7 And when the LORD H3068 saw H7200 that they humbled H3665 themselves, the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came to Shemaiah, H8098 saying, H559 They have humbled H3665 themselves; therefore I will not destroy H7843 them, but I will grant H5414 them some H4592 deliverance; H6413 and my wrath H2534 shall not be poured out H5413 upon Jerusalem H3389 by the hand H3027 of Shishak. H7895
And that I also have walked H3212 contrary H7147 unto them, and have brought H935 them into the land H776 of their enemies; H341 if then H176 their uncircumcised H6189 hearts H3824 be humbled, H3665 and they then accept H7521 of the punishment of their iniquity: H5771 Then will I remember H2142 my covenant H1285 with Jacob, H3290 and also my covenant H1285 with Isaac, H3327 and also my covenant H1285 with Abraham H85 will I remember; H2142 and I will remember H2142 the land. H776
And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 said H559 unto the LORD, H3068 We have sinned: H2398 do H6213 thou unto us whatsoever seemeth H5869 good H2896 unto thee; deliver H5337 us only, we pray thee, this day. H3117 And they put away H5493 the strange H5236 gods H430 from among H7130 them, and served H5647 the LORD: H3068 and his soul H5315 was grieved H7114 for the misery H5999 of Israel. H3478
And the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came to Elijah H452 the Tishbite, H8664 saying, H559 Seest H7200 thou how Ahab H256 humbleth H3665 himself before H6440 me? because H3282 he humbleth H3665 himself before H6440 me, I will not bring H935 the evil H7451 in his days: H3117 but in his son's H1121 days H3117 will I bring H935 the evil H7451 upon his house. H1004
And Jehoahaz H3059 besought H2470 the LORD, H3068 and the LORD H3068 hearkened H8085 unto H6440 him: for he saw H7200 the oppression H3906 of Israel, H3478 because the king H4428 of Syria H758 oppressed H3905 them. (And the LORD H3068 gave H5414 Israel H3478 a saviour, H3467 so that they went out H3318 from under the hand H3027 of the Syrians: H758 and the children H1121 of Israel H3478 dwelt H3427 in their tents, H168 as beforetime. H8032 H8543 Nevertheless they departed H5493 not from the sins H2403 of the house H1004 of Jeroboam, H3379 who made Israel H3478 sin, H2398 but walked H1980 therein: and there remained H5975 the grove H842 also in Samaria.) H8111 Neither did he leave H7604 of the people H5971 to Jehoahaz H3059 but fifty H2572 horsemen, H6571 and ten H6235 chariots, H7393 and ten H6235 thousand H505 footmen; H7273 for the king H4428 of Syria H758 had destroyed H6 them, and had made H7760 them like the dust H6083 by threshing. H1758
The LORD H3068 repented H5162 for this: This also shall not be, saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD. H3069 Thus he shewed H7200 me: and, behold, the Lord H136 stood H5324 upon a wall H2346 made by a plumbline, H594 with a plumbline H594 in his hand. H3027 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto me, Amos, H5986 what seest H7200 thou? And I said, H559 A plumbline. H594 Then said H559 the Lord, H136 Behold, I will set H7760 a plumbline H594 in the midst H7130 of my people H5971 Israel: H3478 I will not again H3254 pass by H5674 them any more:
I will arise G450 and go G4198 to G4314 my G3450 father, G3962 and G2532 will say G2046 unto him, G846 Father, G3962 I have sinned G264 against G1519 heaven, G3772 and G2532 before G1799 thee, G4675 And G2532 am G1510 no more G3765 worthy G514 to be called G2564 thy G4675 son: G5207 make G4160 me G3165 as G5613 one G1520 of thy G4675 hired servants. G3407 And G2532 he arose, G450 and came G2064 to G4314 his G1438 father. G3962 But G1161 when he G846 was yet G2089 a great way G3112 off, G568 his G846 father G3962 saw G1492 him, G846 and G2532 had compassion, G4697 and G2532 ran, G5143 and fell G1968 on G1909 his G846 neck, G5137 and G2532 kissed G2705 him. G846 And G1161 the son G5207 said G2036 unto him, G846 Father, G3962 I have sinned G264 against G1519 heaven, G3772 and G2532 in G1799 thy G4675 sight, G1799 and G2532 am G1510 no more G3765 worthy G514 to be called G2564 thy G4675 son. G5207
And G2532 the first G4413 went, G565 and G2532 poured out G1632 his G846 vial G5357 upon G1909 the earth; G1093 and G2532 there fell G1096 a noisome G2556 and G2532 grievous G4190 sore G1668 upon G1519 the men G444 which G3588 had G2192 the mark G5480 of the beast, G2342 and G2532 upon them which worshipped G4352 his G846 image. G1504 And G2532 the second G1208 angel G32 poured out G1632 his G846 vial G5357 upon G1519 the sea; G2281 and G2532 it became G1096 as G5613 the blood G129 of a dead G3498 man: and G2532 every G3956 living G2198 soul G5590 died G599 in G1722 the sea. G2281 And G2532 the third G5154 angel G32 poured out G1632 his G846 vial G5357 upon G1519 the rivers G4215 and G2532 G1519 fountains G4077 of waters; G5204 and G2532 they became G1096 blood. G129 And G2532 I heard G191 the angel G32 of the waters G5204 say, G3004 Thou art G1488 righteous, G1342 O Lord, G2962 which G3588 art, G5607 and G2532 wast, G2258 and G2532 shalt be, G3741 G3801 because G3754 thou hast judged G2919 thus. G5023 For G3754 they have shed G1632 the blood G129 of saints G40 and G2532 prophets, G4396 and G2532 thou hast given G1325 them G846 blood G129 to drink; G4095 for G1063 they are G1526 worthy. G514 And G2532 I heard G191 another G243 out of G1537 the altar G2379 say, G3004 Even so, G3483 Lord G2962 God G2316 Almighty, G3841 true G228 and G2532 righteous G1342 are thy G4675 judgments. G2920 And G2532 the fourth G5067 angel G32 poured out G1632 his G846 vial G5357 upon G1909 the sun; G2246 and G2532 power was given G1325 unto him G846 to scorch G2739 men G444 with G1722 fire. G4442 And G2532 men G444 were scorched G2739 with great G3173 heat, G2738 and G2532 blasphemed G987 the name G3686 of God, G2316 which G3588 hath G2192 power G1849 over G1909 these G5025 plagues: G4127 and G2532 they repented G3340 not G3756 to give G1325 him G846 glory. G1391 And G2532 the fifth G3991 angel G32 poured out G1632 his G846 vial G5357 upon G1909 the seat G2362 of the beast; G2342 and G2532 his G846 kingdom G932 was G1096 full of darkness; G4656 and G2532 they gnawed G3145 their G846 tongues G1100 for G1537 pain, G4192 And G2532 blasphemed G987 the God G2316 of heaven G3772 because of G1537 their G846 pains G4192 and G2532 G1537 their G846 sores, G1668 and G2532 repented G3340 not G3756 of G1537 their G846 deeds. G2041 And G2532 the sixth G1623 angel G32 poured out G1632 his G846 vial G5357 upon G1909 the great G3173 river G4215 Euphrates; G2166 and G2532 the water G5204 thereof G846 was dried up, G3583 that G2443 the way G3598 of the kings G935 of G575 the east G395 G2246 might be prepared. G2090 And G2532 I saw G1492 three G5140 unclean G169 spirits G4151 like G3664 frogs G944 come out of G1537 the mouth G4750 of the dragon, G1404 and G2532 out of G1537 the mouth G4750 of the beast, G2342 and G2532 out of G1537 the mouth G4750 of the false prophet. G5578 For G1063 they are G1526 the spirits G4151 of devils, G1142 working G4160 miracles, G4592 which go forth G1607 G3739 G1607 unto G1909 the kings G935 of the earth G1093 and G2532 of the whole G3650 world, G3625 to gather G4863 them G846 to G1519 the battle G4171 of that G1565 great G3173 day G2250 of God G2316 Almighty. G3841 Behold, G2400 I come G2064 as G5613 a thief. G2812 Blessed G3107 is he that watcheth, G1127 and G2532 keepeth G5083 his G846 garments, G2440 lest G3363 he walk G4043 naked, G1131 and G2532 they see G991 his G846 shame. G808 And G2532 he gathered G4863 them G846 together G4863 into G1519 a place G5117 called G2564 in the Hebrew tongue G1447 Armageddon. G717 And G2532 the seventh G1442 angel G32 poured out G1632 his G846 vial G5357 into G1519 the air; G109 and G2532 there came G1831 a great G3173 voice G5456 out of G575 the temple G3485 of heaven, G3772 from G575 the throne, G2362 saying, G3004 It is done. G1096
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).