2 Chronicles 13:12
in 2 Chronicles 13Now 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And, behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against Jehovah, the God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.
KJV
And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 13
Commentary
6 notes on this verseGod himself is with us - Ye have golden calves; we have the living and omnipotent Jehovah. With - trumpets to cry alarm against you - This was appalling: When the priests sound their trumpets, it will be a proof that the vengeance of the Lord shall speedily descend upon you.
This site's exposition
God himself is with us for our captain
Abijah's climax names God himself is with us for our captain and the priests with sounding trumpets as Judah's actual weapons, a claim the rest of the chapter makes good within the hour. The appeal, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers, for ye shall not prosper, still holds out peace, Wesley notes, treason against Jeroboam already charged and now war against Israel's own covenant God laid beside it. Jeroboam gives no recorded answer; the narrative moves straight to what he does instead.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Trumpets - Upon the sounding whereof God hath solemnly promised to assist his people, Num. x, 9. The Lord - You have not only us for your enemies, but God, even the God whom your fathers served. It is folly to fight against the God of almighty power: but it is treachery and base ingratitude, to fight against your father's God.
It is folly to fight against the God of almighty power; but it is treachery and base ingratitude to fight against your fathers' God, and you cannot expect to prosper." Jeroboam Defeated by Abijah. 13 But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
And, behold, God himself is with us for our Captain,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Abijah stood up upon Mount Zemaraim--He had entered the enemy's territory and was encamped on an eminence near Beth-el (Jos 18:22). Jeroboam's army lay at the foot of the hill, and as a pitched battle was expected, Abijah, according to the singular usage of ancient times, harangued the enemy.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהִנֵּה֩ | vehineh | and here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| עִמָּ֨נוּ | ʾimanu | [is] with us | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| בָרֹ֜אשׁ | varosh | at the head | H7218 → | 599 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֧ים׀ | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְכֹהֲנָ֛יו | vekhohanav | and priests his | H3548 → | 750 times |
| וַחֲצֹצְר֥וֹת | vachatzotzerot | and [the] trumpets of | H2689 → | 29 times |
| הַתְּרוּעָ֖ה | hateruah | the alarm | H8643 → | |
| לְהָרִ֣יעַ | leharia' | to sound [the] battle signal | H7321 → | 44 times |
| עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם | ʾaleikhem | on you | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | O people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּלָּֽחֲמ֛וּ | tilachamu | you do battle | H3898 → | 177 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| יְהוָ֥ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵֽי־ | ʾelohei- | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖ם | ʾavoteikhem | ancestors your | H1 → | 1212 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תַצְלִֽיחוּ׃ | tatzlichu | you will succeed | H6743 → | 65 times |
וְהִנֵּה֩and here!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
עִמָּ֨נוּ[is] with us
ʾimanuH5973 →1050 times
בָרֹ֜אשׁat the head
varoshH7218 →599 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֧ים׀<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
וְכֹהֲנָ֛יוand priests his
vekhohanavH3548 →750 times
וַחֲצֹצְר֥וֹתand [the] trumpets of
vachatzotzerotH2689 →29 times
הַתְּרוּעָ֖הthe alarm
hateruahH8643 →
לְהָרִ֣יעַto sound [the] battle signal
leharia'H7321 →44 times
עֲלֵיכֶ֑םon you
ʾaleikhemH5921 →5755 times
בְּנֵ֣יO people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תִּלָּֽחֲמ֛וּyou do battle
tilachamuH3898 →177 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
יְהוָ֥הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵֽי־[the] God of
ʾelohei-H430 →2601 times
אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖םancestors your
ʾavoteikhemH1 →1212 times
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תַצְלִֽיחוּ׃you will succeed
tatzlichuH6743 →65 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
Romans 8:31What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
it leads to
- Psalms 118:6
The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
- Jeremiah 1:19
They will fight against you but will never overcome you, since I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
- Psalms 56:11
in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
- 1 John 4:4
You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
- Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the…
- Psalms 118:6
Through
Acts 5:39But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.”
it leads to
- Proverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.
- Isaiah 46:10
I declare the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’
- Matthew 16:18
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
- Proverbs 21:30
About 2 Chronicles
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.