2 Chronicles 13:4-19

Civil War

4 Then Abijah stood on Mount ¹Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel:

5 "Do you not know that ²the LORD God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by ³a covenant of salt?

6 "Yet ⁴Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master,

7 and worthless men gathered about him, scoundrels *, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when ⁵he was young and timid * and could not hold his own against them.

8 "So now you intend to resist the kingdom of the LORD through the sons of David, being a great multitude and having with you ⁶the golden calves which Jeroboam made for gods for you.

9 "⁷Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes ⁸to consecrate * himself with a young bull and seven rams, even he may become a priest of what are ⁹no gods.

10 "But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the LORD as priests, and the Levites attend to their work.

11 "Every morning and evening ¹⁰they burn to the LORD burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and ¹¹the showbread * is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken Him.

12 "Now behold, God is with us at our head and ¹²His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers, for you will not succeed."

13 But Jeroboam ¹³had set an ambush to come from the rear, so that Israel was in front of Judah and the ambush was behind * them.

14 When Judah turned around, behold, they were attacked both front and rear; so ¹⁴they cried to the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets.

15 Then the men of Judah raised a war cry, and when the men of Judah raised the war cry, then it was that God ¹⁵routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

16 When the sons of Israel fled before * Judah, ¹⁶God gave them into their hand.

17 Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that 500,000 * * chosen men of Israel fell slain.

18 Thus the sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah conquered ¹⁷because they trusted in the LORD, the God of their fathers.

19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him several cities, Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron with its villages.

2 Chronicles 13:4-19 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. Joshua 18:22
• 2. 2 Samuel 7:12-16
• 3. Leviticus 2:13; Numbers 18:19
• 4. 1 Kings 11:26
• 5. 2 Chronicles 12:13
• 6. 1 Kings 12:28; 2 Chronicles 11:15
• 7. 2 Chronicles 11:14, 15
• 8. Exodus 29:29-33
• 9. Jeremiah 2:11; Jeremiah 5:7
• 10. Exodus 29:38; 2 Chronicles 2:4
• 11. Exodus 25:30-39; Leviticus 24:5-9
• 12. Numbers 10:8, 9
• 13. Joshua 8:4-9
• 14. 2 Chronicles 14:11
• 15. 2 Chronicles 14:12
• 16. 2 Chronicles 16:8
• 17. 2 Chronicles 14:11

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "to him and to his sons"
• [b]. Or "lord"
• [c]. Lit "Rehoboam"
• [d]. Lit "in the hands of"
• [e]. Lit "and you are a"
• [f]. Lit "in the work"
• [g]. Lit "offer up in smoke"
• [h]. Lit "the battle was before and behind them"
• [i]. Lit "smote"
• [j]. Lit "were strong"
• [k]. Another reading is "Ephrain"