2 Chronicles 13:7

7 And most vain men, the sons of Belial, were gathered together to him, and they had might against Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. Certainly Rehoboam was boistous, either fond/or untaught, and of fearedful heart, and might not against-stand them (and could not stand against 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

2 Chronicles 13:7 In-Context

5 whether ye know not, that the Lord God of Israel gave to David the realm on Israel without end, to him and to his sons into the covenant of salt, that is, steadfast and stable? (do ye not know that the Lord God of Israel gave David the kingdom of Israel forevermore, yea, to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?)

6 And now Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon, the son of David, hath risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord.

7 And most vain men, the sons of Belial, were gathered together to him, and they had might against Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. Certainly Rehoboam was boistous, either fond/or untaught, and of fearedful heart, and might not against-stand them (and could not stand against them).

8 Now therefore ye say, that ye be able to against-stand the realm of the Lord, that he holdeth in possession by the sons of David; and ye have a great multitude of people, and ye have golden calves, which Jeroboam made into gods to you. (And so now ye say, that ye be able to stand against the kingdom of the Lord, that he gave to the sons of David to have in possession; and ye have a great multitude of people, and ye have gold calves, which Jeroboam made to be your gods.)

9 And ye have cast away the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the deacons, and ye have made priests to you, as all the peoples of (other) lands have priests; whoever cometh and halloweth his hand in a bull, in oxes, and in seven wethers, anon he is made priest of them that be not gods. (And ye have thrown away the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and ye have made priests for yourselves, like all the peoples of other lands have; so that whoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bull, and with seven rams, he at once is made a priest of them that be not gods.)