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2 Chronicles 12

1

And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.

2

And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord,

3

With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.

4

And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.

5

Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.

6

Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The Lord is righteous.

7

And 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; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

1
8

Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

9

So 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 all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

10

Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king’s house.

11

And when the king entered into the house of the Lord, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber.

12

And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well.

13

So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, 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. And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess.

14

And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.

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Now the 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 continually.

16

And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.

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2 Chronicles 12

Rehoboam abandons the law of the LORD and leads Judah into unfaithfulness, causing the Egyptian king Shishak to invade Judah with overwhelming force, capturing cities and threatening Jerusalem, until the king and the princes humble themselves and seek the LORD's mercy. The Chronicler presents Shishak's invasion as God's judgment on Rehoboam's apostasy, demonstrating the causal connection between covenant unfaithfulness and military catastrophe that structures the theological logic of the entire Chronicles narrative. Rehoboam's repentance and the princes' acknowledgment that 'the LORD is righteous' leads God to relent from completely destroying the kingdom, though He permits Shishak's conquest to proceed partially, ensuring that Judah remains humbled and aware that its survival depends on divine mercy rather than military strength. The theological principle emerges that humility, repentance, and the acknowledgment of God's justice can mitigate divine judgment, transforming a catastrophe into a mercy that preserves the people and reminds them of their covenant obligations. The narrative contrasts the magnitude of Shishak's forces—1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen—with the relatively small resistance Judah can muster, emphasizing that Judah's survival depends entirely on God's response to the people's repentance rather than on military capability. Rehoboam's later reign shows some stability and the people's continued existence in the land, indicating that repentance, though it does not fully undo the consequences of apostasy, can preserve the covenant relationship and allow God's purposes to continue through the chastened and humbled people.

2 Chronicles 12:16

In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah — Abijah's reign began in the 18th year of Jeroboam's rule (וּבִשְׁנַת־שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה לַמֶּלֶךְ יָרָבְעָם). The dating coordinated northern and southern chronologies.

2 Chronicles 12:13

And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the LORD — The summary judgment: Rehoboam 'did evil' (וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע) because he failed to 'set his heart to seek the LORD' (כִּי־לֹא־הֵכִין אֶת־לְבָבוֹ לִדְרֹשׁ אֶת־יְהוָה). The pattern: devotion leads to blessing; apostasy leads to punishment.

2 Chronicles 12:14

Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the chronicles of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer as regards genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually — The Chronicler cites prophetic sources for Rehoboam's reign (דִּבְרֵי שְׁמַעְיָה הַנָּבִיא וְעִדּוֹ הַחֹזֶה). Perpetual conflict marked the era (וּמִלְחָמוֹת בֵּין רְחַבְעָם וּבֵין יָרָבְעָם כָּל־הַיָּמִים).

2 Chronicles 12:15

And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David. And Abijah his son reigned in his place — Rehoboam died (וַיִּשְׁכַּב רְחַבְעָם עִם־אֲבוֹתָיו וַיִּקָּבֵר בְעִיר דָּוִד) and was succeeded by Abijah (וַיִּמְלֹךְ אַבִּיָּה בְנוֹ תַחְתָּיו). The succession continued within the Davidic line.

2 Chronicles 12:4

Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, 'Thus says the LORD, You abandoned me, so I also have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak' — The prophet Shemaiah (וַיָּבֹא שְׁמַעְיָה הַנָּבִיא אֶל־רְחַבְעָם וְשָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר נִקְבְּצוּ בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם מִפְּנֵי שִׁישַׁק) delivered judgment: because Judah 'abandoned me' (עֲזַבְתֶּם אוֹתִי וַאֲנִי עָזַבְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בְּיַד־שִׁישַׁק), God abandoned them to Egypt. The covenant principle of retribution operated: abandonment of God leads to divine withdrawal.

2 Chronicles 12:5

Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, 'The LORD is righteous' — Upon hearing the prophecy, 'the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves' (וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ הַשָּׂרִים וְהַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּשְׁפְּלוּ וַיֹּאמְרוּ צַדִּיק יְהוָה). The recognition of divine justice (צַדִּיק יְהוָה, 'the LORD is just/righteous') initiated repentance.

2 Chronicles 12:6

And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, 'They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak — God responded to humiliation (וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוָה אֶת־תְּחִנָּתָם): Rehoboam and his princes would not be destroyed. Some 'deliverance' (פְלֵיטָה, deliverance/remnant) would be granted; Jerusalem would not be entirely destroyed. The divine response was conditional: recognition of justice and humiliation led to partial sparing.

2 Chronicles 12:7

'Nevertheless, they shall be servants to him, that they may know the difference between serving me and serving the kingdoms of the countries' — Yet Rehoboam's kingdom would become Egyptian vassals (וְהָיוּ לְשִׁישַׁק עֲבָדִים), forced to serve Egypt. The servitude itself became instructive: they would experience the difference between serving YHWH and serving foreign powers (וְיָדְעוּ...בֵּין עַבְדוּתִי וּבְעַבְדוּת מַלְכוֹת הָאָרֶץ). Exile to foreign service becomes a lesson in covenant-value.

2 Chronicles 12:8

'So 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 took away the shields of gold which Solomon had made — Shishak plundered the temple (וַיִּשְׂא אֶת־אוֹצְרוֹת בֵּית־יְהוָה וְאוֹצְרוֹת בֵּית־הַמֶּלֶךְ) and palace treasuries, including the gold shields Solomon had crafted (וְאֶת־הַמָּגִנִּים הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂוּ שְׁלֹמֹה). The plunder stripped Judah of material wealth and symbols of power.

2 Chronicles 12:9

And King Rehoboam made in their stead shields of bronze, and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king's house — Rehoboam replaced the gold shields with bronze substitutes (וַיַּעַשׂ הַמֶּלֶךְ רְחַבְעָם תַּחְתֵּיהֶם מָגִנִּי נְחֹשֶׁת וַיִּתְמְקֵם בְיַד שָׂרֵי־הַרָצִים הַשֹּׁמְרִים אֶת־פֶּתַח־בֵּית־הַמֶּלֶךְ), assigning them to ceremonial guards. The material substitution symbolized diminished glory.

2 Chronicles 12:10

And as often as the king went into the house of the LORD, the guard came and carried them, and then brought them back to the guard chamber — Each time Rehoboam entered the temple, guards would carry the bronze shields in procession, then return them to quarters—a performative reminder of reduced status and foreign vassalage.

2 Chronicles 12:11

But when he humbled himself the wrath of the LORD turned from him, so as not to make a complete destruction; and conditions in Judah were good — Rehoboam's humiliation (בִּשְׁפִּיל אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ) turned aside divine wrath (וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוָה אֶת־תְּחִנָּתוֹ). 'Conditions in Judah were good' (וַיִּהְיוּ דְבָרִים טוֹבִים בִּיהוּדָה)—the kingdom achieved stability despite vassalage. The covenant principle: humiliation and repentance restore divine favor.

2 Chronicles 12:12

So King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, 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 the Ammonite — Rehoboam reigned 17 years (וַיִּתְחַזַּק רְחַבְעָם בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם וַיִּמְלֹךְ), beginning at age 41. His mother Naamah was Ammonite (שְׁמוֹ־נַעֲמָה הָעַמּוֹנִית). The Chronicler notes the chosen city (Jerusalem) where God's name resides.

2 Chronicles 12:2

Because they were unfaithful to the LORD, in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against them with twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. And the people were without number that came with him from Egypt: the Libyans, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians — Punishment came swiftly: 'because they were unfaithful' (בְמַעַל אֲשֶׁר־מַעֲלוּ בַיהוָה), in Rehoboam's fifth year (בִּשְׁנַת־חָמֵשׁ לַמֶּלֶךְ רְחַבְעָם). Shishak (the Egyptian pharaoh) invaded (עָלָה שִׁישַׁק מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם עַל־יְרוּשָׁלַיִם) with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen, plus allied troops (Libyans, Sukkiim, Ethiopians). The invading force was overwhelming.

2 Chronicles 12:3

And they took the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem — The Egyptian army captured Judah's fortified cities and approached Jerusalem. The kingdom's defense-system proved inadequate against foreign power.

2 Chronicles 12:1

When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he had become strong, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him — After establishing his kingdom's stability (בִּנְחוֹם מַלְכוּת רְחַבְעָם), Rehoboam 'forsook the law of the LORD' (וַיַּעֲזֹב אֶת־תּוֹרַת יְהוָה וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל עִמּוֹ). The pattern emerges: initial faithfulness (11:17), then apostasy. The southern kingdom and its king turned from covenant observance.