Bible Commentaries

2 Chronicles 12:1 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.

Ver. 1. When Rehoboam had established the kingdom.] For the first three years of his reign, when the rent was but newly made, and he might well fear the loss of his kingdom, he seemed to have some goodness in him; but when he saw himself settled, he revolted from the Lord.

“ Luxuriant animi rebus plerunque secundis:

Nec facile est aequa commoda mente pati. ”

And all Israel with him.] Israel is here, and 2 Chronicles 12:6, put and meant for Judah.

2 Chronicles 12:2 And it came to pass, [that] in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD,

Ver. 2. In the fifth year of Rehoboam.] In his fourth year they fell from God’s service to idolatry, and did evil as they could. Had they taken away the idol temple set up by Solomon - as Zisca in Bohemia, and Cromwell here, did the monasteries, they had not likely so soon and so much corrupted themselves. But herein also Manasseh was to blame; and Constantine the Great, in that he only shut up the idol temples, and destroyed them not, which Julian the apostate did soon after set open again.

Shishak king of Egypt.] See on 1 Kings 14:25.

Came up against Jerusalem,] Which when he had taken, he went on to other parts, and subdued all Asia, say Herodotus and Siculus.

Because they had transgressed against the Lord.] See 1 Kings 14:22-24. Shishak probably was stirred up by Jeroboam who had lived in the court of Egypt, and married a wife there of the blood-royal, as some say - to invade Rehoboam’s country: but this he could not have done, had they not prevaricated against the Lord.

2 Chronicles 12:3 With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people [were] without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.

Ver. 3. The Lubims.] Or, Lybians. [Nahum 3:9]

The Sukkiims.] Or, Scenites, such as dwelt in tents. The same are called Nomades and Troglodytes, of whom Mela ^(a) saith that they were Nullarum opum domini, strident potius quam loquunur, specus subeunt, alunturque serpentibus, beggarly, barbarous, savage people, all which made against the Jews, but for the fulfilling of God’s threatenings. [Deuteronomy 28:15-68]

2 Chronicles 12:4 And he took the fenced cities which [pertained] to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.

Ver. 4. And he took the fenced cities.] There is no fence against God; no shielding ourselves against his fire. The Turks do so in Hungary and other parts of Christendom for the punishment of Popish artolatry and other abominations.

2 Chronicles 12:5 Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and [to] the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.

Ver. 5. Then came Shemaiah the prophet.] See 1 Kings 12:12. This was a great mercy that a prophet was sent unto them to exhort them to repentance, and to prescribe them a course.

Because of Sishak.] Who was but the vial through whose hands God poured out his wrath. [2 Chronicles 12:7]

2 Chronicles 12:6 Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The LORD [is] righteous.

Ver. 6. Whereupon the princes of Israel.] That is, Of Judah, as 2 Chronicles 12:1.

And the king humbled themselves.] But feignedly and forcedly, {see 2 Chronicles 12:14} as was that of Pharaoh and Ahab.

2 Chronicles 12:7 And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; [therefore] I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

Ver. 7. They have humbled themselves, &c.] After a sort they had. Now if the leaves of this tree of humiliation be so sovereign, what are the fruits? If the shadow so effectual, what the substance?

But I will grant them some deliverance.] Or, A little deliverance. So gracious is the Lord, and liberal to all.

And my wrath shall not be poured out.] See on 2 Chronicles 12:5. "In the midst of judgment he remembereth mercy": and suffereth not his whole wrath to arise against sinners, lest they should be utterly taken away by that tempest.

2 Chronicles 12:8 Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

Ver. 8. That they may know my service.] Know by woeful experience, the worth of my work and wages by the want thereof, and the contrary miseries. They that serve not God with cheerfulness "in the abundance of all things, shall serve their enemies" another while "in want of all." [Deuteronomy 28:47-48]

2 Chronicles 12:9 So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

Ver. 9. So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem.] Josephus saith he marched into it, and plundered it. But it is more likely that he compounded with Rehoboam for a great sum, as Sennacherib did with Hezekiah, [2 Kings 18:14-15] and upon this account had the treasures and golden shields.

2 Chronicles 12:10 Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed [them] to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king’s house.

Ver. 10. Instead of which, &c.] See on 1 Kings 14:27.

2 Chronicles 12:11 And when the king entered into the house of the LORD, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber.

Ver. 11. And when the king entered into the house of the Lord.] He went no more - for a while at least - to the high places.

“ παθων δε τε νηπιος εγνω.”

The guard came and fetched them.] Either to secure his person, who might be in danger of his life from discontented persons, by reason of the late great loss, or at least that he might not be altogether slighted by his people. See 1 Kings 14:28.

2 Chronicles 12:12 And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the LORD turned from him, that he would not destroy [him] altogether: and also in Judah things went well.

Ver. 12. And also in Judah things went well.] Or, And yet in Judah there were good things; many in whom good things were found, as 1 Kings 14:13, and many good things - as ordinances, sacrifices, &c. found among those good persons. Semen sanctum statumen terrae [Isaiah 6:10] though all in a manner had corrupted themselves, as it is in 2 Chronicles 12:1 of this chapter. Tremellius rendereth it, Etiamque erga Iehudam usus est verbis bonis. Also he comforted Judah with good words.

2 Chronicles 12:13 So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam [was] one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother’s name [was] Naamah an Ammonitess.

Ver. 13. For Rehoboam was one and forty years old.] See 1 Kings 14:21.

2 Chronicles 12:14 And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.

Ver. 14. Because he prepared not.] Some good resolutions he had, but they were flashy and fleeting: he drew them not into execution, but was soon off all again; his quicksilver was not fixed. See 2 Chronicles 12:6.

2 Chronicles 12:15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, [are] they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And [there were] wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

Ver. 15. In the book of Shemaiah the prophet.] Not now extant; though God, if he had pleased, could as well have preserved those books, for the use of his Church, as he did the holy vessels of the temple from the spoil of Shishak.

And of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies.] Or, Pedigrees, or histories. This book is called Midrath, or a Commentary, [2 Chronicles 13:22] Story, or Chronicle.

2 Chronicles 12:16 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.

Ver. 16. And was buried in the city of David.] Burial of the dead is neither to be altogether slighted, as it was by the Cynics, nor to be performed with too much pomp and cost. Of Charles IX, king of France, what excessive honour was done him after his death, see the note on 2 Chronicles 16:14. Cyrus, that great king of Persia, charged his sons and friends upon his deathbed, not to wrap his body in gold or silver, but without any sumptuous ceremonies to lay him in his grave, and to cover him with earth: ^(a) which, saith Cicero, ^(b) was antiquissimum genus sepulturae, the most ancient kind of burying the dead.