Ch. 2 Chronicles 13:1-2 (= 1 Kings 15:1-2). Abijah succeeds

1. Abijah] Called Abijam in the Heb. of 1 Kin. (LXX. Ἀβιού, i.e. Abijahu).

2. Michaiah] Read with LXX., Maacah; cp. note on 2 Chronicles 11:20.

3. Abijah set the battle in array] R.V. Abijah joined battle.

four hundred thousand … eight hundred thousand] It is to be noted that the Chronicler does not expressly say that these two huge armies met on one field of battle. In 2 Samuel 24:9 (David’s numbering) the fighting men of Israel are given at 800,000 and the fighting men of Judah at 500,000. Similarly the Chronicler may mean to state here the whole armed strength of Israel and Judah without committing himself to the number of those who actually took the field. The language is not precise, for the Chronicler is little interested in military details. It should be noted, moreover, that the numbers precede the mention of the battlefield, and therefore are not necessarily to be included in the account of the fight.

Similarly it is to be noted that the Chronicler does not say in 2 Chronicles 13:17 that 500,000 of Israel fell in one day (contrast 2 Chronicles 28:6). Rather, he implies that the war continued for some time (2 Chronicles 13:19).

3–20 (no parallel in 1 Kin.). The Battle of Zemaraim

The historical probabilities of this account are discussed in the Introduction, § 8.

4. Abijah stood up] it was natural that Abijah should attempt a conference before beginning civil war, both because his was the weaker side numerically and because he had a telling appeal to make to the revolted tribes (2 Chronicles 13:8; 2 Chronicles 13:12). It was equally natural that Jeroboam should break off the conference after using it to cover his stratagem (2 Chronicles 13:13).

Zemaraim] A Zemaraim is mentioned in Joshua 18:22 as one of the cities of Benjamin, whereas here Mount Zemaraim is assigned to Ephraim. The natural inference is that the battle took place on the border of the two kingdoms.

5. a covenant of salt] Salt was necessary for the efficacy of a sacrifice (Leviticus 2:13), so that Covenant of salt became a phrase for a sure covenant (Numbers 18:19). The sacredness of the bond which is acknowledged among the Arabs between two persons who have “eaten salt” together as host and guest is common knowledge. It is not however necessary that salt should be taken; any food, e.g. milk, will serve (W. R. Smith, Religion of the Semites, p. 270).

6. is risen up, and hath rebelled] R.V. rose up, and rebelled.

7. are gathered] R.V. were gathered.

children of Belial] R.V. sons of Belial (mg. sons of worthlessness). The general sense “worthless persons” is clear, but the precise meaning of Belial, and whether the word be a proper name or a common noun, cannot be decided at present.

young] Lit. a child. If this word is to be literally understood, the statement made is erroneous, for Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign (2 Chronicles 12:13). It is probable, however, that the word is used metaphorically to describe one who was young (as indeed his conduct shewed) in experience of government; so Solomon (1 Kings 3:7) calls himself a little child, by which he simply meant to express his consciousness of the smallness of his own ability when compared with the greatness of the task which lay before him. Cp. 1 Chronicles 29:1.

tender hearted] i.e., according to Heb. phraseology, weak in understanding, the heart being considered to be the seat of the mind. Or we may translate the Heb. phrase as in Deuteronomy 20:8, fainthearted.

9. cast out] R.V. driven out; cp. note on 2 Chronicles 11:14.

to consecrate himself] Lit. to fill his hand. Moses is directed (Exodus 29:1 ff.) to ordain Aaron and his sons priests by three ceremonies: (1) by anointing them, (2) by filling their hands, i.e. by presenting them with victims upon which they laid their hands, (3) by hallowing them, i.e. by sprinkling some of the blood of the victim upon them.

a young bullock and seven rams] Aaronic priests were consecrated with a young bullock and two rams (Exodus 29:1).

10. and the priests, which minister unto the Lord, are the sons of Aaron] R.V. and we have priests ministering unto the LORD, the sons of Aaron.

wait upon their business] R.V. in their work (sc. ministering to the Lord as above). Part of the ideal of the Priestly Code was that the Levites should be restricted to the duty of helping the priests, and should be prevented from executing priestly functions themselves. With this ideal the Chronicler plainly sympathised, but it could not always be realised.

11. every morning and every evening] Exodus 29:38-42.

sweet incense] Exodus 30:7.

the shew bread also set they in order] Lit. and an ordering of bread [they set in order]. The Heb. phrase used here for “shewbread” signifies bread arranged as for an offering. Another term is “bread of the presence,” i.e. bread set forth continually before the Lord (Exodus 25:30).

the candlestick] Exodus 25:31 ff; Exodus 40:24-25.

12. God himself is with us for our captain] R.V. God is with us at our head.

with sounding trumpets] R.V. with the trumpets of alarm (Numbers 10:9). Abijah here threatens his opponents with a jihâd or holy war.

13. Jeroboam caused an ambushment] While Abijah was endeavouring to shake the fidelity of the Northern army, the Northern leader was not idle.

15. gave a shout] This shout had the character of a religions function; cp. Joshua 6:10; Joshua 6:16, where the same Heb. word is used.

God smote Jeroboam] Cp. 2 Chronicles 14:12.

17. five hundred thousand] Contrast this statement with 2 Chronicles 28:6, a hundred and twenty thousand in one day. The absence of the phrase in one day from the present passage is significant. It seems probable, when we consider the small interest taken by the Chronicler in military matters as such and the consequent looseness of his language regarding them, that he may intend 500,000 to represent the losses, not of a single battle, but of the whole campaign. That some farther fighting took place is suggested by 2 Chronicles 13:19. Even so the losses are doubtless exaggerated.

18. because they relied] Cp. note on 2 Chronicles 12:2.

19. Beth-el] Beth-el was apparently subsequently recovered by the Northern Kingdom; cp. 2 Kings 10:29. Nothing is said, be it noted, of the capture of the golden calf. It may have been removed for safety before the city was taken.

Jeshanah] Nothing is certainly known of this place, which is mentioned here only. It has been identified with Ain Sînia, a little to the north of Beth-el.

Ephrain] R.V. Ephron (following the C’thîb, whereas A.V. agrees with the K’rî). Ephrain is a later form of the name Ephron, as Shamrain (Ezra 4:10; Ezra 4:17) is of Shomron (Samaria). The place has been identified with eṭ-Ṭaiyebeh, a place S.E. of Ain Sînia and N.E. of Beitin (Beth-el). It was probably the city called Ephraim, to which our Lord retired after the raising of Lazarus (John 11:54).

20. the Lord struck him, and he died] The same phrase is used of the death of Nabal (1 Samuel 25:38); it implies suddenness or some other unusual circumstance (cp. Acts 12:13, the death of Herod Agrippa). In 1 Kings 14:20 it is simply Jeroboam … slept with his fathers.

21, 22. The Epilogue of Abijah’s Reign

21. married] R.V. took unto himself. The many wives (fourteen) are mentioned here as a symbol of the wealth and state of Abijah.

22. in the story] R.V. in the commentary, Heb. midrash. See Introduction, § 5.

Iddo] See note on 2 Chronicles 9:29.