2 Chronicles 12

Chapter context

What is happening in 2 Chronicles 12?

templereformprayerjudgment

2 Chronicles 12 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as the kings of Judah. Second Chronicles recounts Solomon’s temple, the Judahite kings, reform movements, the fall of Jerusalem, and Cyrus’s decree of return. Read this chapter with the wider themes of temple, reform, and prayer in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

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. 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. ¹⁵ 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.

Study helps

Glossary

Rehoboam Person v. 1-2, 5, 10, 13, 15-16: He enlarges the people, the successor of Solomon on the throne, and apparently his only son. He was the son of Naamah “the Ammonitess,” some well-known Ammonitish princess ( 1 Kings 14:21 ; 2 Chr. 12:13 ).
Egypt Place v. 2-3, 9: The land of the Nile and the pyramids, the oldest kingdom of which we have any record, holds a place of great significance in Scripture. Modern identification: Ain Shams.
Jerusalem Place v. 2, 4-5, 7, 9, 13: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
Lubims People v. 3: The inhabitants of a thirsty or scorched land; the Lybians, an African nation under tribute to Egypt ( 2 Chr. 12:3 ; 16:8 ). Their territory was apparently near Egypt. They were probably the Mizraite Lehabim.
Shemaiah Person v. 5, 7, 15: Whom Jehovah heard. (1. ) A prophet in the reign of Rehoboam ( 1 Kings 12:22-24 ). (2. ) Neh. 3:29 . (3. ) A Simeonite ( 1 Chr. 4:37 ). (4. ) A priest ( Neh. 12:42 ). (5. ) A Levite ( 1 Chr. 9:16 ). (6. ) 1 Chr. 9:14 ; Neh. 11:15 .
Ammon Place v. 13: Biblical region. Modern identification: Amman.
City People v. 13, 16: The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain ( Gen. 4:17 ). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12).
Iddo Person v. 15: (1. ) Timely ( 1 Chr. 6:21 ). A Gershonite Levite. (2. ) Lovely. The son of Zechariah ( 1 Chr. 27:21 ), the ruler of Manasseh in David’s time. (3. ) Timely.
Jeroboam Person v. 15: Increase of the people. (1. ) The son of Nebat ( 1 Kings 11:26-39 ), “an Ephrathite,” the first king of the ten tribes, over whom he reigned twenty-two years (B. C. 976-945).
Abijah Person v. 16: Father (i. e., “possessor or worshipper”) of Jehovah. (1. ) 1 Chr. 7:8 . (2. ) 1 Chr. 2:24 . (3. ) The second son of Samuel ( 1 Sam. 8:2 ; 1 Chr. 6:28 ).
City of David Place v. 16: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: City of David.
David Person v. 16: Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25 .