14 And when Judah H3063 looked back, H6437 behold, the battle H4421 was before H6440 and behind: H268 and they cried H6817 unto the LORD, H3068 and the priests H3548 sounded H2690 H2690 with the trumpets. H2689
And Asa H609 cried H7121 unto the LORD H3068 his God, H430 and said, H559 LORD, H3068 it is nothing with thee to help, H5826 whether H996 with many, H7227 or with them that have no power: H3581 help H5826 us, O LORD H3068 our God; H430 for we rest H8172 on thee, and in thy name H8034 we go H935 against this multitude. H1995 O LORD, H3068 thou art our God; H430 let not man H582 prevail H6113 against thee.
And when Pharaoh H6547 drew nigh, H7126 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 lifted up H5375 their eyes, H5869 and, behold, the Egyptians H4714 marched H5265 after H310 them; and they were sore H3966 afraid: H3372 and the children H1121 of Israel H3478 cried out H6817 unto the LORD. H3068
And when the men H582 of Ai H5857 looked H6437 behind H310 them, they saw, H7200 and, behold, the smoke H6227 of the city H5892 ascended up H5927 to heaven, H8064 and they had no power H3027 to flee H5127 this way or that way: H2008 and the people H5971 that fled H5127 to the wilderness H4057 turned back H2015 upon the pursuers. H7291
And all the men H376 of Israel H3478 rose up H6965 out of their place, H4725 and put themselves in array H6186 at Baaltamar: H1193 and the liers in wait H693 of Israel H3478 came forth H1518 out of their places, H4725 even out of the meadows H4629 of Gibeah. H1387 And there came H935 against H5048 Gibeah H1390 ten H6235 thousand H505 chosen H977 men H376 out of all Israel, H3478 and the battle H4421 was sore: H3513 but they knew H3045 not that evil H7451 was near H5060 them. And the LORD H3068 smote H5062 Benjamin H1144 before H6440 Israel: H3478 and the children H1121 of Israel H3478 destroyed H7843 of the Benjamites H1145 that day H3117 twenty H6242 and five H2568 thousand H505 and an hundred H3967 men: H376 all these drew H8025 the sword. H2719 So the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 saw H7200 that they were smitten: H5062 for the men H376 of Israel H3478 gave H5414 place H4725 to the Benjamites, H1145 because they trusted H982 unto the liers in wait H693 which they had set H7760 beside Gibeah. H1390 And the liers in wait H693 hasted, H2363 and rushed H6584 upon Gibeah; H1390 and the liers in wait H693 drew themselves along, H4900 and smote H5221 all the city H5892 with the edge H6310 of the sword. H2719 Now there was an appointed sign H4150 between the men H376 of Israel H3478 and H5973 the liers in wait, H693 that they should make a great H7235 flame H4864 with smoke H6227 rise up H5927 out of the city. H5892 And when the men H376 of Israel H3478 retired H2015 in the battle, H4421 Benjamin H1144 began H2490 to smite H5221 and kill H2491 of the men H376 of Israel H3478 about thirty H7970 persons: H376 for they said, H559 Surely H5062 they are smitten down H5062 before H6440 us, as in the first H7223 battle. H4421 But when the flame H4864 began H2490 to arise up H5927 out of the city H5892 with a pillar H5982 of smoke, H6227 the Benjamites H1145 looked H6437 behind H310 them, and, behold, the flame H3632 of the city H5892 ascended up H5927 to heaven. H8064 And when the men H376 of Israel H3478 turned again, H2015 the men H376 of Benjamin H1144 were amazed: H926 for they saw H7200 that evil H7451 was come H5060 upon them. Therefore they turned H6437 their backs before H6440 the men H376 of Israel H3478 unto the way H1870 of the wilderness; H4057 but the battle H4421 overtook H1692 them; and them which came out of the cities H5892 they destroyed H7843 in the midst H8432 of them. Thus they inclosed H3803 the Benjamites H1145 round about, H3803 and chased H7291 them, and trode them down H1869 with ease H4496 over against H5227 Gibeah H1390 toward the sunrising. H4217 H8121
And the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 came out, H3318 and put the battle H4421 in array H6186 at the entering in H6607 of the gate: H8179 and the Syrians H758 of Zoba, H6678 and of Rehob, H7340 and Ishtob, H382 and Maacah, H4601 were by themselves H905 in the field. H7704 When Joab H3097 saw H7200 that the front H6440 of the battle H4421 was against him before H6440 and behind, H268 he chose H977 of all the choice H977 men of Israel, H3478 and put them in array H6186 against H7125 the Syrians: H758 And the rest H3499 of the people H5971 he delivered H5414 into the hand H3027 of Abishai H52 his brother, H251 that he might put them in array H6186 against H7125 the children H1121 of Ammon. H5983 And he said, H559 If the Syrians H758 be too strong H2388 for me, then thou shalt help H3444 me: but if the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 be too strong H2388 for thee, then I will come H1980 and help H3467 thee. Be of good courage, H2388 and let us play the men H2388 for our people, H5971 and for the cities H5892 of our God: H430 and the LORD H3068 do H6213 that which seemeth H5869 him good. H2896 And Joab H3097 drew nigh, H5066 and the people H5971 that were with him, unto the battle H4421 against the Syrians: H758 and they fled H5127 before H6440 him. And when the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 saw H7200 that the Syrians H758 were fled, H5127 then fled H5127 they also before H6440 Abishai, H52 and entered H935 into the city. H5892 So Joab H3097 returned H7725 from the children H1121 of Ammon, H5983 and came H935 to Jerusalem. H3389
And it came to pass, when the captains H8269 of the chariots H7393 saw H7200 Jehoshaphat, H3092 that they said, H559 It is the king H4428 of Israel. H3478 Therefore they compassed about H5437 him to fight: H3898 but Jehoshaphat H3092 cried out, H2199 and the LORD H3068 helped H5826 him; and God H430 moved H5496 them to depart from him.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 13
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 13 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 13
2Ch 13:1-20. Abijah, Succeeding, Makes War against Jeroboam, and Overcomes Him.
2. His mother's name also was Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel—the same as Maachah (see on 1Ki 15:2). She was "the daughter," that is, granddaughter of Absalom (1Ki 15:2; compare 2Sa 14:1-33), mother of Abijah, "mother," that is, grandmother (1Ki 15:10, Margin) of Asa.
of Gibeah—probably implies that Uriel was connected with the house of Saul.
there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam—The occasion of this war is not recorded (see 1Ki 15:6, 7), but it may be inferred from the tenor of Abijah'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 (2Ch 11:23) for Jeroboam had forfeited all claim to protection.
3. Abijah set the battle in array—that is, took the field and opened the campaign.
with … four hundred thousand chosen men … Jeroboam with eight hundred thousand—These are, doubtless, large numbers, considering the smallness of the two kingdoms. It must be borne in mind, however, that Oriental armies are mere mobs—vast numbers accompanying the camp in hope of plunder, so that the gross numbers described as going upon an Asiatic expedition are often far from denoting the exact number of fighting men. But in accounting for the large number of soldiers enlisted in the respective armies of Abijah and Jeroboam, there is no need of resorting to this mode of explanation; for we know by the census of David the immense number of the population that was capable of bearing arms (1Ch 21:5; compare 2Ch 14:8; 17:14).
4-12. Abijah stood up upon Mount Zemaraim—He had entered the enemy's territory and was encamped on an eminence near Beth-el (Jos 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. The 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 offenses of Solomon and the divine appointment of Jeroboam, as well as the divine sanction of the separation, he upbraided Jeroboam as a usurper, and his subjects as rebels, who took advantage of the youth and inexperience of Rehoboam. Then contrasting the religious 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 (2Ch 11:14) of the Levites. He dwelt with reasonable pride on the pure and regular observance of the ancient institutions of Moses in his own dominion [2Ch 13:11] and concluded with this emphatic appeal: "O children of Israel, fight ye 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 effect it might have produced on his own troops, was unheeded by the party to whom it was addressed; for while he was wasting time in useless words, Jeroboam had ordered a detachment of his men to move quietly round the base of the hill, so that when 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 leaders "cried unto the Lord," and the priests "sounded with the trumpets"—the pledge of victory (Nu 10:9; 31:6). Reassured by the well-known signal, the men of Judah responded with 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 were broken, for "God smote Jeroboam and all Israel." They took to 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, and took cities from him—This sanguinary action widened the breach between the people of the two kingdoms. Abijah abandoned his original design of attempting the subjugation of the ten tribes, contenting himself with the recovery of a few border towns, which, though lying within Judah or Benjamin, had been alienated to the new or northern kingdom. Among these was Beth-el, which, with its sacred associations, he might be strongly desirous to wrest from profanation.
20. Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah—The disastrous action at Zemaraim, which caused the loss of the flower and chivalry of his army, broke his spirits and crippled his power.
the Lord struck him, and he died—that is, Jeroboam. He lived, indeed, two years after the death of Abijah (1Ki 14:20; 15:9). But he had been threatened with great calamities upon himself and his house, and it is apparently to the execution of these threatenings, which issued in his death, that an anticipatory reference is here made.