2 Chronicles12
New King James Version
1Now it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, that he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel along with him.
2And it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord,
3with twelve hundred chariots, sixty thousand horsemen, and people without number who came with him out of Egypt—the Lubim and the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians.
4And he took the fortified cities of Judah and came to Jerusalem.
5Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah, who were gathered together in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the Lord: ‘You have forsaken Me, and therefore I also have left you in the hand of Shishak.’ ”
6So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, “The Lord is righteous.”
7Now when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance. My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
8Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may distinguish My service from the service of the kingdoms of the nations.”
9So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house; he took everything. He also carried away the gold shields which Solomon had made.
10Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who guarded the doorway of the king’s house.
11And whenever the king entered the house of the Lord, the guard would go and bring them out; then they would take them back into the guardroom.
12When he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and things also went well in Judah.
13Thus King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Now Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king; and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. His mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess.
14And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.
15The acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.
16So Rehoboam rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David. Then Abijah his son reigned 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