2 Chronicles 13:7

7 There were gathered to him worthless men, base fellows, who strengthened themselves against Rechav`am the son of Shlomo, when Rechav`am was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them.

2 Chronicles 13:7 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 13:7

And there are gathered unto him vain men
Void of the fear of God, and all that is good:

the children of Belial:
men unprofitable, good for nothing, or that had cast off the yoke of the law of God, were lawless and abandoned persons:

And have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon:
rejected his government of them; went into a strong opposition to him, and set up another king over them:

when Rehoboam was young and tender hearted, and could not withstand
them;
not that he was young in years, for he was forty one years of age when he began to reign; though Joshua is called a young man when he is supposed to be between fifty and sixty years of age ( Exodus 33:11 ) , and though "adolescentia" and "juventus" are both used in Latin writers for "youth", yet Varro F17 distinguishes them, and makes the former to begin at the year fifteen, and continue to the year thirty, and the latter to begin at thirty, and end at forty five; so that, according to this, Rehoboam was then in his stage of youth; but perhaps the meaning here is, that he was young in the kingdom, scarcely settled on his throne, and the advantage of that was taken; not was he cowardly and fearful; and if Abijah meant that by "tender heartedness", he not only reproached but belied his father; for he would have fought with Israel in order to have reduced them to obedience, but was forbidden by the Lord; if by "tender hearted", he means that he had a tender regard to the command of God, it is true; but that seems not to be his sense, but the former.


FOOTNOTES:

F17 Apud Stockim in voce (ren) , p. 688.

2 Chronicles 13:7 In-Context

5 Ought you not to know that the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, gave the kingdom over Yisra'el to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?
6 Yet Yarov`am the son of Nevat, the servant of Shlomo the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord.
7 There were gathered to him worthless men, base fellows, who strengthened themselves against Rechav`am the son of Shlomo, when Rechav`am was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them.
8 Now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Yarov`am made you for gods.
9 Haven't you driven out the Kohanim of the LORD, the sons of Aharon, and the Levites, and made you Kohanim after the manner of the peoples of [other] lands? so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, the same may be a Kohen of [those who are] no gods.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.