2 Chronicles 13:5

5 Surely you know that the LORD, Israel's God, made an unbreakable covenant with David and his descendants that they would rule Israel forever.

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 to fight with an army of four hundred thousand select troops against Jeroboam's select forces numbering eight hundred thousand, who were arrayed in battle formation.

4 Abijah stood on the heights of Mount Zemaraim in Ephraim's highlands and said: “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel!

5 Surely you know that the LORD, Israel's God, made an unbreakable covenant with David and his descendants that they would rule Israel forever.

6 It was Jeroboam, Nebat's son, the servant of Solomon, David's son, who rebelled against his master.

7 When some useless, worthless people joined his cause, they overpowered Rehoboam, Solomon's son, who was too young and timid to resist them.

Footnotes

• [a] Or a covenant of salt