2 Chronicles 13

Ver. I. iV OW, in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah. Sec 1 Kings xv. 1. A COMMENTARY UPON;[chap. XIV. familiar conversation dropped many remarkable sayings, like the proverbs of Solomon: which Iddo thought worthy to be recorded and transmitted to posterity:.; *.

2 Chronicles 13:2

And he reigned three years in Jerusalem (his mother’s name also was Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah). He gives a different account above, xi. 20, 21. for there his mother is called Maachah, and her father’s name is said to be Absalom: and so we read 1 Kings xv. 2. The Targum, therefore, to reconcile these two places, adds along gloss, in these words, Because she was his legal wife, her name was changed from Maachah to Michajaha, which was a more honourable name: and the name of her father changed into Uriel, that no mention might be made of the name of Absalom. But this reason is frivolous, for she is said to be the daughter of Absalom in the place abovenamed. Therefore a better account of this is given by Jarchi and by Kimchi, who say, that her entire name was Michaiah Maachah; and her father’s entire, A COMMENTARY UPON [chap. xiii. name was Uriel Absalom. (See what I have noted upon 1 Kings xv. 2.) And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.’] Sec 1 Kings xv. 7.

2 Chronicles 13:3

And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men ofivar, even four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in airay against him tvith eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour^] Here was such a vast army brought into the field, that the whole strength of both sides was engaged in tho controversy, about the restoring the kingdom of Israel to tho house of David, who had but half the number of men that was on Jeroboam’s side; but thought they had the better cause, and seemed by Abijah’s speech to have put such trust in God for succour, that they doubted not of success. i

2 Chronicles 13:4

And Abijah stood upon Mount Zemaraim, which is in Mount Ephraim. It seems Abijah had entered into the country of the Israelites, and there drew up his army, on the hill afterward called Samaria. • And said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel*’] A great many might hear his voice from so advantageous a place; but all the eight hundred thousand could not. But he desired what he said might be reported to them; and it is very likely he desired a parley before they fought, to see if they could accommodate matters without shedding blood. • x

2 Chronicles 13:5

Ought you not to know.* They did know, but he means they ought to consider and acknowledge. Tliat the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever y even to him. and his sons by a covenant of salt?] See concerning this expression, covenant of salt, Numb, xviii. 19. The Targum. here expounds it, as the waters of the sea, which never alter their sallness. But it rather signifies a solemn covenant made by sacrifice, which was always salted, (Lev. ii. 13.)

2 Chronicles 13:6

Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Salomon the son of David, is risen up, and has rebelled against his lord. Though he had the warrant of a prophet to take the kingdom, yet his own ambition first led him to it; as we may gather from 1. Kings xi. 27.

2 Chronicles 13:7

And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial. Such, one would think, his principal partakers were, who so easily changed their religion, that it shewed they regarded neither God nor man, as the word Belial signifies. (See my notes upon 1 Kings xii. 24.) And here it may be further noted, that the high offenders of all sorts are called by the name of children of Belial. As those ungodly men, who, like a torrent, came upon David with all manner of violence, are called the floods of Belial, (2 Sam. xxii.5.) and the sacrilegious sons of Eli, (1 Sam..ii. 12.) and the filthy beasts of Gibeah, (Judg. xix. 22.) and blood-thirsty men, (2 Sam. xvi. 7.) and perjured persons, (1 Kings xx. 10.) and pernicious counsellors, (Nabum i. 11.) And have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young.] He was oneand-forty: years old when he came to his kingdom, but not bred up to military affairs; in which he was raw and •inexperienced, in a time of long peace. <* And tender-hearted.] This doth not so much aggravate their crime, as reflect upon his father 3 who wanted courage, as this phrase signifies. But if we take it in this sense, Abijah overshot himself: for Rehoboam gathered a great array, and would have fought, if God, by his prophet, had. not forbidden him. And if that was his meaning, that he had a tender regard to God’s commands, and yielded immediately to them, he spake the truth: for he was fearful then to offend God, and so could not withstand them, as it here follows.

2 Chronicles 13:8

And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David. But he would not have them think that God would always be of that mind, and let them quietly enjoy what they had usurped. For the kingdom which he governed was not set up by such vain persons as advanced Jeroboam; but the Lord himself: whom they should not be able to withstand.. And ye be a great multitude.] Or, though you be far more in number than we; being two to one, (ver. 3.) And there are tvith you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.] It may be better translated, but there are with you, &c. i. e. you have forsaken the Lord, and worshipped other gods (for so the golden calves were esteemed by God), and therefore your vast forces will do you no service.

2 Chronicles 13:9

Have you not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites. This they could not deny, whatsoever they might pretendagainst the charge of forsaking the Lord. And have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other, lands?] Without any regard to the family they were of, and out of any part of the country. (See 1 Kings xii. 31.) So that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams.] Any one that could make this expense might consecrate himself, to be a priest. Hie samemight be a priest of them that are no gods.] The Targum expresses it thus, is the priest of him that is not the Word of the Lord* By which it appears (as from innumerable other places) the Divine Word was the God of Israel, worshipped in the most holy place.

2 Chronicles 13:10

But as for lis, the Lord is our God. So it follows in,the Targum, Unto us the Word of the Lord is our helper, he is our God. And we Itave not forsaken him.] Not quite departed from him: though in some part Abijah (who spake these words) had done evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father had done; and his heart was not perfect with God. (1 Kings xv. 3.). And the priests, which minister unto the Lord, a re the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business.] The service of God was orderly performed in his house, by such only as were appointed to it by himself.,

2 Chronicles 13:11

And they burn unto the Lord, every morning and every evening, burnt-sacrifices and sweet incense: the shetvbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold, with the lamps thereof, to burn eve?‘y evening.] There was nothing omitted, cither day or night, which the law required: and he mentions these things thus particularly, that he might put the Israelites in mind how the worship of God was with great solemnity kept up in Judah, which in some years the Israelites had not seen, and perhaps had forgot. But he mentions here only one candlestick, and its lamps, because, as some think, Shishak had carried away tho rest. CHAP.. XIII.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. Or rather, because Solomon had made the other ten candlesticks for ornament, so that they had not lamps in them every night, which burnt only in the great candlestick made by Moses, from evening until morning. (Lev. xxiv. 2, 3.) For ive keep tJie charge of the Lord our God; butyehave forsaken him.] The Targum hero again thus expresses it, We keep the charge of the Word of the Lord our God. This gives us reason to think, that Abijah kept up the public worship of. God very regularly:, though he did evil in the sight of the Lord privately. ■ •* <

2 Chronicles 13:12

And y behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. Upon the sounding of which Moses promised they should " be remembered before the Lord, and saved from their enemies/’ (Numb. x. 9.) This seems to be added as an amplification of their strict observance of the law of God in all things, in war as well as in peace, which gave them a good hope that he would be with them. And here it may be noted, that it doth not appear, that the priests were forbidden any functions in a civil life: for they went to war, and performed the office of trumpeters in the army, as well as in the temple. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers; for you shall not prosper.] So he concludes his speech, that, if they fought, it was not so much against him, as against the Lord whom their fathers worshipped and they had forsaken," and therefore should not succeed. None of the great captains and commanders, whose speeches are recorded in heathen authors, ever spoke more movingly than this king of Judah did.

2 Chronicles 13:13

But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the am bushment was behind them.* We read of no answer to this speech, but Jeroboam seems to have been so much touched with it, that he would not trust to his numbers, but used policy: and, like a great captain, laid an ambush behind the army of Judah, while he faced them with his main body, drawn up in battle-array. For he had such a prodigious multitude with him, that he had men enough to spare upon any design, and more than enough to fight also.

2 Chronicles 13:14

And when Judah looked back.". Hearing a great noise, it is like, hehind them.."• Behold, the battle was before and behind.] Which put them into sore distress. And they cried unto the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.] They were not dismayed, but implored help from God; which the priests gave them hopes to obtain. For the sounding with the trumpets, was an imploring of the Divine aid, which God had promised (as I. before noted) when they sounded.’

2 Chronicles 13:15

Then the men of Judah gave a shout. “. To terrify their enemies, by this token of their confidence, that they Ibnould have the victory. And as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.] This is thus expressed bytheTargum: When the alarm sounded, the Word of the Lord caused Jeroboam and all Israel to fall, and to be slain by Abijah. For to smite, commonly signifies in Scripture language to kill. Vcr.lG. And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hands.] They seem not to have struck a stroke, but to have been so dismayed, that they run away; and in the chase were slain in vast numbers. •

2 Chronicles 13:17

And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. This is the greatest slaughter that we ever read of in any story, as Bochartus observes: but it is not incredible, when we consider that God fought, for them, and chastised the idolatry of the Israelites to such a degree, that the Jews killed a hundred thousand of them, more than they had in their own army. So Josephus also long ago observes, that there never was such a slaughter heard of, either among the Greeks or barbarians.

2 Chronicles 13:18

Tims the children of Israel were brought under at that time. Very much humbled, but not made subject to the house of David. • And the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied lipon the Lord God of their fathers.];It was not by their own valour that they obtained this great victory; butby their leaning (or relying) upon the Word of the Lord God of their fathers, as the Targum expresses it.

2 Chronicles 13:19

And Abijah pnrmed after Jeroboam, and took cities from him. He followed his blow (as we speak), and did not Content himself with beating them in the field, but pursued the Israelites into their country, and possessed himself of some of their cities. r Beth-el with the towns thereof] From whence, it is likely, Jeroboam removed the golden calf, unto some place of greater safety: or else the destruction of it would have been mentioned. AndJeshanah with the towns thereof, andEphraim with the towns thereof] There was a city, as well as a tribe called >Ephraim, John xi. 54. which some think was the same with Ophrah.

2 Chronicles 13:20

Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the Lord struck htm, and he died. Some have made it a doubt, who it is of whom it is said that God struck him. And in Seder Olam Rabba, cap. 21, the Jews say it was Abijah: for Jeroboam lived along time, but Abijah reigned only three years: God not granting him a longer life, because of his ingratitude for so great a victory; or, as others will have it, because, when he took Beth-el, he did not destroy nor carry away the golden calf, but let it remain, although he had reproached the Israelites with it, (ver. 8.) But it is uncertain, as I said, whether it was there when the city was taken: and the next verse plainly shews, that Abijah while he lived was mighty: and therefore it was Jeroboam who was struck, and died a year or two after this blow. And as long as he lived, after this defeat, some think he was full of anguish, and such pain in his bowels, as Jehoram had, (chap. xxi. 19.) Thus Abarbinel, and many others.

2 Chronicles 13:21

But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters. Not after this victory, but before he was king, in the time of his father; for lip lived not long after this success. Ver. 22^ And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.] In the Targum it is, they are written in tlie Midrasch.of the prophet Iddo: that is, in his Commentary, as we translate the Hebrew word here, in the margin of our Bible. (See chap. xii. 15.) This king was a very wise man (as appears by the excellent oration abovementioned); and in 4K