Bible Commentaries

IV. The History of the Kingdom of Judah Until Its Fall - 2 Chronicles 10-36.

After giving an account of the revolt of the ten tribes of Israel from thedivinely chosen royal house of David (2 Chronicles 10), the author of the Chroniclenarrates the history of the kingdom of Judah - to which he confines himself,to the exclusion of the history of the kingdom of the ten tribes - at muchgreater length than the author of the books of Kings has done. This latterportrays the development of both kingdoms, but treats only very brieflyof the history of the kingdom of Judah, especially under its first rulers,and characterizes the attitude of the kings and people of Judah to thekingdom of Israel and to the Lord only in the most general way. The author of the Chronicle, on the other hand, depicts the development of Judah under Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, and Jehoshaphat much more thoroughly, by communicating a considerable number of events which are omitted in the book of Kings. As we have already proved, the purpose of the chronicler was to show, according to the varying attitude of the kings of the house of David to the Lord and to His law, how, on the one hand, God rewarded the fidelity of the kings and of the people to His covenant with prosperity and blessing, and furnished to the kingdom of Judah, in war with its enemies, power which secured the victory; and how, on the other, He took vengeance for every revolt of the kings and people, and for every fall into idolatry and superstition, by humiliations and awful judgments. And more especially from the times of the godless kings Ahaz and Manasseh does our author do this, pointing out how God suffered the people to fall ever deeper into feebleness, and dependence upon the heathen world powers, until finally, when the efforts of the pious kings Hezekiah and Josiah to bring back the people, sunk as they were in idolatry and moral corruption, to the God of their fathers and to His service failed to bring about any permanent repentance and reformation, He cast forth Judah also from His presence, and gave over Jerusalem and the temple to destruction by the Chaldeans, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah to be led away into exile to Babylon.

This event is narrated in our chapter, except in so far as a fewunessential differences in form are concerned, exactly as we have it in 1 Kings 12:1-19; so that we may refer for the exposition of it to thecommentary on 1 Kings 12, where we have both treated the contents ofthis chapter, and have also discussed the deeper and more latent causes of this event, so important in its consequences.