2 Chronicles 13:7
in 2 Chronicles 13Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperienced, and unable to resist them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And there were gathered unto him worthless men, base fellows, that strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them.
KJV
And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 13
Commentary
4 notes on this verseWhen Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted - Therefore he could not be forty-one when he came to the throne; see the note on 2Ch 13:3. Children of Belial here signifies men of the most abandoned principles and characters; or men without consideration, education, or brains.
This site's exposition
is risen up, and hath rebelled
on 2 Chronicles 13:6-7
Abijah names Jeroboam Solomon's servant before naming him king, Gill notes, a title chosen to shame a man he still calls a rebel against his lord. The charge against the men who backed Jeroboam, vain men, the children of Belial, falls on the moment Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted and could not withstand them, a phrase Clarke reads as evidence Rehoboam was younger at his accession than some had reckoned. Abijah's speech lays the schism on Jeroboam's opportunism and Rehoboam's inexperience together, not on any fault of Judah's own.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And there are gathered unto him vain men,....
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
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקָּבְצ֣וּ | vaiyikavetzu | and they gathered | H6908 → | 127 times |
| עָלָ֗יו | ʾalav | to him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֲנָשִׁ֤ים | ʾanashim | men | H582 → | 566 times |
| רֵקִים֙ | rekim | empty | H7386 → | |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| בְלִיַּ֔עַל | veliyaal | worthlessness | H1100 → | |
| וַיִּֽתְאַמְּצ֖וּ | vaiyitametzu | and they proved themselves strong | H553 → | 41 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רְחַבְעָ֣ם | rechavam | Rehoboam | H7346 → | 50 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| וּרְחַבְעָ֗ם | urechavam | and Rehoboam | H7346 → | 50 times |
| הָ֤יָה | hayah | he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| נַ֙עַר֙ | naar | a young man | H5288 → | |
| וְרַךְ־ | verakh- | and weak of | H7390 → | |
| לֵבָ֔ב | levav | heart | H3824 → | 252 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הִתְחַזַּ֖ק | hitchazak | he showed himself strong | H2388 → | 291 times |
| לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃ | lifneihem | <to> before them | H6440 → | 2123 times |
וַיִּקָּבְצ֣וּand they gathered
vaiyikavetzuH6908 →127 times
עָלָ֗יוto him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
אֲנָשִׁ֤יםmen
ʾanashimH582 →566 times
רֵקִים֙empty
rekimH7386 →
בְּנֵ֣יsons of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
בְלִיַּ֔עַלworthlessness
veliyaalH1100 →
וַיִּֽתְאַמְּצ֖וּand they proved themselves strong
vaiyitametzuH553 →41 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רְחַבְעָ֣םRehoboam
rechavamH7346 →50 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
שְׁלֹמֹ֑הSolomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
וּרְחַבְעָ֗םand Rehoboam
urechavamH7346 →50 times
הָ֤יָהhe was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
נַ֙עַר֙a young man
naarH5288 →
וְרַךְ־and weak of
verakh-H7390 →
לֵבָ֔בheart
levavH3824 →252 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
הִתְחַזַּ֖קhe showed himself strong
hitchazakH2388 →291 times
לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃<to> before them
lifneihemH6440 →2123 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 14:20Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:2
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
- 1 Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways.
- Romans 16:19
Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.
- Matthew 18:3
“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
- 1 Corinthians 2:6
Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.
- 1 Peter 2:2
Through
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.
it leads to
- Judges 8:33
And as soon as Gideon was dead, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals, and they set up Baal-berith as their god.
- Judges 8:33
Through
1 Kings 21:10But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
it leads to
- Exodus 22:28
You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
- Exodus 22:28
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…
- 1 Kings 14:21
About 2 Chronicles

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
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 and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).
