4 And Abijah riseth up on the hill of Zemaraim that 'is' in the hill-country of Ephraim, and saith, 'Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel! 5 Is it not for you to know that Jehovah, God of Israel, hath given the kingdom to David over Israel to the age, to him and to his sons—a covenant of salt? 6 and rise up doth Jeroboam, son of Nebat, servant of Solomon son of David, and rebelleth against his lord! 7 'And there are gathered unto him vain men, sons of worthlessness, and they strengthen themselves against Rehoboam son of Solomon, and Rehoboam was a youth, and tender of heart, and hath not strengthened himself against them. 8 'And now, ye are saying to strengthen yourselves before the kingdom of Jehovah in the hand of the sons of David, and ye 'are' a numerous multitude, and with you calves of gold that Jeroboam hath made to you for gods. 9 'Have ye not cast out the priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make to you priests like the peoples of the lands? every one who hath come to fill his hand with a bullock, a son of the herd, and seven rams, even he hath been a priest to No-gods! 10 'As for us, Jehovah 'is' our God, and we have not forsaken Him, and priests are ministering to Jehovah, sons of Aaron and the Levites, in the work, 11 and are making perfume to Jehovah, burnt-offerings morning by morning, and evening by evening, and perfume of spices, and the arrangement of bread 'is' on the pure table, and the candlestick of gold, and its lamps, to burn evening by evening, for we are keeping the charge of Jehovah our God, and ye—ye have forsaken Him. 12 'And lo, with us—at 'our' head—'is' God, and His priests and trumpets of shouting to shout against you; O sons of Israel, do not fight with Jehovah, God of your fathers, for ye do not prosper.'
13 And Jeroboam hath brought round the ambush to come in from behind them, and they are before Judah, and the ambush 'is' behind them. 14 And Judah turneth, and lo, against them 'is' the battle, before and behind, and they cry to Jehovah, and the priests are blowing with trumpets, 15 and the men of Judah shout—and it cometh to pass, at the shouting of the men of Judah, that God hath smitten Jeroboam, and all Israel, before Abijah and Judah. 16 And the sons of Israel flee from the face of Judah, and God giveth them into their hand, 17 and Abijah and his people smite among them a great smiting, and there fall wounded of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. 18 And the sons of Israel are humbled at that time, and the sons of Judah are strong, for they have leant on Jehovah, God of their fathers. 19 And Abijah pursueth after Jeroboam, and captureth from him cities, Beth-El and its small towns, and Jeshanah and its small towns, and Ephraim and its small towns. 20 And Jeroboam hath not retained power any more in the days of Abijah, and Jehovah smiteth him, and he dieth.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Chronicles 13:4-20
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.