2 Chronicles 13

NOw in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.

He reigned three years in Jerusalem: (his mothers name also was Micajah the daughter of Uriel Called Maachah the Daughter of Absalom, 1 King. 15. 2. She might be Daughter to one, and Grand-daughter to the other; or the proper and natural Daughter of the one, and the others by Adoption; of which there are Instances in Scripture: or the same Person might be called Uriel and Absalom. See 1 King. 15. 2. of Gibeah) and there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

And Abijah set the battel in aray Against Jeroboam. We need not scrupulously enquire into the Lawfulness of this War, for this Abijah, though here he makes a fair Flourish and maintained the better Cause, yet was indeed an Ungodly Man, 1 King. 15. 3. and therefore minded not the satisfaction of his Conscience, but only the Recovery of his Parents Ancient Dominions., with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battel in aray against him with eight hundred thousand men, being mighty men of valour.

And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim Some commodious Place whence his Voice might be heard by Jeroboam and some of his Host, who possibly were pitched in the Valley. Or, the two Armies being pitched near to one another, Abijah might desire a Parly before they fought; whereupon Jeroboam and some of his Commanders and Souldiers might draw near to him and stand below him at the bottom of the Hill where they might hear his Speech: which Jeroboam was the more willing to do, that in the mean time he might cause an Ambushment to come behind Abijah and his Army, as he did, v. 13. whilest he was quietly standing before them and seemed to hearken to any Terms of Accommodation which might be offered., which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel.

Ought ye not to know, that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt i. e. By a perpetual Covenant, which thy... surpation cannot disanul. For the Phrase see on Numb. 18. 19.?

Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up and has rebelled against his lord.

And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial Such as have cast off the Yoke and Obedience which they owed both to God and to their King., and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young Not in Age, for he was then 41 years old, but in his Kingdom, which he had but newly obtained, and in Experience in Politick, and especially in Military, Affairs, to which he was wholly a Stranger, as having been born and bred up in a time of great Peace and Security. and tender-hearted i. e. Cowardly and fearful, who durst not adventure to chastise the Rebels as he should have done. But herein Abijah forgets his Duty both to his Father, whom he falsely traduceth; and to God, by whose Express Command Rehoboam was restrained from the War against Israel, which otherwise he had both Courage and Resolution to prosecute, as appears from the History, 1 King. 12. 21., and could not withstand them.

And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD, in the hand of the sons of David That Kingdom which was not set up by Vain Men in pursuance of their own Ambition and Discontent, as yours was, but ordained and established by God himself in the House of David., and ye be a great multitude Or, because (that Hebrew Particle being oft so used) ye be, &c. This he mentions partly as the ground of their Confidence, that they had more Tri... es and a greater Host; and partly as a Pres... ge of their Downfal, which trusting... o the Arm of Flesh is., and there are with you golden cal... es Or, but there are, &c. There is that among you which may damp your Courage and Confidence: You worship those Images which God a... hors and severely forbids., which Jeroboam made you for gods Or, for God, as that plural word is most commonly used, i. e. instead of God to give them the Name of God, as Exod. 32. 4. and that worship which is peculiar to him..

Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoeve... cometh to consecrate himself i. e. To make himself a Priest. See on Levit. 7. 37. with a young bullock, and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods That have nothing of the Nature or Power, though you give them the Name, of gods..

But as for us, the LORD Heb. Iehovah, the only true and great God. is our God, and we have not forsaken him We maintain his Honour and Worship which you have ungratefully rejected., and the priests which minister unto the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business.

And they burn unto the LORD every morning, and every evening, burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the show-bread also set they in order upon the pure table So called, because it was made of pure Gold, Exod. 25. 23, 24., and the candlestick of gold He says Table and Candlestick, though there were ten of each,. 4. 7, 8. either 1. because Shishak had carried away all but on...: Or 2. the singular number is put for the plural, as 1 King. 7. 48. and oft elsewhere. Or 3. because ordinarily there was but one of each used at a time for those uses. with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening And from Evening to Morning continually, Lev. 24. 2, 3. for which End one Candlestick was sufficient, and it is very improbable that all the Candlesticks were used every night., for we keep the charge of the LORD our God This he says, though he was an ungodly King; either because he flattered himself and fancied that his keeping up the External Worship of God would make full satisfaction for the Errors of his Life: Or, that he might hereby encourage his own Souldiers, and convince or terrifie his Enemies.; but ye have forsaken him.

And behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you Upon the sounding whereof God has solemnly promised to... ssist his People, Numb. 10. 9.: O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers You have not only us for your Enemies, but God, even the God whom your Fathers honoured and served, to their own great Comfort and Benefit., for ye shall not prosper.

But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them Whilest Abijah was discoursing, Jeroboam takes the Advantage of it to lay an Ambush.: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them.

And when Judah looked back, behold, the battel was before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass that God smote By strengthning the Hearts and Hands of the Men of Judah, and taking away the Spirits and Power of their Enemies; and, it may be, by some extraordinary Assistance. Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand.

And Abijah and his people slew them with a very great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand b chosen men. A... ast Number: but it has been oft observed and recorded by sacred and profane that in ansient Ti... es there were very numerous Armie and oft times very great; and if this Slaughter was than ordinary, there is nothing strange nor incredible, the Almighty God fo... ght the Israelites.

Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relyed upon the LORD They put their Trust in him and con... idently expected Help from him: which is a Disposition of heart that God prizeth and taketh kindly. See 2 King. 18. 5. 2 Chron. 20. 20. Psal. 22. 4. 3. 28. God of their fathers.

And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Beth-el Which Jeroboam recovered afterwards, as appears by the course of the History, though it be not pa... ticularly mentioned which is the case of many other considerable things. And in the mean time it is very probable that, when Jeroboams Host was discomfited, and he expected that Abijah would purs... e his Victory, he removed the Golden Calf from Beth-el, which lay near Abijahs Kingdom to some safer Place. with the towns thereo..., and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephraim A City so called, possibly the same which is mentioned, Ioh. 11. 54. or that which is called Ophra, Iudg. 8. 27. with the towns thereof.

Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the LORD strook him i. e. Jeroboam, as appears from the contrary... ondition of Abijah described in the next verse. Him God might strike either with vexation and horror of Mind: or with some painful and lingring but incurable Disease, like that of Jehoram, which tormented him two years together, and at last killed him, 2 Chro.... 21. 19., and he died Not presently, but a year or two after this time..

But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters Not now after this Victory, for he died presently after it, but in the whole time of his Life, before he was King, and afterward..

And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.