2 Chronicles 11

2 Chronicles 11:1

J1.ND ivhen Kehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin a hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, ichich were warriors; to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam,

2 Chronicles 11:2

But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

2 Chronicles 11:3

Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

2 Chronicles 11:4

Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house; for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the Lord, and returned from going against Jeroboam;] These.four verses I have explained in my notes upon 1 Kings xu' 21—24.

2 Chronicles 11:5

And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah. That is, he strengthened his frontiers against the ten tribes that were revolted from him.

2 Chronicles 11:6

He built ecen Beth-lehem, and Etam, and Tekoa.

2 Chronicles 11:7

And Beth-zur, and Shoco, and Adullam. We are told in 1 Chron. iv.32. that Etam was a town in the tribe of Simeon: therefore this shews that some portion’ of that tribe adhered to the house of David, after Jeroboam made this rent in the kingdom.

2 Chronicles 11:8

And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph.

2 Chronicles 11:9

And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah.

2 Chronicles 11:10

And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities. It is apparent from hence, that by building cities of defence, (ver. 5.) is meant only repairing and fortifying them: for they were built before, but perhaps he now enlarged some of them, •and made them more capacious.

2 Chronicles 11:11

And he fortified the strong holds, and put cap- •tains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine. These strong holds, I suppose, were in the heart of his country: which he furnished with good garrisons and provisions; that they might be able to maintain a siege, in case their enemies should make an irruption into his country.

2 Chronicles 11:12

And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made tliem exceeding strong, having Judah and •Benjamin on his side.* Who were two warlike and valiant tribes, by whose assistance he made every one of these cities a magazine; out of which, upon occasion, soldiers might be furnished with arms. Which was a necessary precaution in doubtful times, for the preservation of his kingdom.

2 Chronicles 11:13

And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts. So the tribe of Levi was added to the tribe of Judah; though “not all the cities wherein they dwelt: which they were forced to leave, when they would not conform to the idolatrous worship which Jeroboam had set up. The tribe of.Simeon likewise was so intermixed with Jndah, that, in all probability, more cities of it besides that beforcmentioned, if not all, became one body with it; which made Judah a very powerful kingdom.

2 Chronicles 11:14

For the Levites left their suburbs, and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem; for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest’s office unto the Lord.] After the right manner, according to the law of Moses. For they refused to offer sacrifices before his calves in Dan and Beth-el: and he would not let them go to do their duty at Jerusalem, the place which the Lord had chosen; and therefore they left their dwellings and possessions, and went to live there. He mentions Jeroboam s sons as well as himself; because they were his principal counsellors, and assistants in the change he made in religion.

2 Chronicles 11:15

And he ordained him priests for the liighplaces, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made. See 1 Kings xii. 28, 29, &c. A new religion being set up by Jeroboam, devised out of his own head, wherein he” ordained a solemnity in the eighth month, which was not of God’s institution, all that he did* was profane. The priests profane, the feasts profane: and so were the sacrifices and the whole worship. And therefore he calls (as Bochartus well observes) the objects of their worship devils and not gods; and the ministers of this religion he calls not cohen, priests, but chemarim: (Hos. x. 5.) and their solemnities, instead of the feast of God, he calls the day of their king (Hos. vii. 5. because instituted by their king, and not by God); and the place of worship, instead of Beth-el, he calls Beth-aven, (Hos. x. 5. 8.) that is, not the house of God, but the house of wickedness, or of idolatry. For the ointment (as he speaks) being turned into deadly poison, the inscription ought not to remain upon the pot or box, wherein it was contained. (See his Hierozoicon, par. i. lib. ii. cap. 34. p. 357.) There is’ a late writer, indeed (Antonius van Dale), who labours to persuade us, that the word seirim (which we translate devils) signifies no more than goats; which were worshipped in Egypt: from whence Jeroboam lately coming brought this worship along with him. But who can think the Israelites would have been drawn to adore “so filthy a creature? which was worshipped by the Egyptians, as several other hairy creatures were, and the image of them held in great veneration (Pan being represented below in that form), as Bochartus hath observed: yet signified also demons, which appeared in that shape. Thus the ancient interpreters, the Chaldee, the Syriac, the Arabic, and all the Jews, understand it, as the same learned man hath largely shewn, in the,same book, lib. ii. cap. 53. p. 643. •

2 Chronicles 11:16

And after them, out of alt the tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel; came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the Lord God of their fat hers. The good example of the priests and Levites moved many pious people to quit their habitations and estates, rather than forsake, or not have the exercise of their religion.

2 Chronicles 11:17

So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for’three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon. Though the number of people that came to him out of all the tribes, added great strength to Rehoboam’s kingdom; yet his power was chiefly owing unto God: who protected and, •assisted them, as long as he and his people continued in.the way of his predecessors, David and Solomon. * From which last words some conclude Solomon was a penitent, because he is mentioned here as an example of true piety, as well as David. But it cannot be certainly inferred hence, because this may relate only to the greatest part of his reign, before he lapsed in his old age, and forsook the law of Moses. The book of Ecclcsiastes is a better proof of it,