2 Chronicles 12:1-8

Shishak of Egypt Invades Judah

1 ¹When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, ²he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the LORD.

2 ³And it came about in King Rehoboam's fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, that ⁴Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem

3 with 1,200 * chariots and 60,000 * horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were without number: ⁵the Lubim, the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians.

4 He captured ⁶the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

5 Then ⁷Shemaiah 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, '⁸You 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 ⁹LORD is righteous."

7 When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, "¹⁰They have humbled themselves so I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some measure of deliverance, and ¹¹My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak.

8 "But they will become his slaves so ¹²that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries."

2 Chronicles 12:1-8 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.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Chronicles 11:17; 2 Chronicles 12:13
• 2. 2 Chronicles 26:13-16
• 3. 1 Kings 14:25
• 4. 1 Kings 11:40
• 5. 2 Chronicles 16:8; Nahum 3:9
• 6. 2 Chronicles 11:5-12
• 7. 2 Chronicles 11:2
• 8. Deuteronomy 28:15; 2 Chronicles 15:2
• 9. Exodus 9:27; Daniel 9:14
• 10. 1 Kings 21:29
• 11. 2 Chronicles 34:25-27; Psalms 78:38
• 12. Deuteronomy 28:47, 48

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "in the hand of"