2 Chronicles 13:5

5 Do you not know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt ^[a]?

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 went into battle with an army of 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in formation against him with 800,000 chosen and mighty men of valor.

4 Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel!

5 Do you not know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt ?

6 Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master.

7 Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperienced, and unable to resist them.

Footnotes

• [a] That is, a perpetual covenant