2 And it came to pass, that in the fifth H2549 year H8141 of king H4428 Rehoboam H7346 Shishak H7895 king H4428 of Egypt H4714 came up H5927 against Jerusalem, H3389 because they had transgressed H4603 against the LORD, H3068
Solomon H8010 sought H1245 therefore to kill H4191 Jeroboam. H3379 And Jeroboam H3379 arose, H6965 and fled H1272 into Egypt, H4714 unto Shishak H7895 king H4428 of Egypt, H4714 and was in Egypt H4714 until the death H4194 of Solomon. H8010
And they forsook H5800 the LORD, H3068 and served H5647 Baal H1168 and Ashtaroth. H6252 And the anger H639 of the LORD H3068 was hot H2734 against Israel, H3478 and he delivered H5414 them into the hands H3027 of spoilers H8154 that spoiled H8155 them, and he sold H4376 them into the hands H3027 of their enemies H341 round about, H5439 so that they could H3201 not any longer H5750 stand H5975 before H6440 their enemies. H341 Whithersoever they went out, H3318 the hand H3027 of the LORD H3068 was against them for evil, H7451 as the LORD H3068 had said, H1696 and as the LORD H3068 had sworn H7650 unto them: and they were greatly H3966 distressed. H3334
And there were also sodomites H6945 in the land: H776 and they did H6213 according to all the abominations H8441 of the nations H1471 which the LORD H3068 cast out H3423 before H6440 the children H1121 of Israel. H3478 And it came to pass in the fifth H2549 year H8141 of king H4428 Rehoboam, H7346 that Shishak H7895 king H4428 of Egypt H4714 came up H5927 against Jerusalem: H3389 And he took away H3947 the treasures H214 of the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and the treasures H214 of the king's H4428 house; H1004 he even took away H3947 all: and he took away H3947 all the shields H4043 of gold H2091 which Solomon H8010 had made. H6213
And thou, Solomon H8010 my son, H1121 know H3045 thou the God H430 of thy father, H1 and serve H5647 him with a perfect H8003 heart H3820 and with a willing H2655 mind: H5315 for the LORD H3068 searcheth H1875 all hearts, H3824 and understandeth H995 all the imaginations H3336 of the thoughts: H4284 if thou seek H1875 him, he will be found H4672 of thee; but if thou forsake H5800 him, he will cast thee off H2186 for ever. H5703
But if ye turn away, H7725 and forsake H5800 my statutes H2708 and my commandments, H4687 which I have set H5414 before H6440 you, and shall go H1980 and serve H5647 other H312 gods, H430 and worship H7812 them; Then will I pluck them up by the roots H5428 out of my land H127 which I have given H5414 them; and this house, H1004 which I have sanctified H6942 for my name, H8034 will I cast out H7993 of my sight, H6440 and will make H5414 it to be a proverb H4912 and a byword H8148 among all nations. H5971
Moreover all the chief H8269 of the priests, H3548 and the people, H5971 transgressed H4603 very H4604 much H7235 after all the abominations H8441 of the heathen; H1471 and polluted H2930 the house H1004 of the LORD H3068 which he had hallowed H6942 in Jerusalem. H3389 And the LORD H3068 God H430 of their fathers H1 sent H7971 to them by H3027 his messengers, H4397 rising up betimes, H7925 and sending; H7971 because he had compassion H2550 on his people, H5971 and on his dwelling place: H4583 But they mocked H3931 the messengers H4397 of God, H430 and despised H959 his words, H1697 and misused H8591 his prophets, H5030 until the wrath H2534 of the LORD H3068 arose H5927 against his people, H5971 till there was no remedy. H4832 Therefore he brought H5927 upon them the king H4428 of the Chaldees, H3778 who slew H2026 their young men H970 with the sword H2719 in the house H1004 of their sanctuary, H4720 and had no compassion H2550 upon young man H970 or maiden, H1330 old man, H2205 or him that stooped for age: H3486 he gave H5414 them all into his hand. H3027 And all the vessels H3627 of the house H1004 of God, H430 great H1419 and small, H6996 and the treasures H214 of the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and the treasures H214 of the king, H4428 and of his princes; H8269 all these he brought H935 to Babylon. H894 And they burnt H8313 the house H1004 of God, H430 and brake down H5422 the wall H2346 of Jerusalem, H3389 and burnt H8313 all the palaces H759 thereof with fire, H784 and destroyed H7843 all the goodly H4261 vessels H3627 thereof.
Nevertheless they were disobedient, H4784 and rebelled H4775 against thee, and cast H7993 thy law H8451 behind H310 their backs, H1458 and slew H2026 thy prophets H5030 which testified H5749 against them to turn H7725 them to thee, and they wrought H6213 great H1419 provocations. H5007 Therefore thou deliveredst H5414 them into the hand H3027 of their enemies, H6862 who vexed H6887 them: and in the time H6256 of their trouble, H6869 when they cried H6817 unto thee, thou heardest H8085 them from heaven; H8064 and according to thy manifold H7227 mercies H7356 thou gavest H5414 them saviours, H3467 who saved H3467 them out of the hand H3027 of their enemies. H6862
Thine own wickedness H7451 shall correct H3256 thee, and thy backslidings H4878 shall reprove H3198 thee: know H3045 therefore and see H7200 that it is an evil H7451 thing and bitter, H4751 that thou hast forsaken H5800 the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and that my fear H6345 is not in thee, saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD H3069 of hosts. H6635
So that the LORD H3068 could H3201 no longer bear, H5375 because H6440 of the evil H7455 of your doings, H4611 and because H6440 of the abominations H8441 which ye have committed; H6213 therefore is your land H776 a desolation, H2723 and an astonishment, H8047 and a curse, H7045 without an inhabitant, H3427 as at this day. H3117 Because H6440 H834 ye have burned incense, H6999 and because ye have sinned H2398 against the LORD, H3068 and have not obeyed H8085 the voice H6963 of the LORD, H3068 nor walked H1980 in his law, H8451 nor in his statutes, H2708 nor in his testimonies; H5715 therefore this evil H7451 is happened H7122 unto you, as at this day. H3117
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 12
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 12 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 12
2Ch 12:1-12. Rehoboam, Forsaking God, Is Punished by Shishak.
1. when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself—(See on 2Ch 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 subjects, for "all Israel was with him," that is, the people in his own kingdom. The very next year, the fifth of his reign, punishment was inflicted by the invasion of Shishak.
2. Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem—He was the first king of the twenty-second or Bubastic 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 ambitious 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 auxiliaries.
3-5. the Lubims—the Libyans of northeastern Africa.
the Sukkiims—Some think these were the Kenite Arabs, dwellers in tents, but others maintain more justly that these were Arab troglodytes, who inhabited the caverns of a mountain range on the western coast of the Red Sea.
and the Ethiopians—from the regions south of Egypt. By the overwhelming force of numbers, they took the fortresses of Judah which had been recently put in a state of defense, and marched to lay siege to the capital. While Shishak and his army was before Jerusalem, the prophet Shemaiah addressed Rehoboam and the princes, tracing this calamity to the national apostasy and threatening them with utter destruction in consequence of having forsaken God (2Ch 12:6).
6. the princes of Israel—(compare 2Ch 12:5, "the princes of Judah").
7, 8. when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves—Their repentance and contrition was followed by the best effects; for Shemaiah was commissioned to announce that the phial of divine judgment would not be fully poured out on them—that the entire overthrow of the kingdom of Judah would not take place at that time, nor through the agency of Shishak; and yet, although it should enjoy a respite from total subversion, [Judah] should become a tributary province of Egypt in order that the people might learn how much lighter and better is the service of God than that of idolatrous foreign despots.
9. So Shishak … came up against Jerusalem—After the parenthetical clause (2Ch 12:5-8) describing the 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—that is, everything valuable he found. The cost of the targets and shields has been estimated at about £239,000 [Napier, Ancient Workers in Metal].
the shields of gold—made by Solomon, were kept in the house of the forest of Lebanon (2Ch 9:16). They seem to have been borne, like maces, by the guards 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, according to the interpreters, is carved and written in hieroglyphics on the walls of the great palace of Karnak, where it may be seen at the present day. This sculpture is about twenty-seven hundred years old, and is of peculiar interest as a striking testimony from Egypt to the truth of Scripture history.
12. when he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him—The promise (2Ch 12:7) was verified. Divine providence preserved the kingdom in existence, a reformation was made in the court, while true religion and piety were diffused throughout the land.
2Ch 12:13-16. His Reign and Death.
13, 14. Rehoboam strengthened … and reigned—The Egyptian invasion had been a mere predatory expedition, not extending beyond the limits of Judah, and probably, ere long, repelled by the invaded. Rehoboam's government acquired new life and vigor by the general revival of true religion, and his reign continued many years after the departure of Shishak. But
he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord—that is, he did not adhere firmly to the good course of reformation he had begun, "and he did evil," for through the unhappy influence of his mother, a heathen foreigner, he had no doubt received in his youth a strong bias towards idolatry (see on 1Ki 14:21).