2 Chronicles 12:3

3 and he ascended with a thousand and two hundred chariots, and with sixty thousand horsemen, and no number was of the common people, that came with him from Egypt, that is, Libyans, and Troglodytes, and Ethiopians. (and he went up with a thousand and two hundred chariots, and sixty thousand horsemen, and there was no number of the common people, who came with him from Egypt, that is, Libyans, and Sukkiims, and Ethiopians.)

2 Chronicles 12:3 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 12:3

With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen;
and the people were without number
The foot soldiers; their number, according to Josephus ^F8 was 400,000:

that came with him out of Egypt;
the above numerous army came from thence with him, which was famous for horses and chariots of war, see ( Exodus 14:7 Exodus 14:28 ) , what follow seem to have joined him after he came out of Egypt, or whom he subdued in his way; the Lubim or Lybians, inhabitants of Libya, a country near Egypt the same with the Lehabim; of whom see ( Genesis 10:13 ) ,

the Sukkiims;
who were either the Scenite Arabs, who dwelt in tents, as this word signifies; or the Troglodytes, according to the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, who dwelt in dens and caves, in which sense the word "Succah" is sometimes used, ( Job 38:40 ) ( Psalms 10:9 ) and in their country was a town called Suchae, mentioned by Pliny ^F9; they inhabited near the Red sea; and if Shishak is the same with Sesostris, as is thought, these people were subdued by him, as Herodotus ^F11 and Strabo ^F12 testify:

and the Ethiopians;
some think these were the Cushite Arabs, and that Sesostris came into Arabia is testified by the above writers; though rather the proper Ethiopians are meant, since they are joined with the Lubim or Africans; and since, as Herodotus ^F13 says, he ruled over Ethiopia; and Diodorus Siculus ^F14 says he fought with them, and obliged them to pay him tribute.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 Antiqu. l. 8. c. 10. sect. 2.
F9 Nat. Hist. l. 6. c. 29.
F11 Euterpe, sive, l. 2. c. 102.
F12 Geograph. l. 16. p. 529.
F13 Ut supra, (Euterpe, sive, l. 2.) c. 110.
F14 Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 50.

2 Chronicles 12:3 In-Context

1 And when the realm of Rehoboam was made strong and strengthened, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. (But when Rehoboam's kingdom was made strong and established, he abandoned the Law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.)

2 And in the fifth year of the realm of Rehoboam, Shishak, king of Egypt, went up into Jerusalem, for they, that is, the men of Jerusalem, [had] sinned against the Lord; (And in the fifth year of the reign of Rehoboam, Shishak, the king of Egypt, went up against Jerusalem, for they, that is, the people of Jerusalem, had sinned against the Lord;)

3 and he ascended with a thousand and two hundred chariots, and with sixty thousand horsemen, and no number was of the common people, that came with him from Egypt, that is, Libyans, and Troglodytes, and Ethiopians. (and he went up with a thousand and two hundred chariots, and sixty thousand horsemen, and there was no number of the common people, who came with him from Egypt, that is, Libyans, and Sukkiims, and Ethiopians.)

4 And he took [the] full strong cities in Judah, and he came to Jerusalem. (And he took the fortified cities in Judah, and then he came to Jerusalem.)

5 And Shemaiah, the prophet, entered to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, which, fleeing from Shishak, were gathered together in Jerusalem. And he said to them, The Lord saith these things, Ye have forsaken me, and I have forsaken you in the hand of Shishak. (And the prophet Shemaiah went in to Rehoboam, and to the leaders of Judah, who, fleeing from Shishak, were gathered together in Jerusalem. And he said to them, The Lord saith these things, Ye have deserted me, and so now I have deserted you unto the power of Shishak.)