Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Bchoboam Rtiketh an Army. 2 CHRONICLES XI, XII. ShisJiak Invades Judah.
(2 Samuel 14.27) of Absalom. Tamar lieing, according to Joseplius, her mot tier. (Cf. 2 Samuel IS. l.S.) HI. lie took eighteen wives, and seventy concubines—This royal harem, though far inferior to liis lather's, was equally in violation of tlie law, whicli forbade a liing to " multiply wives unto himself." 2^. made Abijali . . . chief , . . ruler, among his brethren—This iirefcrence seems to have been given to Aljijah solely from tlie king's doating fondness for his mother, and tlirough her iii Huenc'e over nim. It is plainly implied that Abijali was not the eldest of the family, and in destining a younger son for the kingdom, without a Divine warrant, as in Solom<m's
Instances that are found In Scripture, of Divine predictions, uttered long before, being aoooniplisliea by the operation of human passions, and in the natural course of events.
CHAPTER XI.
Ver. 1-17. KEHOBOAM, Kaising an Akmy to Subdue
Israel, is Forbidden by Shemaiah. 1-4-. KtJiobo.tm gat Uereclof tlie house of Jndali anrt Beujauiin, «o Oght agnlnst Israel—(See on 1 Kings 12. 21-'2t.J 5. Imllt
Cities lor defence in Jndali—This is evidently used as the name of the southern liingdom. Rehoboam, liaviug now a bitter enemy in Israel, deemed it prudent to lose no time in fortifying several cities that lay along the froncase, Rehoboam acted in violation of tlie law. (Deuteronomy 21.1.5.) 33. he dealt wisuly— <?., Willi deep and calculating policy. (Exodus 1. 10.) and dispersed of all his children unto every fenced city—The circumstance tier of his kingdom. Jeroboam, on his side, took a similar precaution. (1 Kings 12. 2.5.) Of the fifteen cities nained, of twenty-eiglit sons of the king being made governors of fortresses would, in our quarter of the world, produce jealousy and dl.ssatisfaction. But E.istern monarchs ensure peace and tranquillity to their kingdom liy bestowing governmentoffices on their sons and grandsons. Tliey obtain an independent provision, and being kept apart, are not likely to cabal in their father's lifetime. Reiioboam acted thus, and hissagacity will appear still greater if the wives he desired for them belonged to tlie cities where each son was located. These connecaions would bind tliem more closely to their respective places. In the modern couxitries of the East, particularly i'ersia and Turkey, younger princes were, till very lately, shut up la the harem during their father's lifetime; and, to prevent competition, were blinded or killed when their ijrotlier ascended the throne. In the former country the old prac-
Aijalon, now Yalo, and Zorah, now Surali, between JeruBalem and Jabneh [Robinson], lay within the province of Benjamin. Gath, though a Philistine city, had been subject to Solomon. And Ktliam, which was on the border of Simeon, now incorporated with the kingdom of Israel, was fortified to repel danger from that quarter. These fortresses Rehoboam placed under able commanders, and stocked them with provisions and military stores, sufficient, if necessary, to stand a siege. In the crijipled
Btate of his kingdom, he se«ms to have been afraid lost it might be made tlie prey of some powerful neighbours. 13-17. tUe priests and tlie Levites . . . resorted to Iiiin ont of all tlieir coasts Tiiis was an accession of moral power, for the maintenance of the true religion is the best support and safeguard of any nation; and as it was peculiarly the grand source of the strength and prostice of dispersing them through the country like Rehoboam, has been again revived. perity of the Hebrew monarchy, the great numbers of good and pious people who sought an asylum within the territories of Judah contributed greatly to consolidate
CHAPTER XII. the throne of Reholjoam. The cause of so extensive an emigration from the kingdom of Israel was the deep and daring policy of Jeroboam, who set himself to brealc the national unity by entirely abolisliing, within his domin-
Ver. 1-12. Rehoboam, FoRSAKiNCi God, is Punished BY .Shishak. 1. when Rehoboam had established th« kingdom, and had strengtliened himself—(see on cll. ions, the religious Institutions of Judaism. He dreaded an eventual reunion ot'the tribes, if the people continued
11. 17). During the first three years of his reign his royal influence was exerted in the encouragement of the true religion. Security and ease led to religious decline, which, in the fourth year, ended in open apostasy. The example of the court was speedily followed by his subto repair thrice a yar to worship in Jerusalem as they were obliged by law to do; and accordingly, on pretence that the distance of that city was too great for multitudes of his sulijects, he fixed upon two more convenient places, where he estal)lislied a new mode of worshipping God under gross and proiiibited symbols. The priests and jects, for "all Israel was with him ;" i. c, the people in Ills own kingdom. The very'next year, viz., the fiftli of his reign, punishment was inflicted by the iiivasion of .Shishak. 3. Shishak, king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem—He was the first king of the 'I'weiity-secoiid or Euliastic Dynasty. What was the immediate cause of this invasion? Whether it was in resentment for some provocation from the king of Judah, or in pursuance of ambitions views of conquest, is not said. But the invading army was a vast horde, for Shishak brought along with his native Egyptians an immense number of foreign aux-
Levltes, refusing to lake part In the idolatrous ceremonies, were ejected from their livings; and along with tliem a large body of the people wlio faithfully adhered to the Instituted worsiiip of God—offended and shocked by tlie Impious innovations—departed from the kingdom. 15. he ordained him priests—the persons he appointed to the priesthood were low and worthless creatures (1 Kings
12. 31 ; 13. 33); any were consecrated who brouglit a bullock and seven rams. (Ch. 13. 9; Exodus 29. .37.) for the high places—tho.se favourite places of religious worship were encouraged througliout the country, for the devils— iliaries. 3. the Lubims— the Libyp.ns of north-eastern Africa, the Snkkiims—Some think these were the Ken-
Ite Arabs, dwellei'S In tents, but others maintain more justly that these were Arab troglodytes, who inlialiiled the caverns of a mountain range ou the western coast of the Red Sea. the Ethiopians—from the regions soulli of Egypt. By the overwhelming force of numbers, they toolc the fortres.ses of Judah which had been recently put in a state of defence, and marched to lay siege to the capital. While Shishak and his army was liefore Jerusalem, the prophet Shemaiah addressed Reholjoam and the iiruiees, tracing this calamity to the national aposta.sy, and threatening them with utter destruction in consi (juence of liaving forsaken God (v. 6). 6. the princes of Israel—(cf. v, 5, "the princes of .ludah"). 7, 8. when tlic Lord saw that tliey humble<l themselves — Their repentance and conterm sometimes used for idols in general (Leviticus 17. 7), but here applied distinctively to tlie goat deities, wliich were proljably worsliipped cliiefly in the northern parts of his kingdom, where the heathen Canaanites still abounded, and for the calves—figures of the ox gods Apis and Jlnevis, with whicli Jeroljoani's residence in Egypt had familiarized him. (See on 1 Kings 12. 2()-33.) 17. thej' strengthened the kingdom of .Tndah—The innovating measures of Jerolioam were not introduced all at once. But as they were developed, the secession of the most excellent of his sul)jects began, and continuing to Increase for tliree years, lowered the tone of religion in bis kingdom, while it proportionally quickened its life and extended its influence In that of .Tudah.
18-23. HisWiVES ANDChildhen. 18. Rehoboam took Mohalath—The names of her father and mother are given. Jerimoth, the father, must have been the son of one of David's concubines. (1 Chronicles .3. 9.) Ahlhail was, of course.hlscousin, previous to their marriage, ao. after bcr hetoofc Manthah . . . daughter—<. c, grand-daughter trition was followed by the liest efl'ects; for Sliemaiali was commissioned to announce that the iihial of Divine judgment would not be fully poured out on them—that tlie entire overthrow of the kingdom of Judah would not take place at that time, ilbr tlirough the agency of .Shishak.- and yet, although It should enjoy a respite from total sud-
Ahijah Warn against Jeroboam, 2 CHRONICLES XIII, XIV. and Overcomes him. tion that was capable of bearing arms (1 Chronicles 21. 5; version, it should become a Iributary province of Egypt, In order that tlie people miglit learn liow much lighter and better is the service of God than that of idolatrous foreign despots. 9. So Slilsliak . . . came up against Jerusalem—After the parenthetical clause (v. 5-S) describing tlie feelings and state of the beleaguered court, the historian resumes his narrative of the attack upon Jerusalem, and the consequent pillage both of the temple and the palace, he took all i. e., everything valuable he found. The cost of the targets and shields has been estimated at about £239,000. [Napier's Metal.] tUe sHields of gold—(ch. 9. 16) made by Solomon, were kept in the house of the forest of Lebanon (ch.9. 16). They seem to have been borne, like maces, by the owners or guard of the palace, when they attended the king to the temple or on other public processions. Those splendid insignia having been plundered by the Egyptian conqueror, others were made of inferior metal, and kept in the guard-room of the palace, to be ready for use, as, notwithstanding the tarnished glory of the court, the old state etiquette was kept up on public and solemn occasions. An account of this conquest of Judah, with the name of "king of Judah" in the cartouche of the principal captive, accordcf. ch. If. 8 ; 17. 1-1). 4-13. Abijah stood up on Itlouut Zemaraim—He had entered the enemy's territory, and was eiicamped on an eminence near Beth-el (Joshua 18.
22). Jeroboam's army lay at the foot of the hill, and as a pitched battle was expected, Abijah, according to the singular usage of ancient times, harangued the enemy. Tlie speakers in such circumstances, while always extolling their own merits, poured out torrents of invective and virulent abuse upon the adversary. So did Abijah. He dwelt on the Divine right of the house of David to the throne; and sinking all reference to the heaven-condemned offences of Solomon and the Divine appointment of Jeroboam, as well as the Divine sanction of the separation, he upbraided Jeroboam as a u.surper, and liis subjects as rebels, who took advantage of the youth and inexnerience of Rehoboam. Tlien contrasting me rengious state of the two kingdoms, he drew a black picture of the impious innovations and gross idolatry introduced by Jeroboam, with his expulsion and impoverishment (ch. 11. 14) of the Levites; dwelt with reasonable pride on tlie pure and regular observance of the ancient institutions of Moses in his own dominions, and concluded with this emphatic appeal: "O, children of Israel, tight not against Jehovah, the God of your fathers, for ye shall not prosper." 13-17. But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them—The oration of Abijah, however animating an efl'cct it might have produced on his own troops, was unheeded by the party to whom it was addressed ; for while hewas wasting time in useless words, Jeroboam had ordered a detachment of his men to move quietly round the base of the hill, so that wlien Abijah stopped speaking, he and his followers found themselves surprised in the rear, while the main body of the Israelitish forces remained in front. A panic might have ensued, had not the loaders "cried unto the Lord," and the priests "sounded with the trumpets"—the pledge of victory ^Numbers 10. 9; 31. 6); and, reassured by the well-known signal, the men of Judah responded witU a war shout, which, echoed by the whole army, was followed by an impetuous rush against the foe. The shock was resistless. The ranks of the Israelites wcn broken, for " God smote Jeroboam and all Israel." They took to tog to the interpreters, is carved and written in hiero- 'lyphics on the walls of the great palace of Karnak, where it may be seen a t the present day. This sculpture is about f700 years old, and is of peculiar interest as a striking testimony from Egypt to the truth of Scripture history. 18.
'Yvheii Ue Iiiiinbled liimself, the wrath of tlie Liord turned from him—The promise contained (r. 7) was verified—Divine providence preserved the kingdom in existence, a reformation was made in tlie court, while true religion and piety were diffused throughout tlie land.
13-16. His Heigx .^Nn Death. 13. Rehoboam strengthened himself . . . and reigned—The Egyptian invasion had been a mere predatory expedition, not extending beyond the limits of .Tudah, and probably, ere long, repelled by the invaded. Rehoboam's government acquired new life and vigour by the general revival of true religion, ajid his reign continued many years after thedeparture of Shishak. But " he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord," i. e., he did not adliere firmly to the good course of reformation he had begun, "and he did evil," for through tlie unhappy influence of his mother, a heathen foreigner, he had received in his youth a strong bias towards idolatry (see on 1 Kings 14. 21-24). flight, and the merciless slaughter that ensued can be accounted for only by tracing it to the rancorous passions enkindled by a civil war. 19. Abijah pursued after Jeroboam—This sanguinary action widened the breach between the people of the two kingdoms. Abijali abandoned his original design of attempting the subjugation of the ten tribes, contenting himself with the recovery of a few border towns, which, thougli lying within Judah or Benjamin, had been alienated to the new or northern kingdom. AiiKnigst these was Beth-el, which, with Its sacred as.sociations, ho might be strongly desirous to wrest froiu profanation. 'M. Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the <lay8 of Abljalt—The disastrous action at Zemaraim, which caused the loss of the entire llower and chivalry of his army, broke his spirits and crippled his power, the Lord struck him, and he died — i.e., .Jeroboam. He lived, indeed, two years after the death of Abijah (1 Kings 14. 20; 15.9). But he had been threatened with great calamities upon himself and his house, ami It Is apparently to th6 execution of these tlireateiilngs, which Issued in his death, an anticipatory reference is here nuido.
CHAPTER XIII.
Ver. 1-20. ABi.iAn, sucoeemng, makes War ACf ainst JSHonoAM, ANi? OVERCOME.S HiM. 2. His mother's name was Bllchni;*, the daugliter of Uriel of Gibeah—The same as Maacliah (see on 1 Kings 15.2). She was "the daughter," t. e., grand-daughter of Absalom (1 Kings 15.2; Of. 2 Samuel 14), mother of Abijah, "mother," i. c, grandmother (1 Kings 15. 10, marff.) of Asa. " Of Oilioah," probably implies that Uriel was connected with the honso of Raul. il»ere was war between Abijah and .Trroboam The occasion of this war is not recorded (see 1 Kings 15.6, 7), but it may he inferred from the tenor of Al)ijah's address, that it arose from his youthful ambition to recover the full hereditary dominion of his ancestors. No prophet now forbade a war with Israel (ch. 11.23), for,Jeroboam had forfeited all claim to protection. 3. Abijah set tlie Imttle In array— c, took the field and opened the campaign. Abijah set (lie Imttle in array ivHh four hunilred thousand (;hoscn men . . . Jeroboam with eight Iiundrcd thousand—Tliese are, doubtless, largt; numbers, considering the smallness of the two kingdoms. It must bo borne in mind, however, that Oriental armies are mere mo))N—vast nuinb(Ms accompanying the camp in hope of » plunder, so that the gross numbers descrll)ed as going
CHAPTER XIV.
Ver. 1-5. ASA DKSTROY.S Idolatry. I. In his days the land waa quiet ten years—This long interval of peace was the continued ellect of the great battle of Zemaraim (cf. 1 Kings 15. 11-14). 3. Asa did that whielt was good and right—<cf. 1 Kings 15. 14). Still his cliaracli Mand life were not free from faults (ch. 10. 7, 10, 12). 3. brake doiii the Images—Of Baal (.see on ch. .'M. 4; Leviticus 20. ."JO), cut down the groves—Uather, Asherlm. 5. he took away the high places—i. c, those devoted to idolatrous upon an Asiatic expedition are often far from denoting the exact immber of fighting men. Rut in accounting for the large number of .soldiers enlisted In the respoctivo armies of Abijah and Jeroboam, there is no need of resorting to this mode of explanation: for wo know by the census of David the immense amount of the popularites, took uway out of all the cities of .ludah tU*
Alia Oi'ercomes Zerah. 2 CHRONICLES XV. Judah Makes a Covenant with God upon many periods in the national history, wlien tlie people were in the state described—a state of spiritual destitution and ignorance—and exhibited its natural result as widespread anarchy, mutual dissension among the bi|;U places aii«l tlie Image—All public Objects and relics of idolatry in*Jerusalein and other cities through his kingdom were destroyed ; but those high places where God was worshipped under the figure of an ox, as at tribes, and general sull'ering (Judges 9.23; 12.4; 20. 21; 2 Chronicles 13. 17). These calamities God permitted to be- Beth-el, were suflered to remain (1 Kings 15. 14); so fiir the reformation was incomplete.
6-8. Having Peace, he Strengthens his Kingdom WITH Forts and Armies. 6. he built fenced cities lu Juclali—(see ou 1 Kings 15. 22). 7. ivliile tlie land la yet before us— i. e., while we have free and undisputed progfall them as the punishment of their apostasy. Azarlali's object in these remarks was to establish tlie truth of liis counsel (v. 2), and threatening, in case of neglecting it by describing the uniform course of the Divine procedure towards Israel, as shown in all periods of their, history ress everywhere ; no foe Is near; but, as this happy time of peace may not last always, and the kingdom is but small and weak, let us prepare suitable defences in case and then after this appeal to national experience, he concluded with an earnest exhortation to tlie king to prosecute the work of reformation so well begun. 7. Be ye strong—Great resolution and indomitable energy would be required to persevere in the face of the opposition your reforming measures will encounter, your work shaU be rewarded—t. e., what you do in the cause and for the glory of God will assuredly be followed by the happiest results both to yourself and your subjects. 8. Wlien Asa heard . . . the prophecy of Oded the prophet—The Insertion of these words, "of Oded tlie prophet," is generally regarded as a corruption of the text. " The sole remedy is to erase them. They are, probably, the remains of a note, which crept in from the margin into the text." [Bertheau.] he took courage animated by the seasonable and pious address of Azariah, Asa became a more zealous reformer than ever, employing all his royal authority and influence to extirpate every vestige of idolatry from the land, and out of the cities which he had taken from Kpliraim—lie may have acquired cities of Ephraim, the conquest of which of need. He had also an army of 580,000 men. Judah furnished the heavy armed soldiers, and Benjamin the archers. This large number does not mean a body of professional soldiers such as compose European armies, but all capable of bearing arms, and liable to be called into service.
9-15. He Overcomes Zerah, and Spoils the Ethiopians. 9. there came out against them Zerah the Etlilopian—This could not have been from Ethiopia south of the cataracts of the Nile, for in the reign of Osorkou I., successor of >Shishak, no foreign army would have been allowed a free passage through Egypt. Zerah must, therefore, have been chief of the Cushites, or Ethiopians of Arabia, as they were evidently a nomad horde who had a settlement of tents and cattle in the neighbourhood of Gerar. a thousand thousaiid ajid three liundred chariots—" Twenty camels employed to carry couriers upon them might have procured that number of men to meet in a short time. As Zerah was the aggressor, he had time to choose when he would summon these men, and attack the enemy. Every one of these Cushite shepis not recorded (ch. 17. 2); but it has been commonly supposed that the reference is to cities which his father Abijah had taken in that quarter (cli. 13. 19). renewed the altar of the L>ord . . . before the porch— i. e., th*« altar of burnt-offering. As this was done on or about tlio fifteenth year of the reign of this pious king, the renewal must have consisted in some .splended repairs or embellishments, which made it look like a new dedication, or in a re-construction of a temporary altar, like that of Solomon (ch. 7. 7), for extraordinary sacrifices to be offered on an approaching occasion. 9-15. he gathered all Judah and Benjamin—Not satisfied with these minor measures of purification and improvement, Asa meditated a grand scheme which was to pledge his whole kingdom to complete the work of reformation, and with this view waited for a general assembly of the people, and herds, carrying with them their own provisions of flour and water, as is their invariable custom, might have fought with Asa without eating a loaf of Zerah's bread or drinking a pint of his water." [Bruce's Travels.]
1.0. Asa went out against him, and tliey set the battle In array ... at Mareshah—One of the towns which Rehoboam fortified (ch. 11. 8); near a great southern pass
In the low country of Judah (Joshua 15. 44). The engagemeat between the armies took place in a plain near the town, called "the valley of Zephathah," supposed to be the broad way coming down Beit Jibrin towards Tell EsSafreh. [Robinson.] 11-13. Asa cried unto the Lord his God—Strong in the confidence that the power of God wiis able to give the victory equally with few as with many, the pious king marched with a comparatively small force
the strangers with them out of lEphraim and Manassch—The population of Asa's kingdom had been vastly increased by the continued infiux of strangers, M'ho, to encounter the formidable host of marauders at his southern frontier. Committing his cause to God, he engaged in the conflict—completely routed the enemy, and succeeded In obtaining, as the reward of his victory, a rich booty in treasure and cattle from the tents of this prompted by motives either of interest or of piety, sought , in his dominions tliat security and freedom which they could not enjoy amidthe complicated troubles whichdistracted Israel, and out of Simeon—Althougli a portion of that tribe, located within the territory of Judah, were already subjects of the southern kingdom, the general body of the Simeonites had joined in forming the northern kingdom of Israel. But many of them now returned of their own acoord. 10. the third month—Wlien pastoral horde.
CHAPTER XV.
Ver. 1-15. Judah Makes a Solemn Covenant with Gk)D. 1. Azarlah the son of Oded—This prophet, who is mentioned no where else, appears at this stage of the sacred story In the discharge of an interesting mission. He went to meet Asa, as he was returning; from his victorious pursuit of the Ethiopians, and the congratulatory address here recorded was publicly made to the king in presence of his army. 2. The Liord is Avith you, while ye be with him—You have had, in your recent signal success, a remarkable proof that God's blessing is upon you; your victory has been the reward of your faith and piety. If you steadfastly adhere to the cause of God, you may expect a continuance of His favour; but if you abandon it you will soon reap the bitter fruits of apostasy. 3-4. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the tme Crod, &c.—Some think that Azarlah was referring to the sad and disastrous condition to which superstition and idolatry had brought the neig Woouring kingdom of was held the feast of Pentecost, which, on this occasion, was celebrated at Jerusalem by an extraordinary sacrifice of 700 oxen and 7000 sheep, the spoil of the Ethiopjans • being offered; and the assembled worshippers entered: with great and holy enthusiasm into a national covenant "to seek the Lord their God with all their heart and witU all their soul;" and, at the same time, to execute witU rigour the laws which made idolatry punishable with, death (Deuteronomy 17. 2-5; Hebrews 10. 28). The people* testified unbounded satisfaction with this important religious movement, and its moral inlluence was seen la the promotion of piety, order and tranquility throughout the land. 18. the tilings which his father hail, dedicated—Probably part of the booty obtained by his signal victory over Jeroboam, but which, though dedicated, had hitherto been unrepresented, and that he himself had dedicated— Of the booty taken from the Ethiopians. Both of these were now deposited-; in the Israel. His words should rather be taken in a wider bense, for it Deems manifest that the prophet had his eye