2 Chronicles 13: Abijah's speech on Mount Zemaraim, and the victory over Jeroboam
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What happens?
Abijah begins to reign over Judah, and war with Jeroboam leads to a battle in which Jeroboam has 800,000 chosen men against Abijah's 400,000. From Mount Zemaraim Abijah speaks to Jeroboam and all Israel about David's kingdom, the golden calves and the priests. Jeroboam sets an ambush behind Judah, Judah cries to Yahweh and the priests blow the trumpets, God strikes Jeroboam and Israel, and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fall. Abijah takes three cities, Jeroboam does not recover his strength, and Abijah takes fourteen wives.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold: God speaks no words of his own in this chapter. Abijah speaks in verses 4 to 12, to Jeroboam and all Israel, and everything he says about Yahweh, the covenant, the priests and the calves is his own speech. Verses 15, 16 and 20, that God struck Jeroboam and Israel, that God delivered them into Judah's hand, and that Yahweh struck him, are the narrator's words. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah.
In plain English: In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah.
The Hebrew word: The name is Aviyah, which the dictionary gives as "Abijah, the name of several Israelite men and two Israelitesses". has the same eighteenth year of Jeroboam but calls him "Abijam", which the dictionary gives as "Abijam (or Abijah), a king of Judah". The text does not explain the two forms.
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2He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
In plain English: He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
Good to know: gives the same three years, but names his mother "Maacah the daughter of Abishalom". This verse says "Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah". In Maacah is the mother of Abijah, Rehoboam's son. The text does not explain the difference.
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3Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men; and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valor.
In plain English: Abijah bound the battle (that is, joined battle) with an army of mighty men of war, four hundred thousand chosen men. Jeroboam drew up in battle formation against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, mighty men of strength.
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4Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel:
In plain English: Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel:
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5Ought you not to know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?
In plain English: Do you not know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the kingship over Israel to David forever, to him and to his descendants, by a covenant of salt?
Good to know: The words "covenant of salt" are in 2 verses of this Bible: this one and , where they are said of the wave offerings of the holy things given "as a portion forever"; there the covenant is also called "forever before Yahweh". The dictionary gives the word for salt, melach, as "properly, powder, i.e. (specifically) salt (as easily pulverized and dissolved)". The text here does not say more about the phrase.
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6Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord.
In plain English: Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master.
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7Worthless men were gathered to him, wicked fellows who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender hearted, and could not withstand them.
In plain English: Worthless men were gathered to him, sons of worthlessness, and they proved themselves strong against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was a young man and weak of heart and could not show himself strong before them.
Good to know: Abijah says Rehoboam "was a young man and weak of heart". The word for "young man", naar, the dictionary gives as "a boy (as active), from the age of infancy to adolescence; by implication, a servant". says Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign. The text does not explain how the two fit.
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8“Now you intend to withstand the kingdom of Yahweh in the hand of the sons of David. You are a great multitude, and the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods are with you.
In plain English: And now you are saying (the WEB: you intend) to show yourselves strong against the kingdom of Yahweh in the hand of the descendants of David. You are a great multitude, and the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you for gods are with you.
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9Haven’t you driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves according to the ways of the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of those who are no gods.
In plain English: Have you not driven out the priests of Yahweh, the descendants of Aaron, and the Levites, and appointed priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Everyone who comes to consecrate himself (literally: to fill his hand) with a young bull and seven rams becomes a priest of what are no gods.
Good to know: Abijah says Jeroboam's people drove out the priests of Yahweh and the Levites. says the Levites left their pasture lands and their property and went to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons rejected them from serving as priests to Yahweh, and says Jeroboam appointed priests for himself.
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10“But as for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests serving Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work.
In plain English: But as for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests serving Yahweh, the descendants of Aaron, and the Levites are in the work.
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11They burn to Yahweh every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense. They also set the show bread in order on the pure table, and care for the gold lamp stand with its lamps, to burn every evening; for we keep the instruction of Yahweh our God, but you have forsaken him.
In plain English: They burn (literally: make smoke) burnt offerings to Yahweh every morning and every evening, and incense of perfume. They set out the row of bread on the clean table, and the gold lampstand with its lamps to burn every evening. For we are keeping the duty (the WEB: the instruction) of Yahweh our God, but you have forsaken him.
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12Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. Children of Israel, don’t fight against Yahweh, the God of your fathers; for you will not prosper.”
In plain English: And look, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets for sounding the battle signal against you. People of Israel, do not fight with Yahweh, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed."
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13But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them; so they were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them.
In plain English: But Jeroboam had sent an ambush around to come from behind them. So they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them.
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14When Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried to Yahweh, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.
In plain English: Judah turned and saw that the battle was before and behind them. They cried out to Yahweh, and the priests blew the trumpets.
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15Then the men of Judah gave a shout. As the men of Judah shouted, God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
In plain English: Then the men of Judah sounded the battle shout. As the men of Judah shouted, God struck down Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
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16The children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand.
In plain English: The people of Israel fled from Judah, and God gave them into their hand.
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17Abijah and his people killed them with a great slaughter, so five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell down slain.
In plain English: Abijah and his people struck them with a great slaughter, and five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell slain.
Good to know: gives Abijah four hundred thousand chosen men and Jeroboam eight hundred thousand. This verse says five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell slain. The text gives no number for Judah's losses.
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18Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
In plain English: So the people of Israel were humbled (the WEB: brought under) at that time, and the people of Judah were strong, because they depended on Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
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19Abijah pursued Jeroboam, and took cities from him: Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron with its villages.
In plain English: Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured cities from him: Bethel and its villages (literally: daughters), Jeshanah and its villages, and Ephron (the Hebrew letters spell Ephron, but the reading given for them is Ephrayin) and its villages.
The Hebrew words: "Villages" is word for word "daughters". The dictionary gives bat as "a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)", the same word as in . The letters of the third city's name in the Hebrew text spell "Ephron", and the reading given for them is "Ephrayin"; this Bible gives it as "Ephron", which the dictionary gives as "the name of a Canaanite and of two places in Palestine".
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20Jeroboam didn’t recover strength again in the days of Abijah. Yahweh struck him, and he died.
In plain English: Jeroboam did not keep his strength again in the days of Abijah. And Yahweh struck him, and he died.
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21But Abijah grew mighty and took for himself fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
In plain English: But Abijah strengthened himself and took fourteen wives for himself, and he fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
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22The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways, and his sayings are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.
In plain English: The rest of the matters of Abijah, his ways and his words, are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.
The Hebrew word: "Commentary" is midrash, which the dictionary gives as "properly, an investigation, i.e. (by implication) a treatise or elaborate compilation". It is in 2 verses of the Bible, this one and , and this Bible says "commentary" in both. The text does not say more about the record.
Good to know: Iddo is named as a seer in and . This verse calls him "the prophet Iddo".
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