17 And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.
17 Abijah and his troops inflicted heavy losses on them, so that there were five hundred thousand casualties among Israel's able men.
17 Abijah and his people struck them with great force, so there fell slain of Israel 500,000 chosen men.
17 Abijah and his troops slaughtered them - 500,000 of Israel's best fighters were killed that day.
17 Then Abijah and his people struck them with a great slaughter; so five hundred thousand choice men of Israel fell slain.
17 Abijah and his army inflicted heavy losses on them; 500,000 of Israel's select troops were killed that day.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Chronicles 13:17
Chapter Contents
Abijah overcomes Jeroboam.
Jeroboam and his people, by apostacy and idolatry, merited the severe punishment Abijah was permitted to execute upon them. It appears from the character of Abijah, 1 Kings 15:3, that he was not himself truly religious, yet he encouraged himself from the religion of his people. It is common for those that deny the power of godliness, to boast of the form of it. Many that have little religion themselves, value it in others. But it was true that there were numbers of pious worshippers in Judah, and that theirs was the more righteous cause. In their distress, when danger was on every side, which way should they look for deliverance unless upward? It is an unspeakable comfort, that our way thither is always open. They cried unto the Lord. Earnest prayer is crying. To the cry of prayer they added the shout of faith, and became more than conquerors. Jeroboam escaped the sword of Abijah, but God struck him; there is no escaping his sword.