2 Chronicles 12:1
in 2 Chronicles 12After Rehoboam had established his sovereignty and royal power, he and all Israel with him forsook the Law of the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass, when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established, and he was strong, that he forsook the law of Jehovah, and all Israel with him.
KJV
And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.
⋯
This verse in 2 Chronicles 12
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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.
This site's exposition
he forsook the law of the Lord
The chapter opens on the verb the whole book measures every reign by, reversed: Rehoboam forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. Three years earlier 11:16-17 had the immigrants from the north setting their hearts to seek the Lord and Rehoboam walking in the way of David and Solomon; strength gained by seeking is lost by forsaking inside one chapter break. The epitaph Chronicles writes for this same king at 12:14 answers this opening verse directly.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
17 ), but it expired, and he grew remiss in the worship of God; in what instances we are not told, but he fell off, and Judah with him, here called Israel, because they walked in the evil ways into which Jeroboam had drawn the kingdom of Israel. Thus he did when he had established the kingdom and strengthened himself.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
) because they thought it a yoke to hard, too heavy, upon them. "Well," saith God, "let them better themselves if they can; let the neighbouring princes rule them awhile, since they are not willing that I should rule them, and let them try how they like that.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
He forsook the law of the Lord - This was after the three years mentioned 2Ch 11:17.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
All Israel with him - i. e., “all Judah and Benjamin” - all the Israelites of those two tribes.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֗י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כְּהָכִ֞ין | kehakhin | when established | H3559 → | 217 times |
| מַלְכ֤וּת | malkhut | [the] kingdom of | H4438 → | 91 times |
| רְחַבְעָם֙ | rechavam | Rehoboam | H7346 → | 50 times |
| וּכְחֶזְקָת֔וֹ | ukhechezkato | and according to strengthening his | H2393 → | |
| עָזַ֖ב | ʾazav | he forsook | H5800 → | 215 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| תּוֹרַ֣ת | torat | [the] law of | H8451 → | 219 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| עִמּֽוֹ׃ פ | imo | with him | H5973 → | 1050 times |
וַיְהִ֗יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
כְּהָכִ֞יןwhen established
kehakhinH3559 →217 times
מַלְכ֤וּת[the] kingdom of
malkhutH4438 →91 times
רְחַבְעָם֙Rehoboam
rechavamH7346 →50 times
וּכְחֶזְקָת֔וֹand according to strengthening his
ukhechezkatoH2393 →
עָזַ֖בhe forsook
ʾazavH5800 →215 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
תּוֹרַ֣ת[the] law of
toratH8451 →219 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
עִמּֽוֹ׃ פwith him
imoH5973 →1050 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
Deuteronomy 32:15But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked—becoming fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 31:20
When I have brought them into the land that I swore to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. Then they will turn to…
- Hosea 13:6
When they had pasture, they became satisfied; when they were satisfied, their hearts became proud, and as a result they forgot Me.
- Deuteronomy 33:5
So the LORD became King in Jeshurun when the leaders of the people gathered, when the tribes of Israel came together.
- 1 Samuel 2:29
Why then do you kick at My sacrifice and offering that I have prescribed for My dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than Me by fattening yourselves with the best of all…
- Psalms 89:26
He will call to Me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock of my salvation.’
- Deuteronomy 31:20
Through
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…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 14:21
Meanwhile, Rehoboam son of Solomon reigned in Judah. 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…
- 2 Chronicles 6:6
But now I have chosen Jerusalem for My Name to be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’
- Deuteronomy 12:5
Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.
- 1 Kings 14:21
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; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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.
