2 Chronicles12
New American Standard
1When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the Law of the Lord.
2And it came about in King Rehoboam’s fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem
3with 1,200 chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were innumerable: the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians.
4And he captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.
5Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have abandoned Me, so I also have abandoned you to Shishak.’”
6So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is righteous.”
7When the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves, so I will not destroy them; and I will grant them a little deliverance, and My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak.
8But they will become his slaves, so that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”
9So Shishak king of Egypt went up against Jerusalem, and he took the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s palace. He took everything; he even took the gold shields which Solomon had made.
10Then King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place and committed them to the care of the commanders of the guards who guarded the entrance of the king’s house.
11As often as the king entered the house of the Lord, the guards came and carried them and then brought them back into the guards’ room.
12And when he humbled himself, the anger of the Lord turned away from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and conditions were also good in Judah.
13So King Rehoboam became powerful in Jerusalem and reigned there. For Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess.
14But he did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.
15Now the acts of Rehoboam, from the first to the last, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, according to genealogical enrollment? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.
16And Rehoboam lay down with his fathers and was buried in the city of David; and his son Abijah became king in his place.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 2 Chronicles 12.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Rehoboam, forsaking the Lord, is punished. (1-16).
vv1-16
When Rehoboam was so strong that he supposed he had nothing to fear from Jeroboam, he cast off his outward profession of godliness. It is very common, but very lamentable, that men, who in distress or danger, or near death, seem much engaged in seeking and serving God, throw aside all their religion when they have received a merciful deliverance. God quickly brought troubles upon Judah, to awaken the people to repentance, before their hearts were hardened. Thus it becomes us, when we are under the rebukes of Providence, to justify God, and to judge ourselves. If we have humbled hearts under humbling providences, the affliction has done its work; it shall be removed, or the property of it be altered. The more God's service is compared with other services, the more reasonable and easy it will appear. Are the laws of temperance thought hard? The effects of intemperance will be found much harder. The service of God is perfect liberty; the service of our lusts is complete slavery. Rehoboam was never rightly fixed in his religion. He never quite cast off God; yet he engaged not his heart to seek the Lord. See what his fault was; he did not serve the Lord, because he did not seek the Lord. He did not pray, as Solomon, for wisdom and grace; he did not consult the word of God, did not seek to that as his oracle, nor follow its directions. He made nothing of his religion, because he did not set his heart to it, nor ever came up to a steady resolution in it. He did evil, because he never was determined for good.
Key Words
מַלְכוּת: a rule; concretely, a dominion
רְחַבְעָם: Rechabam, an Israelite king
כּוּן: properly, to be erect (i.e. stand perpendicular); hence (causatively) to set up, in a great variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix, prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper or prosperous)
חֶזְקָה: prevailing power
עָזַב: to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit, etc.
תּוֹרָה: a precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch
כֹּל: properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
עִם: adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)
חֲמִישִׁי: fifth; also a fifth
Cross References
2 Chronicles 12Direct parallel account of Shishak of Egypt's invasion of Jerusalem in Rehoboam's fifth year.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Direct parallel account of Shishak taking temple treasures and Solomon's golden shields.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Direct parallel showing Rehoboam replacing the plundered golden shields with brass shields.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel details on Rehoboam's age, reign length, and mother Naamah the Ammonitess.
Supported by JFB
Establishes that Rehoboam walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years before apostasy.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Theological backdrop of serving enemies because they refused to joyfully serve the Lord.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Mentions the Lubims (Libyans) and Ethiopians as a massive, formidable military force.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel where God mitigates judgment when a king (Ahab) humbles himself.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Identifies Lubim and Put as helpers of Egypt, confirming Shishak's listed allies.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Prophetic association grouping Egyptians, Libyans (Lubims), and Ethiopians together.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Context showing Solomon originally made the golden shields Shishak carried away.
Supported by JFB
Contrasts those who set their hearts to seek God with Rehoboam who did not.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Echoes the confession 'The Lord is righteous' made during national judgment.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallel account of Rehoboam's death and Abijah's succession.
Supported by Matthew Poole