
And Abijah stood upon Mount Zemaraim, which is in Mount Ephraim,.... Which
might have its name from a city of Benjamin of this name, to which it was near,
though within the borders of Ephraim, Joshua 18:22
formerly inhabited by the Zemarites, from whence it might have its name, Genesis 10:18 here
Abijah stood, that he might be the better heard by the armies pitched in the
valley; and very probably he desired a parley, and it was granted, otherwise he
would not have been safe in the position in which he was:
and said, hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel; as many as
were now gathered together, and which were a great number.
2 Chronicles 13:5 5 Should you not know that
the Lord
God of Israel gave the dominion over Israel to David forever, to him and his
sons, by a covenant of salt?
YLT
5Is it not for you to know
that Jehovah, God of Israel, hath given the kingdom to David over Israel to the
age, to him and to his sons -- a covenant of salt?
Ought you not to know,.... They did know what
he afterwards says, but he would have them consider and acknowledge it:
that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David
for ever; to him and his seed, particularly to the Messiah, that should
spring from him; but whether Abijah had this in view is a question, see 2 Samuel 7:13.
even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? that is, a
perpetual one, which was inviolable, and never to be made void; called so,
because salt preserves from corruption and putrefaction, and because made use
of in sacrifices offered when covenants were made; the Targum is,"as salt
waters, which never lose their saltness.'
2 Chronicles 13:6 6 Yet Jeroboam the son of
Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against
his lord.
YLT
6and rise up doth Jeroboam,
son of Nebat, servant of Solomon son of David, and rebelleth against his lord!
Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of
David, is risen up,.... Notwithstanding it was well known the kingdom was entailed
on the posterity of David by an everlasting covenant; Abijah calls Jeroboam
Solomon's servant, by way of great contempt, as Jarchi observes, he being the
general receiver of his tax in the tribe of Ephraim, 1 Kings 11:28.
and hath rebelled against his lord; his rightful king and
sovereign; the charge is no less than high treason.
2 Chronicles 13:7 7 Then worthless rogues
gathered to him, and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of
Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and inexperienced and could not withstand
them.
YLT
7`And there are gathered
unto him vain men, sons of worthlessness, and they strengthen themselves
against Rehoboam son of Solomon, and Rehoboam was a youth, and tender of heart,
and hath not strengthened himself against them.
And there are gathered unto him vain men,.... Void of
the fear of God, and all that is good:
the children of Belial: men unprofitable, good
for nothing, or that had cast off the yoke of the law of God, were lawless and
abandoned persons:
And have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of
Solomon: rejected his government of them; went into a strong opposition
to him, and set up another king over them:
when Rehoboam was young and tender hearted, and could not
withstand them; not that he was young in years, for he was forty one years of
age when he began to reign; though Joshua is called a young man when he is
supposed to be between fifty and sixty years of age Exodus 33:11, and
though "adolescentia" and "juventus" are both used in Latin
writers for "youth", yet VarroF17Apud Stockim in voce נער, p. 688. distinguishes them, and makes the former to
begin at the year fifteen, and continue to the year thirty, and the latter to
begin at thirty, and end at forty five; so that, according to this, Rehoboam
was then in his stage of youth; but perhaps the meaning here is, that he was
young in the kingdom, scarcely settled on his throne, and the advantage of that
was taken; not was he cowardly and fearful; and if Abijah meant that by
"tender heartedness", he not only reproached but belied his father;
for he would have fought with Israel in order to have reduced them to
obedience, but was forbidden by the Lord; if by "tender hearted", he
means that he had a tender regard to the command of God, it is true; but that
seems not to be his sense, but the former.
2 Chronicles 13:8 8 And now you think to
withstand the kingdom of the Lord, which is in the hand of
the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and with you are the
gold calves which Jeroboam made for you as gods.
YLT
8`And now, ye are saying to
strengthen yourselves before the kingdom of Jehovah in the hand of the sons of
David, and ye [are] a numerous multitude, and with you calves of gold that
Jeroboam hath made to you for gods.
And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand
of the sons of David,.... To oppose them, prevail over them, and get it out of their
hands, which is delivered to them by the Lord, as the Targum:
and ye be a great multitude; of which they boasted,
and in which they trusted, being ten tribes to two, and in this army two to
one:
and there are with you golden calves which Jeroboam made
you for gods; or, "butF18So Grotious, Schnidt, and others.
there are with you", &c. which Abijah suggests would be so far from
helping them, that they would be their ruin, they having, by the worship of
them, provoked the Lord against them.
2 Chronicles 13:9 9 Have you not cast out the
priests of the Lord,
the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests, like the
peoples of other lands, so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with
a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of things that are not gods?
YLT
9`Have ye not cast out the
priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make to you priests
like the peoples of the lands? every one who hath come to fill his hand with a
bullock, a son of the herd, and seven rams, even he hath been a priest to
No-gods!
Have ye not cast out the priests of the Lord the sons of Aaron,
and the Levites,.... Because they would not sacrifice to his idols, and that they
might not instruct the people in the pure worship of God, and that he and his
people might be free from the payment of tithes, firstfruits, &c. and their
cities fall into his hands:
and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other
lands? after the manner of the Gentiles, without any regard to any
particular tribe, which God had appointed those to be taken from:
so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young
bullock and seven rams; which were five more than what were required by the law of Moses
for the consecration of a priest, Exodus 29:1, the
same
may be a priest of them that are no gods; by nature, only
nominal and fictitious deities, as the calves were, which had no divinity in
them, see 1 Kings 13:31.
2 Chronicles 13:10 10 But as for us, the Lord is our
God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the priests who minister to the Lord are the
sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties.
YLT
10`As for us, Jehovah [is]
our God, and we have not forsaken Him, and priests are ministering to Jehovah,
sons of Aaron and the Levites, in the work,
But as for us, the Lord is our God,.... The Word
of the Lord, as the Targum; we know and acknowledge no other; not the calves at
Dan and Bethel, nor any other idols, only the one living and true God:
and we have not forsaken him; his laws, statutes,
ordinances, and worship; for though Abijah was not a religious man, yet it
seems the form of religion was kept up, and temple service was observed, in his
days:
and the priests which minister unto the Lord; by offering
sacrifices, and burning incense:
are the sons of Aaron; and they only:
and the Levites wait upon their business; some in
singing songs of praise, vocally and instrumentally, others in keeping the
doors of the temple and the treasures of the house of God, and others in
assisting the priests at the altar.
2 Chronicles 13:11 11 And they burn to the Lord every morning
and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense; they also set
the showbread in order on the pure gold table, and the lampstand
of gold with its lamps to burn every evening; for we keep the command of the Lord our God, but
you have forsaken Him.
YLT
11and are making perfume to
Jehovah, burnt-offerings morning by morning, and evening by evening, and
perfume of spices, and the arrangement of bread [is] on the pure table, and the
candlestick of gold, and its lamps, to burn evening by evening, for we are
keeping the charge of Jehovah our God, and ye -- ye have forsaken Him.
And they burn unto the Lord, every morning and every evening,
burnt sacrifices and sweet incense,.... That is, the
priests; the one they did on the altar of burnt offering, and the other on the
altar of incense, and both every day, morning and evening:
the shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table; the shewbread
table, every sabbath day, when they took the old bread off, which had stood
there a week:
and the candlestick of gold, with the lamps thereof, to burn every
evening; these were lighted every evening, and dressed every morning; and
though there were ten tables and ten candlesticks in Solomon's temple, yet only
one of each was used at a time; and therefore from hence it is not to be
concluded that all the rest were taken away by Shishak:
for we keep the charge of the Lord our God; observe all
the rites and ceremonies, laws, and ordinances enjoined by him; the Targum
is,"the charge of the Word of the Lord our God:"
but ye have forsaken him; his fear or worship, as
the same paraphrase.
2 Chronicles 13:12 12 Now look, God Himself is
with us as our head, and His priests with sounding trumpets to sound the
alarm against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the Lord God of your
fathers, for you shall not prosper!”
YLT
12`And lo, with us -- at
[our] head -- [is] God, and His priests and trumpets of shouting to shout
against you; O sons of Israel, do not fight with Jehovah, God of your fathers,
for ye do not prosper.'
And, behold, God himself is with us for our Captain,.... To go
before our armies, and fight our battles for us:
and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you; which was one
use of the trumpets, that the people might be remembered by the Lord, and saved
from their enemies, Numbers 10:9, so
that this circumstance was against Jeroboam and his army, and for Abijah and
his:
O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your
fathers; for fighting against his people, that retained the pure worship
of him, was fighting against him:
for you shall not prosper; he seems to be assured
of victory.
2 Chronicles 13:13 13 But Jeroboam caused an
ambush to go around behind them; so they were in front of Judah, and the ambush
was behind them.
YLT
13And Jeroboam hath brought
round the ambush to come in from behind them, and they are before Judah, and
the ambush [is] behind them.
But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them,.... While
Abijah was making his oration, he detached a party from his army, which got
about, and lay in ambush, behind the army of Abijah:
so they were before Judah; Jeroboam and the greater
part of his army:
and the ambushment was behind them; which Jeroboam had sent
thither.
2 Chronicles 13:14 14 And when Judah looked
around, to their surprise the battle line was at both front and rear;
and they cried out to the Lord, and the priests sounded
the trumpets.
YLT
14And Judah turneth, and lo,
against them [is] the battle, before and behind, and they cry to Jehovah, and
the priests are blowing with trumpets,
And when Judah looked back,.... On hearing a noise
behind them:
behold, the battle was before and behind; men were set
in battle array, and the battle was begun, and an attack made upon them both
ways:
and they cried unto the Lord; for help against their
enemies, and to deliver them out of their hands:
and the priests sounded with the trumpets; to inspire
them with cheerfulness, and to suggest to them that God was with them and they
need not be afraid.
2 Chronicles 13:15 15 Then the men of Judah gave
a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened that God struck Jeroboam
and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
YLT
15and the men of Judah shout
-- and it cometh to pass, at the shouting of the men of Judah, that God hath
smitten Jeroboam, and all Israel, before Abijah and Judah.
Then the men of Judah gave a shout,.... Taking heart at the
sound of the trumpets, and in order to encourage one another, and intimidate
the enemy; See Gill on 1 Samuel 17:20,
and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote
Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah; possessed them with a
panic, so that they fled at once, as follows.
2 Chronicles 13:16 16 And the children of Israel
fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand.
YLT
16And the sons of Israel flee
from the face of Judah, and God giveth them into their hand,
And the children of Israel fled before Judah,.... Were in
such a fright and consternation, that they could not stand their ground, or
engage at all; but took to flight immediately:
and God delivered them into their hand; to be taken
and slain by them.
2 Chronicles 13:17 17 Then Abijah and his people
struck them with a great slaughter; so five hundred thousand choice men of
Israel fell slain.
YLT
17and Abijah and his people
smite among them a great smiting, and there fall wounded of Israel five hundred
thousand chosen men.
And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter,.... As they
fled, pursuing them:
so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen
men; such a slaughter as is not to be met with in any history, as
JosephusF19Antiqu. l. 8. c. 11. sect. 3. observes; though Abarbinel
wonders he should say so, and affirms that he had read of larger numbers slain
at once; but he is the only man that ever pretended to it; JeromF20Trad.
Heb. fol. 84. M. makes the number but 50,000, and some copies of the Vulgate
LatinF21So that of Sixtus V. in James's Corruption of the Fathers,
p. 294. , and Josephus Ben Gorion, as AbarbinelF23Comment in 1. Reg.
xv. 6. fol. 250. 3. relates; but the true Josephus, the Targum, and all the
ancient versions, agree with the Hebrew text; more than half Jeroboam's army
was cut off, and 100,000 more than Abijah had in his.
2 Chronicles 13:18 18 Thus the children of
Israel were subdued at that time; and the children of Judah prevailed, because
they relied on the Lord
God of their fathers.
YLT
18And the sons of Israel are
humbled at that time, and the sons of Judah are strong, for they have leant on
Jehovah, God of their fathers.
Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time,.... Humbled
and weakened, but not reduced to the government of the house of David:
and the children of Judah prevailed; or grew strong:
because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers; trusted in
him, and not in an arm of flesh; the Targum is,"in the Word of the Lord
God of their fathers.'
2 Chronicles 13:19 19 And Abijah pursued
Jeroboam and took cities from him: Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its
villages, and Ephrain[b] with its
villages.
YLT
19And Abijah pursueth after
Jeroboam, and captureth from him cities, Beth-El and its small towns, and
Jeshanah and its small towns, and Ephraim and its small towns.
And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam,.... As he and his army
fled:
and took cities from him; the following ones:
Bethel with the towns thereof; the villages adjoining
to it; here one of the calves was set up, which either Jeroboam took care to
remove before this place fell into the hands of Abijah, or Abijah let it
remain, and did not destroy it:
and Jeshanah with the towns thereof; which RelandF24Palestin.
Illustrat. p. 861. thinks is the same that is called by JeromF25De
loc. Heb. fol. 92. L. Jethaba:
and Ephraim with the towns thereof; a city so called,
thought to be the same that is mentioned in the passage; see Gill on John 11:54; it is
here called, in the Targum, Ephron; so JeromF26Trad. Heb. fol. 85.
A. calls it, and says it was Sichem.
2 Chronicles 13:20 20 So Jeroboam did not
recover strength again in the days of Abijah; and the Lord struck him,
and he died.
YLT
20And Jeroboam hath not
retained power any more in the days of Abijah, and Jehovah smiteth him, and he
dieth.
Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah,.... So as to
bring an army into the field against him, and fight him:
and the Lord struck him; by some Jewish writersF1Bereshit
Rabba, sect. 65. fol. 58. 8. Seder Olam Rabba, c. 16. , this is interpreted of
Abijah; and the reason of his being stricken, they say, was because he did not
destroy the calf when he took Bethel; but it is best to understand it of
Jeroboam, since Abijah is afterwards said to wax mighty:
and he died; not immediately, for he lived two years after Abijah, 1 Kings 14:20, but
continued under a lingering disease he was smitten with, and which issued in
his death.
2 Chronicles 13:21 21 But Abijah grew mighty,
married fourteen wives, and begot twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
YLT
21And Abijah strengtheneth
himself, and taketh to him fourteen wives, and begetteth twenty and two sons,
and sixteen daughters,
But Abijah waxed mighty,.... In his kingdom,
increasing in riches and numbers, power and authority, and in his family:
and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons and
sixteen daughters; not after the above battle, nor since he began to reign; for he
reigned but three years; but he, no doubt, married wives and had children
before he came to the throne, as he might have others after.
2 Chronicles 13:22 22 Now the rest of the acts
of Abijah, his ways, and his sayings are written in the annals of the prophet
Iddo.
YLT
22and the rest of the matters
of Abijah, and his ways, and his words, are written in the `Inquiry' of the
prophet Iddo.
And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings,.... Not only
his warlike actions, and his course of life, but some remarkable sayings of
his, he being a man of wisdom and eloquence, as his above speech shows:
are written in the story of the prophet Iddo; who might
write the history of his own times; see 1 Kings 15:7.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)