2 Chronicles 12:8

8 Nevertheless they shall be his servants, so that they may know the difference between serving me and serving the kingdoms of other lands."

2 Chronicles 12:8 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 12:8

Nevertheless, they shall be his servants
tributaries to the king of Egypt:

that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the
countries;
the difference between them, how easy the one, which they might perform without taxes and tributes, and how hard and heavy the other, through the exactions and exorbitant demands of those to whom they became subjects.

2 Chronicles 12:8 In-Context

6 Then the officers of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The Lord is in the right."
7 When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying: "They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
8 Nevertheless they shall be his servants, so that they may know the difference between serving me and serving the kingdoms of other lands."
9 So King Shishak of Egypt came up against Jerusalem; he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house; he took everything. He also took away the shields of gold that Solomon had made;
10 but King Rehoboam made in place of them shields of bronze, and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king's house.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.