2 Chronicles 12:1-12

Listen to 2 Chronicles 12:1-12

Shishak Raids Jerusalem

1 After Rehoboam had established his sovereignty and royal power, he and all Israel [a] with him forsook the Law of the LORD. 1
2 In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem
3 with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen, [b] and countless troops who came with him out of Egypt—Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites. [c]
4 He captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.
5 Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the LORD says: ‘You have forsaken Me; therefore, I have forsaken you into the hand of Shishak.’”
6 So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The LORD is righteous.”
7 When the LORD saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them, but will soon grant them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.
8 Nevertheless, they will become his servants, so that they may learn the difference between serving Me and serving the kings of other lands.”
9 So King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and seized the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the royal palace. He took everything, including the gold shields that Solomon had made.
10 Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place and committed them to the care of the captains of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.
11 And whenever the king entered the house of the LORD, the guards would go with him, bearing the shields, and later they would return them to the guardroom.
12 Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the anger of the LORD turned away from him, and He did not destroy him completely. Indeed, conditions were good in Judah.

2 Chronicles 12:1-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 12

Rehoboam and his people forsaking the law of the Lord, Shishak king of Egypt is allowed by God to invade his land, and take his fenced cities, 2Ch 12:1-4, upon which a prophet of the Lord was sent to him and his princes, to show them the reason of it; whereupon they humbled themselves, and the Lord was pleased not to allow the enemy utterly to destroy them, yet to reduce them to servitude, and take away their riches, 2Ch 12:5-12, and the chapter is closed with an account of the reign and death of Rehoboam, 2Ch 12:13-16.

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Cross References 1

  • 1. (1 Kings 14:25–28)

Footnotes 3

  • [a] That is, Judah; in 2 Chronicles, Judah is occasionally called Israel, as representative of the true Israel.
  • [b] Or charioteers
  • [c] That is, people from the upper Nile region
The Berean Bible and Majority Bible texts are officially placed into the public domain