2 Chronicles 12 — MAS

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12וַיְהִ֗י כְּהָכִ֞ין מַלְכ֤וּת רְחַבְעָם֙ וּכְחֶזְקָתֹ֔ו עָזַ֖ב אֶת־תֹּורַ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עִמֹּֽו׃ פ^{Verse 2}וַיְהִ֞י בַּשָּׁנָ֤ה הַֽחֲמִישִׁית֙ לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ רְחַבְעָ֔ם עָלָ֛ה שִׁישַׁ֥ק מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֖יִם עַל־יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם כִּ֥י מָעֲל֖וּ בַּיהוָֽה׃^{Verse 3}בְּאֶ֤לֶף וּמָאתַ֙יִם֙ רֶ֔כֶב וּבְשִׁשִּׁ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף פָּרָשִׁ֑ים וְאֵ֣ין מִסְפָּ֗ר לָעָ֞ם אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֤אוּ עִמֹּו֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם לוּבִ֥ים סֻכִּיִּ֖ים וְכוּשִֽׁים׃^{Verse 4}וַיִּלְכֹּ֛ד אֶת־עָרֵ֥י הַמְּצֻרֹ֖ות אֲשֶׁ֣ר לִֽיהוּדָ֑ה וַיָּבֹ֖א עַד־יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ ס^{Verse 5}וּֽשְׁמַֽעְיָ֤ה הַנָּבִיא֙ בָּ֣א אֶל־רְחַבְעָ֔ם וְשָׂרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־נֶאֶסְפ֥וּ אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם מִפְּנֵ֣י שִׁישָׁ֑ק וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אַתֶּם֙ עֲזַבְתֶּ֣ם אֹתִ֔י וְאַף־אֲנִ֛י עָזַ֥בְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּיַד־שִׁישָֽׁק׃^{Verse 6}וַיִּכָּנְע֥וּ שָׂרֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וְהַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ צַדִּ֥יק ׀ יְהוָֽה׃^{Verse 7}וּבִרְאֹ֤ות יְהוָה֙ כִּ֣י נִכְנָ֔עוּ הָיָה֩ דְבַר־יְהוָה֙ אֶל־שְׁמַֽעְיָ֧ה ׀ לֵאמֹ֛ר נִכְנְע֖וּ לֹ֣א אַשְׁחִיתֵ֑ם וְנָתַתִּ֨י לָהֶ֤ם כִּמְעַט֙ לִפְלֵיטָ֔ה וְלֹא־תִתַּ֧ךְ חֲמָתִ֛י בִּירוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם בְּיַד־שִׁישָֽׁק׃^{Verse 8}כִּ֥י יִהְיוּ־לֹ֖ו לַעֲבָדִ֑ים וְיֵדְעוּ֙ עֲבֹ֣ודָתִ֔י וַעֲבֹודַ֖ת מַמְלְכֹ֥ות הָאֲרָצֹֽות׃ ס^{Verse 9}וַיַּ֨עַל שִׁישַׁ֥ק מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַיִם֮ עַל־יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם֒ וַיִּקַּ֞ח אֶת־אֹצְרֹ֣ות בֵּית־יְהוָ֗ה וְאֶת־אֹֽצְרֹות֙ בֵּ֣ית הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֶת־הַכֹּ֖ל לָקָ֑ח וַיִּקַּח֙ אֶת־מָגִנֵּ֣י הַזָּהָ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה שְׁלֹמֹֽה׃^{Verse 10}וַיַּ֨עַשׂ הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ רְחַבְעָם֙ תַּחְתֵּיהֶ֔ם מָגִנֵּ֖י נְחֹ֑שֶׁת וְהִפְקִ֗יד עַל־יַד֙ שָׂרֵ֣י הָרָצִ֔ים הַשֹּׁ֣מְרִ֔ים פֶּ֖תַח בֵּ֥ית הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃^{Verse 11}וַיְהִ֛י מִדֵּי־בֹ֥וא הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה בָּ֤אוּ הָרָצִים֙ וּנְשָׂא֔וּם וֶהֱשִׁב֖וּם אֶל־תָּ֥א הָרָצִֽים׃^{Verse 12}וּבְהִכָּֽנְעֹ֗ו שָׁ֤ב מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ אַף־יְהוָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א לְהַשְׁחִ֖ית לְכָלָ֑ה וְגַם֙ בִּֽיהוּדָ֔ה הָיָ֖ה דְּבָרִ֥ים טֹובִֽים׃ ס^{Verse 13}וַיִּתְחַזֵּ֞ק הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ רְחַבְעָ֛ם בִּירוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם וַיִּמְלֹ֑ךְ כִּ֣י בֶן־אַרְבָּעִ֣ים וְאַחַ֣ת שָׁנָה֩ רְחַבְעָ֨ם בְּמָלְכֹ֜ו וּֽשֲׁבַ֨ע עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה שָׁנָ֣ה ׀ מָלַ֣ךְ בִּֽירוּשָׁלַ֗͏ִם הָ֠עִיר אֲשֶׁר־בָּחַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה לָשׂ֨וּם אֶת־שְׁמֹ֥ו שָׁם֙ מִכֹּל֙ שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמֹּ֔ו נַעֲמָ֖ה הָֽעַמֹּנִֽית׃^{Verse 14}וַיַּ֖עַשׂ הָרָ֑ע כִּ֣י לֹ֤א הֵכִין֙ לִבֹּ֔ו לִדְרֹ֖ושׁ אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃ ס^{Verse 15}וְדִבְרֵ֣י רְחַבְעָ֗ם הָרִאשֹׁנִים֙ וְהָאֲ֣חַרֹונִ֔ים הֲלֹא־הֵ֨ם כְּתוּבִ֜ים בְּדִבְרֵ֨י שְׁמַֽעְיָ֧ה הַנָּבִ֛יא וְעִדֹּ֥ו הַחֹזֶ֖ה לְהִתְיַחֵ֑שׂ וּמִלְחֲמֹ֧ות רְחַבְעָ֛ם וְיָרָבְעָ֖ם כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃^{Verse 16}וַיִּשְׁכַּ֤ב רְחַבְעָם֙ עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו וַיִּקָּבֵ֖ר בְּעִ֣יר דָּוִ֑יד וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ אֲבִיָּ֥ה בְנֹ֖ו תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ פ

Commentary

Introduction

Rehoboam and his subjects, forsaking the Lord, are delivered into the hands of Shishak, king of Egypt, Ch2 12:1-4. Shemaiah the prophet remonstrates with them, and they humble themselves, and Jerusalem is not destroyed; but Shishak takes away all the treasures, and the golden shields, instead of which Rehoboam makes shields of brass, Ch2 12:5-12. He reigns badly seventeen years, dies, and is succeeded by his son Abijah, Ch2 12:13-16.

He forsook the law of the Lord - This was after the three years mentioned Ch2 11:17.

Shishak king of Egypt - Concerning this man, and the motive which led him to attack the Jews, see the note on Kg1 14:31. Transgressed against the Lord - "Against the Word of the Lord." - Targum.

The Lubims - Supposed to be a people of Libya, adjoining to Egypt; sometimes called Phut in Scripture, as the people are called Lehabim and Ludim. The Sukkiims - The Troglodytes, a people of Egypt on the coast of the Red Sea. They were called Troglodytes, Τρωγλοδυται, οἱ τας τρωγλας οικουντες, "because they dwelt in caves." - Hesych. This agrees with what Pliny says of them, Troglodytae specus excavant, haec illis domus; "The Troglodytes dig themselves caves; and these serve them for houses." This is not very different from the import of the original name סכיים Sukkiyim, from סכה sachah, to cover or overspread; (hence סוך such, a tabernacle); the people who were covered (emphatically) under the earth. The Septuagint translate by the word Τρωγλοδυται, Troglodytes. The Ethiopians - כושים Cushim. Various people were called by this name, particularly a people bordering on the northern coast of the Red Sea; but these are supposed to have come from a country of that name on the south of Egypt.

Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves - This is not mentioned in the parallel place, Kg1 14:25-29 : this was the sole reason why Jerusalem was not at this time totally destroyed, and the house of David entirely cut off; for they were totally incapable of defending themselves against this innumerable host.

They shall be his servants - They shall be preserved, and serve their enemies, that they may see the difference between the service of God and that of man. While they were pious, they found the service of the Lord to be perfect freedom; when they forsook the Lord, they found the fruit to be perfect bondage. A sinful life is both expensive and painful.

Took away the treasures - Such a booty as never had before, nor has since, come into the hand of man. The shields of gold - These shields were the mark of the king's body-guard: it was in imitation of this Eastern magnificence that Alexander constituted his Argyraspides, adorned with the spoils taken from Darius. See Quintus Curtius, lib. viii., c. 5, et alibi.

Was one and forty years old - Houbigant thinks he was but sixteen years old when he began to reign; and brings many and forcible arguments to prove that the number forty-one must be a mistake. That he was young when he came to the throne, is evident from his consulting the young men that were brought up with him, Ch2 10:8, Ch2 10:10. They were young men then; and if he was brought up with them, he must have been young then also. Besides, Abijah, in his speech to Jeroboam, Ch2 13:7, says that at the time Rehoboam came to the throne he was tender-hearted, and therefore could not withstand the children of Belial raised up against him by Jeroboam: but surely at that time no man could be reputed young and tender-hearted - quite devoid of experience, who was above forty years of age. Besides, if this reading were allowed, it would prove that he was born before his father Solomon began to reign, for Solomon reigned only forty years, and Rehoboam immediately succeeded him.

Concerning genealogies - "In the book of the genealogy of the family of David." - Targum.

Abijah his son - Concerning the many varieties in this king's name, see the note on Kg1 14:31.

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