2 Chronicles 12:14
in 2 Chronicles 12And Rehoboam did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he did that which was evil, because he set not his heart to seek Jehovah.
KJV
And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 12
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd he did evil,.... Committed idolatry, relapsed into that, his humiliation not being hearty and sincere: because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord; by prayer and supplication, and by an attendance on the service and worship of God; for though he did these things outwardly, yet not sincerely and heartily; he did not engage in them seriously and in good earnest, with affection and fervour.
This site's exposition
he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord
The epitaph is one clause and it answers 11:16's opening: he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord. The verb is the same one Chronicles used for the immigrants who set their hearts to seek the Lord three years into this reign, so a man who forsook the law at verse 1 and repented under a prophet's word at verse 6 dies unable to say he had ever fixed his heart on the search itself. The book applies the identical test to every king that follows, Asa, Jehoshaphat and Uzziah among them, and Rehoboam is the first name it is written against.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Israel was very much disgraced and weakened by being divided into two kingdoms; yet the kingdom of Judah, having both the temple and the royal city, both the house of David and the house of Aaron, might have done very well if they had continued in the way of their duty; but here we have all out of order there.
(2.) He made nothing of his religion because he did not set his heart to it, never minded it with any closeness of application, and never any hearty disposition to it, nor ever came up to a steady resolution in it. What little goodness he had was transient and passed away like the morning cloud. He did evil because he was never determined for that which is good.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2749: “Rehoboam the Unready” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
You have probably noticed that, as a general rule, the sacred historians, at the end of each king's reign, sum up the character of the monarch and describe him as either doing evil in the sight of the Lord or doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord.
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2749: “Rehoboam the Unready” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
You have probably noticed that, as a general rule, the sacred historians, at the end of each king's reign, sum up the character of the monarch and describe him as either doing evil in the sight of the Lord or doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord. They give a summary of his whole life in one or other of these sentences—and there will come a day when there will be a summary of your life, and mine—and when it is given, it will run on this wise, "He did evil in the sight of the Lord," or else on this blessed fashion, "He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord." There is no other course beside these two! These characteristics comprehend all of us and the summary given in our case, as it was in the case of Rehoboam, will be given with great accuracy. It will be Infallible and it will be irreversible. This man Reho-boam was not half as bad as some other kings, still, the Inspired historian was compelled to say, "He did evil." He was not such an obstinate and outrageous sinner as some were. He was not an Ahab. He was not even a Manasseh—he did not live as that king did in his evil time, yet, "he did evil." That is the summary of his whole career. There were some good points about him, as I shall try to show you presently. He sometimes did good, still, when it is all added up, this is the total of it, "he did evil." And the reason why he did evil is given. One reason, I should think, was that he had a bad mother. Observe how it is written, just before the summary of his life, "His mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess"—one of Solomon's numerous wives—one whom he favored most of all.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He prepared not his heart ... - See the margin. Rehoboam’s sin was want of earnestness and consistency.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem And he explains why, because when he was first made king, he was forty-one years old; therefore, he had the strength and the power to strengthen himself.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
in the words of Shemaiah the prophet Every prophet would write his book, containing that which he prophesied, and this is the Shemaiah who was mentioned above (11:2,:5).
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. 3 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
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֖עַשׂ | vaiyaas | and he did | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| הָרָ֑ע | hara' | <the> evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הֵכִין֙ | hekhin | he had directed | H3559 → | 217 times |
| לִבּ֔וֹ | libo | heart his | H3820 → | 595 times |
| לִדְר֖וֹשׁ | lidroosh | to seek | H1875 → | 164 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ ס | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וַיַּ֖עַשׂand he did
vaiyaasH6213 →2628 times
הָרָ֑ע<the> evil
hara'H7451 →662 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
הֵכִין֙he had directed
hekhinH3559 →217 times
לִבּ֔וֹheart his
liboH3820 →595 times
לִדְר֖וֹשׁto seek
lidrooshH1875 →164 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָֽה׃ סYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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
1 Corinthians 15:58Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
it leads to
- Galatians 6:9
Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
- 2 Chronicles 15:7
But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded.”
- Hebrews 6:10
For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.
- Philippians 2:16
as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
- 1 Corinthians 3:8
He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.
- Galatians 6:9
Through
Isaiah 45:19I have not spoken in secret, from a place in a land of darkness. I did not say to the descendants of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in a wasteland.’ I, the LORD, speak the truth;…
it leads to
- Isaiah 48:16
Come near to Me and listen to this: From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time it happened, I was there.” And now the Lord GOD has sent me, accompanied…
- Isaiah 48:16
Through
Ezekiel 33:31So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest…
it leads to
- Matthew 13:22
The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
- Psalms 78:36–37
But they deceived Him with their mouths, and lied to Him with their tongues.
- Matthew 13:22
About 2 Chronicles
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2749: “Rehoboam the Unready” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.