2 Chronicles 13:4-12

4 Then Abijah stood up on Mount ¹Zemaraim that is in ²the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel!

5 Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel ³gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by ⁴a covenant of salt?

6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up ⁵and rebelled against his lord,

7 and certain ⁶worthless scoundrels gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was ⁷young and irresolute^[a] and could not withstand them.

8 “And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you ⁸the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods.

9 ⁹Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes ¹⁰for ordination^[b] with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are ¹¹no gods.

10 But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests ministering to the Lord who are sons of Aaron, and Levites for their service.

11 They offer to the Lord ¹²every morning and every evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices, set out ¹³the showbread on the table of pure gold, ¹⁴and care for the golden lampstand that its lamps may ¹⁵burn every evening. For we ¹⁶keep the charge of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken him.

12 Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests ¹⁷with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, ¹⁸do not fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed. ”

2 Chronicles 13:4-12 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References

• 1. 13:4 Josh. 18:22
• 2. 13:4 See Josh. 24:33
• 3. 13:5 2 Sam. 7:12, 13, 16
• 4. 13:5 Num. 18:19
• 5. 13:6 1 Kgs. 11:26; 12:19, 20
• 6. 13:7 See Judg. 9:4
• 7. 13:7 [ch. 12:13; 1 Kgs. 14:21]
• 8. 13:8 See 1 Kgs. 12:28
• 9. 13:9 ch. 11:14, 15
• 10. 13:9 ch. 29:31
• 11. 13:9 Jer. 5:7
• 12. 13:11 ch. 2:4
• 13. 13:11 See Lev. 24:5-9
• 14. 13:11 See Ex. 25:31-39
• 15. 13:11 Ex. 27:20, 21; Lev. 24:2-4
• 16. 13:11 Num. 1:53
• 17. 13:12 Num. 10:9
• 18. 13:12 [Acts 5:39]

Footnotes

• [a] 13:7 Hebrew 'soft of heart'
• [b] 13:9 Hebrew 'to fill his hand'