2 Chronicles 12:5

5 Then ¹Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because * of Shishak, and he said to them, "Thus says the LORD, '²You have forsaken Me, so I also have forsaken you to Shishak.' "

2 Chronicles 12:5 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 12:5

Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam
The same as in ( 2 Chronicles 11:2 ) , there called the man of God:

and to the princes of Judah that were gathered together to Jerusalem
because of Shishak;
through fear of him, and for safety and protection from him, and to consult what was to be done at this critical juncture, whether to fight him, or make peace with him on the best terms they could:

and said unto them, thus saith the Lord, ye have forsaken me;
his law, his word, worship, and ordinances, ( 2 Chronicles 12:1 ) ,

and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak;
suffered him to invade their land, take their fenced cities, and come up to Jerusalem without any opposition, as a punishment of their apostasy; and to explain this providence to them, and call them to repentance, was the prophet sent.

2 Chronicles 12:5 In-Context

3 with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were without number: the Lubim, the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians.

4 He captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

5 Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, "Thus says the LORD , 'You have forsaken Me, so I also have forsaken you to Shishak.' "

6 So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The LORD is righteous."

7 When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, "They have humbled themselves so I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some measure of deliverance, and My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Chronicles 11:2
• 2. Deuteronomy 28:15; 2 Chronicles 15:2

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "in the hand of"