2 Chronicles 13

Judah's King Abijah

1 In the eighteenth year of [Israel's] King Jeroboam, Abijah^[a] became king over Judah;

2 he reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Micaiah^[b] daughter of Uriel; [she was] from Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.^[c]

3 Abijah set his army of warriors in order with 400,000 choice men. Jeroboam arranged his mighty army of 800,000 choice men in battle formation against him.

4 Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Jeroboam and all Israel, hear me.

5 Don't you know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?^[d]

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

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

8 "And now you are saying you can assert yourselves against the Lord's kingdom in the hand of [one of] David's sons. You are a vast multitude and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.^[e]

9 Didn't you banish the priests of the Lord, the descendants of Aaron and the Levites, and make your own priests like the peoples of [other] lands do? Whoever comes to ordain himself with a young bull and seven rams may become a priest of what are not gods.^[f]

10 "But as for us, the Lord is our God. We have not abandoned Him; the priests ministering to the Lord are descendants of Aaron, and the Levites [serve] at their tasks.

11 They offer a burnt offering and fragrant incense to the Lord every morning and every evening, and [they set] the rows of the bread [of the Presence] on the ceremonially clean table.^[g] They light the lamps of the gold lampstand every evening. We are carrying out the requirements of the Lord our God, while you have abandoned Him.

12 Look, God and His priests are with us at our head. The trumpets are ready to sound the charge against you. Israelites, don't fight against the Lord God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed."

13 Now Jeroboam had sent an ambush around to advance from behind them. So they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them.

14 Judah turned and discovered that the battle was in front of them and behind them, so they cried out to the Lord. Then the priests blew the trumpets,

15 and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. When the men of Judah raised the battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

16 So the Israelites fled before Judah, and God handed them over to them.

17 Then Abijah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and 500,000 choice men of Israel were killed.

18 The Israelites were subdued at that time. The Judahites succeeded because they depended on the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured [some] cities from him: Bethel and its villages, Jeshanah and its villages, and Ephron^[h] and its villages.

20 Jeroboam no longer retained his power^[i] during Abijah's reign; ultimately, the Lord struck him and he died.

21 However, Abijah grew strong, acquired 14 wives, and fathered 22 sons and 16 daughters.

22 The rest of the events of Abijah's [reign], along with his ways and his sayings, are written about in the Writing^[j] of the Prophet Iddo.^[k]

2 Chronicles 13 Commentary

Chapter 13

Abijah overcomes Jeroboam.

- Jeroboam and his people, by apostacy and idolatry, merited the severe punishment Abijah was permitted to execute upon them. It ( 1 Kings. 15:3 ) not himself truly religious, yet he encouraged himself from the religion of his people. It is common for those that deny the power of godliness, to boast of the form of it. Many that have little religion themselves, value it in others. But it was true that there were numbers of pious worshippers in Judah, and that theirs was the more righteous cause. In their distress, when danger was on every side, which way should they look for deliverance unless upward? It is an unspeakable comfort, that our way thither is always open. They cried unto the Lord. Earnest prayer is crying. To the cry of prayer they added the shout of faith, and became more than conquerors. Jeroboam escaped the sword of Abijah, but God struck him; there is no escaping his sword.

Footnotes

• [a]. Abijam; 1 Kg 14:31-15:8
• [b]. LXX, Syr, Arabic read Maacah; 2 Ch 11:22; 1 Kg 15:2
• [c]. 1 Kg 15:1-2,7
• [d]. Nm 18:19
• [e]. Or God; 1 Kg 12:28
• [f]. 1 Kg 13:33
• [g]. Ex 25:30; Lv 24:6-7
• [h]. Alt Hb tradition reads Ephrain
• [i]. Lit He did not restrain the power of Jeroboam
• [j]. 2 Ch 24:27
• [k]. 2 Ch 9:29; 12:15; 1 Kg 15:7

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 13

This chapter begins with the reign of Abijah, 2Ch 13:1,2, gives an account of a battle between him and Jeroboam, previous to which Abijah made a speech to Jeroboam and his army, to vindicate his own cause, encourage his own soldiers, and intimidate the enemy, and dissuade them from fighting, 2Ch 13:3-12 and in the mean while Jeroboam laid an ambush for him, which greatly distressed him, 2Ch 13:13,14, nevertheless he obtained a complete victory over him, 2Ch 13:15-20, and the chapter is concluded with some account of his family and reign, 2Ch 13:21,22.