1 And it came to pass, when Rehoboam H7346 had established H3559 the kingdom, H4438 and had strengthened H2393 himself, he forsook H5800 the law H8451 of the LORD, H3068 and all Israel H3478 with him.
So they strengthened H2388 the kingdom H4438 of Judah, H3063 and made Rehoboam H7346 the son H1121 of Solomon H8010 strong, H553 three H7969 years: H8141 for three H7969 years H8141 they walked H1980 in the way H1870 of David H1732 and Solomon. H8010
So king H4428 Rehoboam H7346 strengthened H2388 himself in Jerusalem, H3389 and reigned: H4427 for Rehoboam H7346 was one H259 and forty H705 years H8141 old H1121 when he began to reign, H4427 and he reigned H4427 seventeen H7651 H6240 years H8141 in Jerusalem, H3389 the city H5892 which the LORD H3068 had chosen H977 out of all the tribes H7626 of Israel, H3478 to put H7760 his name H8034 there. And his mother's H517 name H8034 was Naamah H5279 an Ammonitess. H5985
And under their hand H3027 was an army, H2428 H6635 three H7969 hundred H3967 thousand H505 and seven H7651 thousand H505 and five H2568 hundred, H3967 that made H6213 war H4421 with mighty H2428 power, H3581 to help H5826 the king H4428 against the enemy. H341 And Uzziah H5818 prepared H3559 for them throughout all the host H6635 shields, H4043 and spears, H7420 and helmets, H3553 and habergeons, H8302 and bows, H7198 and slings H7050 to cast stones. H68 And he made H6213 in Jerusalem H3389 engines, H2810 invented H4284 by cunning men, H2803 to be on the towers H4026 and upon the bulwarks, H6438 to shoot H3384 arrows H2671 and great H1419 stones H68 withal. And his name H8034 spread H3318 far abroad; H7350 for he was marvellously H6381 helped, H5826 till H3588 he was strong. H2388 But when he was strong, H2393 his heart H3820 was lifted up H1361 to his destruction: H7843 for he transgressed H4603 against the LORD H3068 his God, H430 and went H935 into the temple H1964 of the LORD H3068 to burn incense H6999 upon the altar H4196 of incense. H7004
And Judah H3063 did H6213 evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 and they provoked him to jealousy H7065 with their sins H2403 which they had committed, H2398 above all that their fathers H1 had done. H6213 For they also built H1129 them high places, H1116 and images, H4676 and groves, H842 on every high H1364 hill, H1389 and under every green H7488 tree. H6086 And there were also sodomites H6945 in the land: H776 and they did H6213 according to all the abominations H8441 of the nations H1471 which the LORD H3068 cast out H3423 before H6440 the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
O generation, H1755 see H7200 ye the word H1697 of the LORD. H3068 Have I been a wilderness H4057 unto Israel? H3478 a land H776 of darkness? H3991 wherefore say H559 my people, H5971 We are lords; H7300 we will come H935 no more unto thee?
For the statutes H2708 of Omri H6018 are kept, H8104 and all the works H4639 of the house H1004 of Ahab, H256 and ye walk H3212 in their counsels; H4156 that I should make H5414 thee a desolation, H8047 and the inhabitants H3427 thereof an hissing: H8322 therefore ye shall bear H5375 the reproach H2781 of my people. H5971
According to their pasture, H4830 so were they filled; H7646 they were filled, H7646 and their heart H3820 was exalted; H7311 therefore have they forgotten H7911 me. Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: H7826 as a leopard H5246 by the way H1870 will I observe H7789 them: I will meet H6298 them as a bear H1677 that is bereaved H7909 of her whelps, and will rend H7167 the caul H5458 of their heart, H3820 and there will I devour H398 them like a lion: H3833 the wild H7704 beast H2416 shall tear H1234 them.
When Ephraim H669 spake H1696 trembling, H7578 he exalted H5375 himself in Israel; H3478 but when he offended H816 in Baal, H1168 he died. H4191
The princes H8269 of Judah H3063 were like them that remove H5253 the bound: H1366 therefore I will pour out H8210 my wrath H5678 upon them like water. H4325 Ephraim H669 is oppressed H6231 and broken H7533 in judgment, H4941 because he willingly H2974 walked H1980 after H310 the commandment. H6673
And it shall be, when the LORD H3068 thy God H430 shall have brought H935 thee into the land H776 which he sware H7650 unto thy fathers, H1 to Abraham, H85 to Isaac, H3327 and to Jacob, H3290 to give H5414 thee great H1419 and goodly H2896 cities, H5892 which thou buildedst H1129 not, And houses H1004 full H4392 of all good H2898 things, which thou filledst H4390 not, and wells H953 digged, H2672 which thou diggedst H2672 not, vineyards H3754 and olive trees, H2132 which thou plantedst H5193 not; when thou shalt have eaten H398 and be full; H7646 Then beware H8104 lest thou forget H7911 the LORD, H3068 which brought thee forth H3318 out of the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 from the house H1004 of bondage. H5650
But as for the children H1121 of Israel H3478 which dwelt H3427 in the cities H5892 of Judah, H3063 Rehoboam H7346 reigned H4427 over them.
And they shall answer, H559 Because they forsook H5800 the LORD H3068 their God, H430 who brought forth H3318 their fathers H1 out of the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 and have taken hold H2388 upon other H312 gods, H430 and have worshipped H7812 them, and served H5647 them: therefore hath the LORD H3068 brought H935 upon them all this evil. H7451
But Jeshurun H3484 waxed fat, H8080 and kicked: H1163 thou art waxen fat, H8080 thou art grown thick, H5666 thou art covered H3780 with fatness; then he forsook H5203 God H433 which made H6213 him, and lightly esteemed H5034 the Rock H6697 of his salvation. H3444
When thou hast eaten H398 and art full, H7646 then thou shalt bless H1288 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 for the good H2896 land H776 which he hath given H5414 thee. Beware H8104 that thou forget H7911 not the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 in not keeping H8104 his commandments, H4687 and his judgments, H4941 and his statutes, H2708 which I command H6680 thee this day: H3117 Lest when thou hast eaten H398 and art full, H7646 and hast built H1129 goodly H2896 houses, H1004 and dwelt H3427 therein; And when thy herds H1241 and thy flocks H6629 multiply, H7235 and thy silver H3701 and thy gold H2091 is multiplied, H7235 and all that thou hast is multiplied; H7235 Then thine heart H3824 be lifted up, H7311 and thou forget H7911 the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 which brought thee forth H3318 out of the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 from the house H1004 of bondage; H5650
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 12
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 12 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 12
2Ch 12:1-12. Rehoboam, Forsaking God, Is Punished by Shishak.
1. when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself—(See on 2Ch 11:17). During the first three years of his reign his royal influence was exerted in the encouragement of the true religion. Security and ease led to religious decline, which, in the fourth year, ended in open apostasy. The example of the court was speedily followed by his subjects, for "all Israel was with him," that is, the people in his own kingdom. The very next year, the fifth of his reign, punishment was inflicted by the invasion of Shishak.
2. Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem—He was the first king of the twenty-second or Bubastic Dynasty. What was the immediate cause of this invasion? Whether it was in resentment for some provocation from the king of Judah, or in pursuance of ambitious views of conquest, is not said. But the invading army was a vast horde, for Shishak brought along with his native Egyptians an immense number of foreign auxiliaries.
3-5. the Lubims—the Libyans of northeastern Africa.
the Sukkiims—Some think these were the Kenite Arabs, dwellers in tents, but others maintain more justly that these were Arab troglodytes, who inhabited the caverns of a mountain range on the western coast of the Red Sea.
and the Ethiopians—from the regions south of Egypt. By the overwhelming force of numbers, they took the fortresses of Judah which had been recently put in a state of defense, and marched to lay siege to the capital. While Shishak and his army was before Jerusalem, the prophet Shemaiah addressed Rehoboam and the princes, tracing this calamity to the national apostasy and threatening them with utter destruction in consequence of having forsaken God (2Ch 12:6).
6. the princes of Israel—(compare 2Ch 12:5, "the princes of Judah").
7, 8. when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves—Their repentance and contrition was followed by the best effects; for Shemaiah was commissioned to announce that the phial of divine judgment would not be fully poured out on them—that the entire overthrow of the kingdom of Judah would not take place at that time, nor through the agency of Shishak; and yet, although it should enjoy a respite from total subversion, [Judah] should become a tributary province of Egypt in order that the people might learn how much lighter and better is the service of God than that of idolatrous foreign despots.
9. So Shishak … came up against Jerusalem—After the parenthetical clause (2Ch 12:5-8) describing the feelings and state of the beleaguered court, the historian resumes his narrative of the attack upon Jerusalem, and the consequent pillage both of the temple and the palace.
he took all—that is, everything valuable he found. The cost of the targets and shields has been estimated at about £239,000 [Napier, Ancient Workers in Metal].
the shields of gold—made by Solomon, were kept in the house of the forest of Lebanon (2Ch 9:16). They seem to have been borne, like maces, by the guards of the palace, when they attended the king to the temple or on other public processions. Those splendid insignia having been plundered by the Egyptian conqueror, others were made of inferior metal and kept in the guard room of the palace, to be ready for use; as, notwithstanding the tarnished glory of the court, the old state etiquette was kept up on public and solemn occasions. An account of this conquest of Judah, with the name of "king of Judah" in the cartouche of the principal captive, according to the interpreters, is carved and written in hieroglyphics on the walls of the great palace of Karnak, where it may be seen at the present day. This sculpture is about twenty-seven hundred years old, and is of peculiar interest as a striking testimony from Egypt to the truth of Scripture history.
12. when he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him—The promise (2Ch 12:7) was verified. Divine providence preserved the kingdom in existence, a reformation was made in the court, while true religion and piety were diffused throughout the land.
2Ch 12:13-16. His Reign and Death.
13, 14. Rehoboam strengthened … and reigned—The Egyptian invasion had been a mere predatory expedition, not extending beyond the limits of Judah, and probably, ere long, repelled by the invaded. Rehoboam's government acquired new life and vigor by the general revival of true religion, and his reign continued many years after the departure of Shishak. But
he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord—that is, he did not adhere firmly to the good course of reformation he had begun, "and he did evil," for through the unhappy influence of his mother, a heathen foreigner, he had no doubt received in his youth a strong bias towards idolatry (see on 1Ki 14:21).