2 Chronicles12
New International Version
1 After Rehoboam’s position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the Lord.
2 Because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam.
3 With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen and the innumerable troops of Libyans, Sukkites and Cushites that came with him from Egypt,
4 he captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.
5 Then the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the Lord says, ‘You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you to Shishak.’”
6 The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is just.”
7 When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: “Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.
8 They will, however, become subject to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands.”
9 When Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem, he carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including the gold shields Solomon had made.
10 So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.
11 Whenever the king went to the Lord’s temple, the guards went with him, bearing the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom.
12 Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good in Judah.
13 King Rehoboam established himself firmly in Jerusalem and continued as king. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite.
14 He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.
15 As for the events of Rehoboam’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer that deal with genealogies? There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.
16 Rehoboam rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Abijah his son succeeded him as king.
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2 Chronicles 12Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 2 Chronicles 12. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
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