2 Cronache 13:7

7 e della gente da nulla, degli uomini perversi, si son raccolti attorno a lui, e si son fatti forti contro Roboamo, figliuolo di Salomone, allorché Roboamo era giovane, e timido di cuore, e non potea tener loro fronte.

2 Cronache 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

2 Cronache 13:7 In-Context

5 Non dovreste voi sapere che l’Eterno, l’Iddio d’Israele, ha dato per sempre il regno sopra Israele a Davide, a Davide ed ai suoi figliuoli, con un patto inviolabile?

6 Eppure, Geroboamo, figliuolo di Nebat, servo di Salomone, figliuolo di Davide, s’è levato, e s’è ribellato contro il suo signore;

7 e della gente da nulla, degli uomini perversi, si son raccolti attorno a lui, e si son fatti forti contro Roboamo, figliuolo di Salomone, allorché Roboamo era giovane, e timido di cuore, e non potea tener loro fronte.

8 E ora voi credete di poter tener fronte al regno dell’Eterno, ch’è nelle mani dei figliuoli di Davide; e siete una gran moltitudine, e avete con voi i vitelli d’oro che Geroboamo vi ha fatti per vostri dèi.

9 Non avete voi cacciati i sacerdoti dell’Eterno, i figliuoli d’Aaronne ed i Leviti? e non vi siete voi fatti de’ sacerdoti al modo de’ popoli d’altri paesi? Chiunque è venuto con un giovenco e con sette montoni per esser consacrato, e diventato sacerdote di quelli che non sono dèi.