2 Chronicles 13:5

5 You should know that the Lord, the God of Israel, gave David and his sons the right to rule Israel forever by an agreement of salt.

2 Chronicles 13:5 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 13:5

Ought you not to know
They did know what he afterwards says, but he would have them consider and acknowledge it:

that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for
ever;
to him and his seed, particularly to the Messiah, that should spring from him; but whether Abijah had this in view is a question, see ( 2 Samuel 7:13 2 Samuel 7:16 )

even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?
that is, a perpetual one, which was inviolable, and never to be made void; called so, because salt preserves from corruption and putrefaction, and because made use of in sacrifices offered when covenants were made; the Targum is,

``as salt waters, which never lose their saltness.''

2 Chronicles 13:5 In-Context

3 Abijah led an army of four hundred thousand capable soldiers into battle, and Jeroboam prepared to fight him with eight hundred thousand capable soldiers.

4 Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the mountains of Ephraim and said, "Jeroboam and all Israel, listen to me!

5 You should know that the Lord, the God of Israel, gave David and his sons the right to rule Israel forever by an agreement of salt.

6 But Jeroboam son of Nebat, one of the officers of Solomon, David's son, turned against his master.

7 Then worthless, evil men joined Jeroboam against Rehoboam, Solomon's son. He was young and didn't know what to do, so he could not stop them.