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2 Chronicles

2 Chronicleschapter 13

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A.Abijah on Mount Zemaraim: God Himself is with us as captainvv. 1-12

1 In the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign, Abijah became king of Judah, 2 and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel; she was from Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah went into battle with an army of 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in formation against him with 800,000 chosen and mighty men of valor. 4 Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! 5 Do you not know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt? 6 Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master. 7 Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperienced, and unable to resist them. 8 And now you think you can resist the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David’s descendants. You are indeed a vast army, and you have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods. 9 But did you not drive out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites? And did you not make priests for yourselves as do the peoples of other lands? Now whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of things that are not gods. 10 But as for us, the LORD is our God. We have not forsaken Him; the priests who minister to the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties. 11 Every morning and every evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the rows of showbread on the ceremonially clean table, and every evening they light the lamps of the gold lampstand. We are carrying out the requirements of the LORD our God, while you have forsaken Him. 12 Now behold, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with their trumpets sound the battle call against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”

B.Ambushed, they cry to the LORD, and Jeroboam is struck downvv. 13-20

13 Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to ambush from the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah, the ambush was behind them. 14 When Judah turned and discovered that the battle was both before and behind them, they cried out to the LORD. Then the priests blew the trumpets, 15 and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. And when they raised the cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 So the Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands. 17 Then Abijah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain. 18 Thus the Israelites were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers. 19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some cities from him: Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, along with their villages. 20 Jeroboam did not again recover his power during the days of Abijah, and the LORD struck him down and he died.

C.Abijah's household and the rest of his actsvv. 21-22

21 But Abijah grew strong, married fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22 Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, along with his ways and his words, are written in the Treatise of the Prophet Iddo.

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Chapter summary

Abijah stands on Mount Zemaraim and preaches to Jeroboam's army before the battle: the Chronicler's clearest statement of what the southern kingdom claims.

Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾

Abijah stands on Mount Zemaraim and preaches to Jeroboam's army before the battle: the Chronicler's clearest statement of what the southern kingdom claims. Jehovah gave the kingdom to David and his sons by a covenant of salt; Jeroboam's priests are anyone who comes with a bullock and seven rams, while in Jerusalem the sons of Aaron burn incense morning and evening and the lampstand is lit. 'As for us, Jehovah is our God, and we have not forsaken him… O children of Israel, fight ye not against Jehovah, the God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.' The ambush closes behind Judah; the priests sound the trumpets, the men shout, and Judah prevails 'because they relied upon Jehovah, the God of their fathers.'

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Ezra — 2 Chronicles overview

  • A. 1–12 Abijah on Mount Zemaraim: God Himself is with us as captain
  • B. 13–20 Ambushed, they cry to the LORD, and Jeroboam is struck down
  • C. 21–22 Abijah's household and the rest of his acts
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
  • 2 Chronicles 115 verses
    • 2 Chronicles 11:1When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the house of Judah and Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—to fight against Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
    • 2 Chronicles 11:14For the Levites left their pasturelands and their possessions and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD.
    • 2 Chronicles 11:15And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made.
    • 2 Chronicles 11:16Those from every tribe of Israel who had set their hearts to seek the LORD their God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers.
    • 2 Chronicles 11:20After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
    • Read 2 Chronicles 11 →
  • 2 Chronicles 123 verses
    • 2 Chronicles 12:13Thus King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite.
    • 2 Chronicles 12:15Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the Prophet and of Iddo the Seer concerning the genealogies? There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout their days.
    • 2 Chronicles 12:16And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And his son Abijah reigned in his place.
    • Read 2 Chronicles 12 →
  • 1 Kings 153 verses
    • 1 Kings 15:1In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam became king of Judah,
    • 1 Kings 15:2and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
    • 1 Kings 15:6And there was war between the houses of Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of Abijam’s life.
    • Read 1 Kings 15 →
  • 1 Kings 123 verses
    • 1 Kings 12:20When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.
    • 1 Kings 12:27If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, their hearts will return to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah; then they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”
    • 1 Kings 12:28After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”
    • Read 1 Kings 12 →
4 more chapters this one speaks with
  • 2 Chronicles 142 verses
    • 2 Chronicles 14:11Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.”
    • 2 Chronicles 14:12So the LORD struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah, and the Cushites fled.
    • Read 2 Chronicles 14 →
  • 2 Chronicles 152 verses
    • 2 Chronicles 15:2So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.
    • 2 Chronicles 15:8When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage and removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD’s temple.
    • Read 2 Chronicles 15 →
  • Judges 92 verses
    • Judges 9:4So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired some worthless and reckless men to follow him.
    • Judges 9:7When this was reported to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and cried out: “Listen to me, O leaders of Shechem, and may God listen to you.
    • Read Judges 9 →
  • Numbers 182 verses
    • Numbers 18:1So the LORD said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father’s house must bear the iniquity involving the sanctuary. And you and your sons alone must bear the iniquity involving your priesthood.
    • Numbers 18:19All the holy offerings that the Israelites present to the LORD I give to you and to your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. It is a permanent covenant of salt before the LORD for you and your offspring.”
    • Read Numbers 18 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.