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2
Chronicles Chapter Twelve
New King James Version (NKJV)
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
2 Chronicles 12:1
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
2 Chronicles 12:5
and the chapter is closed with an account of the reign and death of Rehoboam
2 Chronicles 12:13.
2 Chronicles
12:1 Now it came to
pass
when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself
that he forsook the law of the Lord
and all Israel along
with him.
YLT
1And it cometh to pass
at
the establishing of the kingdom of Rehoboam
and at his strengthening himself
he hath forsaken the law of Jehovah
and all Israel with him.
And it came to pass
when Rehoboam had established the kingdom
.... Or when
the kingdom of Rehoboam was established; the tribes of Judah and Benjamin being
firmly attached to him
and great numbers from the other tribes coming over to
him
and things going on peaceably and prosperously during the three years that
he and his people abode by the pure worship of God:
and had strengthened himself; built fortified cities
for the defence of himself and kingdom
2 Chronicles 11:5
he forsook the law of the Lord; after he had reigned three years
and was
become strong
and thought himself safe and secure on the throne
trusting to
his strength:
and all Israel with him; the greater part of them
following the example of their king; of this defection
and the sins they fell
into
see 1 Kings 14:22.
2 Chronicles
12:2 2 And
it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of
Egypt came up against Jerusalem
because they had transgressed against the Lord
YLT
2And it cometh to pass
in
the fifth year of king Rehoboam
come up hath Shishak king of Egypt against
Jerusalem -- because they trespassed against Jehovah –
And it came to pass in the fifth year of Rehoboam
.... In the
fourth year
the apostasy of him and his people began; and
in the year
following
what is next related happened
as a punishment of it:
Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem; of whom see 1 Kings 11:40
because they transgressed against the Lord; transgressed
the law of the Lord by falling into idolatry and other abominable evils; the
Targum is
"against the Word of the Lord.'
2 Chronicles
12:3 3 with
twelve hundred chariots
sixty thousand horsemen
and people without number who
came with him out of Egypt—the Lubim and the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians.
YLT
3with a thousand and two
hundred chariots
and with sixty thousand horsemen
and there is no number to
the people who have come with him out of Egypt -- Lubim
Sukkiim
and Cushim –
With twelve hundred chariots
and threescore thousand horsemen; and
the people were without number
.... The foot soldiers; their number
according to JosephusF8Antiqu. l. 8. c. 10. sect. 2. 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
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 and in
their country was a town called Suchae
mentioned by PlinyF9Nat.
Hist. l. 6. c. 29. ; they inhabited near the Red sea; and if Shishak is the
same with Sesostris
as is thought
these people were subdued by him
as
HerodotusF11Euterpe
sive
l. 2. c. 102. and StraboF12Geograph.
l. 16. p. 529. 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 HerodotusF13Ut supra
(Euterpe
sive
l. 2.)
c. 110. says
he ruled over Ethiopia; and Diodorus SiculusF14Bibliothec.
l. 1. p. 50. says he fought with them
and obliged them to pay him tribute.
2 Chronicles
12:4 4 And
he took the fortified cities of Judah and came to Jerusalem.
YLT
4and he captureth the cities
of the bulwarks that [are] to Judah
and cometh in unto Jerusalem.
And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah
.... Which
Rehoboam had lately built
and placed his sons in them
2 Chronicles 11:5
these he took without any opposition:
and came to Jerusalem; there being no army to
oppose him; and so Sesostris took many countries without fighting
and among
the rest Phoenicia
as ManethoF15Apud Joseph. contr. Apion. l. 1. c.
15. relates
in which Judea may be included.
2 Chronicles 12:5 5 Then Shemaiah the prophet
came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah
who were gathered together in
Jerusalem because of Shishak
and said to them
“Thus says the Lord: ‘You have
forsaken Me
and therefore I also have left you in the hand of Shishak.’”
YLT
5And Shemaiah the prophet
hath come in unto Rehoboam and the heads of Judah who have been gathered unto
Jerusalem from the presence of Shishak
and saith to them
`Thus said Jehovah
Ye have forsaken Me
and also
I have left you in the hand of Shishak;'
Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam
.... The same
as in 2 Chronicles 11:2
there called the man of God:
and to the princes of Judah that were gathered together to
Jerusalem because of Shishak; through fear of him
and for safety and
protection from him
and to consult what was to be done at this critical
juncture
whether to fight him
or make peace with him on the best terms they
could:
and said unto them
thus saith the Lord
ye have forsaken me; his law
his
word
worship
and ordinances
2 Chronicles 12:1
and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak; suffered him to
invade their land
take their fenced cities
and come up to Jerusalem without
any opposition
as a punishment of their apostasy; and to explain this
providence to them
and call them to repentance
was the prophet sent.
2 Chronicles 12:6 6 So the leaders of Israel
and the king humbled themselves; and they said
“The Lord is
righteous.”
YLT
6and the heads of Israel are
humbled
and the king
and they say
`Righteous [is] Jehovah.'
Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves
.... Both by
words acknowledging their sins
and the justice of God
and by deeds
perhaps
putting on sackcloth
as was usual on such occasions
and betaking themselves
to fasting and prayer:
and they said
the Lord is righteous; in giving
them up into the hand of their enemies
seeing they had forsaken him
and
sinned against him.
2 Chronicles 12:7 7 Now when the Lord saw that they
humbled themselves
the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah
saying
“They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them
but I
will grant them some deliverance. My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem
by the hand of Shishak.
YLT
7And when Jehovah seeth that
they have been humbled
a word of Jehovah hath been unto Shemaiah
saying
`They have been humbled; I do not destroy them
and I have given to them as a
little thing for an escape
and I pour not out My fury in Jerusalem by the hand
of Shishak;
And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves
.... Though
but externally; the Lord takes notice of external humiliation
as he did of
Ahab's
1 Kings 21:29
the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah
saying
they have humbled
themselves
therefore I will not destroy them; not now
at least not
altogether
2 Chronicles 12:12
but I will grant them some deliverance; yet not a
complete one
for they were brought into servitude by Shishak
2 Chronicles 12:8
or only for a short time:
and my wrath shall not be poured out against Jerusalem by the hand
of Shishak; that is
to the uttermost; that was reserved to another time
and to be done by another hand
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
2 Chronicles 12:8 8 Nevertheless they will be
his servants
that they may distinguish My service from the service of the
kingdoms of the nations.”
YLT
8but they become servants to
him
and they know My service
and the service of the kingdoms of the lands.'
Nevertheless
they shall be his servants
....
tributaries to the king of Egypt:
that they may know my service
and the service of the kingdoms of
the countries; the difference between them
how easy the one
which they might
perform without taxes and tributes
and how hard and heavy the other
through
the exactions and exorbitant demands of those to whom they became subjects.
2 Chronicles 12:9 9 So Shishak king of Egypt
came up against Jerusalem
and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the
treasures of the king’s house; he took everything. He also carried away the
gold shields which Solomon had made.
YLT
9And Shishak king of Egypt
cometh up against Jerusalem
and taketh the treasures of the house of Jehovah
and the treasures of the house of the king -- the whole he hath taken -- and he
taketh the shields of gold that Solomon had made;
Verses 9-11
So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem
.... The
Vulgate Latin version is
"departed from Jerusalem
'as he did
having taken
it
and spoiled it of its riches
and settled a yearly tax on the inhabitants
of the land; of this
and the two following verses; see Gill on 1 Kings 14:26. 1 Kings 14:27. 1 Kings 14:28.
2 Chronicles 12:10 10 Then King Rehoboam made
bronze shields in their place
and committed them to the hands of the
captains of the guard
who guarded the doorway of the king’s house.
YLT
10and king Rehoboam maketh in
their stead shields of brass
and hath given [them] a charge on the hand of the
heads of the runners who are keeping the opening of the house of the king;
2 Chronicles 12:11 11 And whenever the king entered
the house of the Lord
the guard would go and bring them out; then they would take them back into the
guardroom.
YLT
11and it cometh to pass
from
the time of the going in of the king to the house of Jehovah
the runners have
come in and lifted them up
and brought them back unto the chamber of the
runners.
2 Chronicles 12:12 12 When he humbled himself
the wrath of the Lord
turned from him
so as not to destroy him completely; and things also
went well in Judah.
YLT
12And in his being humbled
turned
back from him hath the wrath of Jehovah
so as not to destroy to completion;
and also
in Judah there have been good things.
And when he humbled himself
.... That is
Rehoboam;
or broke his heart
as the Targum
was of a contrite spirit seemingly
for it
was merely external:
the wrath of the Lord turned from him; which
appeared by the departure of Shishak's army:
that he would not destroy him altogether; or make an
utter destruction of him and his people:
and also in Judah things went well; prospered and succeeded
after this affair of Shishak was over: or "in Judah there were good
things"F16דברים טובים
"opera bona"
V. L. "res bonae"
Tigurine version
Vatablus
Rambachius. ; there were some good men
priests
Levites
and many of
the common people
that did good things
kept up and abode by the pure worship
and service of God; and which was another reason why the Lord would not destroy
them altogether now
see Genesis 18:31.
2 Chronicles 12:13 13 Thus King Rehoboam
strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Now Rehoboam was
forty-one years old when he became king; and he reigned seventeen years in
Jerusalem
the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the
tribes of Israel
to put His name there. His mother’s name was Naamah
an Ammonitess.
YLT
13And king Rehoboam
strengtheneth himself in Jerusalem
and reigneth; for a son of forty and two
years [is] Rehoboam in his reigning
and seventeen years he hath reigned in
Jerusalem
the city that Jehovah hath chosen to put His name there
out of all
the tribes of Israel
and the name of his mother [is] Naamah the Ammonitess
So Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem
.... Fortified
that yet more for the defence of himself
after Shishak departed:
and reigned; twelve years more
for he reigned in all seventeen
and this was
in his fifth year; of what follows in this verse; see Gill on 1 Kings 14:21.
2 Chronicles 12:14 14 And he did evil
because
he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.
YLT
14and he doth the evil thing
for he hath not prepared his heart to seek Jehovah.
And he did evil
.... Committed idolatry
relapsed into that
his humiliation not being hearty and sincere:
because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord; by prayer and
supplication
and by an attendance on the service and worship of God; for
though he did these things outwardly
yet not sincerely and heartily; he did
not engage in them seriously and in good earnest
with affection and fervour.
2 Chronicles 12:15 15 The acts of Rehoboam
first and last
are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the
prophet
and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were
wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.
YLT
15And the matters of
Rehoboam
the first and the last
are they not written among the matters of
Shemaiah the prophet
and of Iddo the seer
concerning genealogy? And the wars
of Rehoboam and Jeroboam [are] all the days;
Verse 15-16
Now the acts of Rehoboam
.... Of these two verses;
see Gill on 1 Kings 14:29. 1 Kings 14:30. 1 Kings 14:31.
2 Chronicles 12:16 16 So Rehoboam rested with
his fathers
and was buried in the City of David. Then Abijah[a] his son
reigned in his place.
YLT
16and Rehoboam lieth with his
fathers
and is buried in the city of David
and reign doth Abijah his son in
his stead.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)