2 Chronicles 11:16
in 2 Chronicles 11Those 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And after them, out of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seek Jehovah, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice unto Jehovah, the God of their fathers.
KJV
And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the Lord God of their fathers.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 11
Commentary
5 notes on this verseSuch as set their hearts to seek the Lord - All the truly pious joined him out of every tribe, and the whole tribe of Levi, being deprived of their functions, joined him also. Thus he had Judah, Benjamin, and Levi, and probably a part of Simeon; for he had Etam, which was in that tribe, and the truly religious out of all the other tribes, for they could not bear Jeroboam’s idolatry.
This site's exposition
set their hearts to seek
on 2 Chronicles 11:16-17
Seeking is the verb Chronicles uses from 1 Chronicles 16:10-11 to 15:2, “If you seek Him, He will be found by you”. They strengthen Judah for three years, and Barnes marks the count: the fourth year brings Rehoboam's apostasy at 12:1 and the fifth brings Shishak.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And after them out of all the tribes of Israel,....
Note, (1.) That is best for us which is best for our souls; and, in all our choices, advantages for religion must take place of all outward conveniences. (2.) Where God's faithful priests are his faithful people should be.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The priests and Levites, refusing to take part in the idolatrous ceremonies, were ejected from their living [2Ch 11:13, 14]. Along with them a large body of the people who faithfully adhered to the instituted worship of God, offended and shocked by the impious innovations, departed from the kingdom.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
priests for the high places i.e., Why did Jeroboam coerce them to abandon [their positions]? Because he stationed pagan priests for the satyrs.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאַחֲרֵיהֶ֗ם | veachareihem | and after them | H310 → | 715 times |
| מִכֹּל֙ | mikol | from all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שִׁבְטֵ֣י | shivtei | [the] tribes of | H7626 → | 190 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| הַנֹּֽתְנִים֙ | hanotenim | those [who] set | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְבָבָ֔ם | levavam | heart their | H3824 → | 252 times |
| לְבַקֵּ֕שׁ | levakesh | to seek | H1245 → | 225 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| בָּ֚אוּ | bau | they came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם | yerushalim | Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| לִזְבּ֕וֹחַ | lizboach | to sacrifice | H2076 → | 134 times |
| לַיהוָ֖ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֥י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ | ʾavoteihem | ancestors their | H1 → | 1212 times |
וְאַחֲרֵיהֶ֗םand after them
veachareihemH310 →715 times
מִכֹּל֙from all
mikolH3605 →5413 times
שִׁבְטֵ֣י[the] tribes of
shivteiH7626 →190 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
הַנֹּֽתְנִים֙those [who] set
hanotenimH5414 →2011 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
לְבָבָ֔םheart their
levavamH3824 →252 times
לְבַקֵּ֕שׁto seek
levakeshH1245 →225 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
בָּ֚אוּthey came
bauH935 →2568 times
יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔םJerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
לִזְבּ֕וֹחַto sacrifice
lizboachH2076 →134 times
לַיהוָ֖הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֥י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
אֲבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ancestors their
ʾavoteihemH1 →1212 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 108:1My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my being.
it leads to
- Psalms 57:7–11
My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and make music.
- Psalms 145:21
My mouth will declare the praise of the LORD; let every creature bless His holy name forever and ever.
- Psalms 104:33
I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
- Psalms 71:15
My mouth will declare Your righteousness and Your salvation all day long, though I cannot know their full measure.
- Psalms 68:1
God arises. His enemies are scattered, and those who hate Him flee His presence.
- Psalms 57:7–11
Through
Daniel 6:14As soon as the king heard this, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel, and he labored until sundown to rescue him.
it leads to
- Mark 6:26
The king was consumed with sorrow, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her.
- Mark 6:26
Through
Hosea 4:8They feed on the sins of My people and set their hearts on iniquity.
it leads to
- Isaiah 56:11
Like ravenous dogs, they are never satisfied. They are shepherds with no discernment; they all turn to their own way, each one seeking his own gain:
- Micah 3:11
Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster…
- Isaiah 56:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 2 Chronicles
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.