Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 12:9
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.
9. he took all: he carried away also ] R.V. he took all away: he took also. Shishak was bought off with a heavy present from attacking Jerusalem; cp. the case of Sennacherib (2Ki 18:13-16).
shields ] Rather, targets, i.e. small shields; cp. note on 2Ch 9:15.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
2Ch 12:9-10
Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass.
The downward grade
See how deterioration follows all character that goes down in its religious aspects. This deterioration marks the whole progress of human development. Is it not so with regard to all personal service? How ardent we once were! How devoted to the house of God, how punctual in attendance, how zealous in worship! How we longed for the hour of praise to double itself, that we might have long intercourse with the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost! Now how soon we become uneasy, how we long to be released, how patience becomes sensitive, and yields in angry surrender because too much tried! You never bring gold for brass when you leave God. The prodigal never brings any treasure back with him. When men go away intellectually from the Bible they bring back brass for gold. When they leave the Bible morally they bring back brass for gold. When they leave sympathetically they bring back artifice for inspiration, mechanics for vital communion. (J.Parker, D.D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 9. 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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Upon which condition, and Rehoboams submission to him, he delivered up to him the fenced cities of Judah, which he had taken, 2Ch 12:4. But of this and the two next verses, See Poole “1Ki 14:26“, &c.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. So Shishak . . . came up againstJerusalemAfter the parenthetical clause (2Ch12:5-8) describing the feelings and state of the beleagueredcourt, the historian resumes his narrative of the attack uponJerusalem, and the consequent pillage both of the temple and thepalace.
he took allthat is,everything valuable he found. The cost of the targets and shields hasbeen estimated at about 239,000 [NAPIER,Ancient Workers in Metal].
the shields of goldmadeby Solomon, were kept in the house of the forest of Lebanon (2Ch9:16). They seem to have been borne, like maces, by the guards ofthe palace, when they attended the king to the temple or on otherpublic processions. Those splendid insignia having been plundered bythe Egyptian conqueror, others were made of inferior metal and keptin the guard room of the palace, to be ready for use; as,notwithstanding the tarnished glory of the court, the old stateetiquette was kept up on public and solemn occasions. An account ofthis conquest of Judah, with the name of “king of Judah” inthe cartouche of the principal captive, according to theinterpreters, is carved and written in hieroglyphics on the walls ofthe great palace of Karnak, where it may be seen at the present day.This sculpture is about twenty-seven hundred years old, and is ofpeculiar interest as a striking testimony from Egypt to the truth ofScripture history.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Ver. 9-11. So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem,…. The Vulgate Latin version is,
“departed from Jerusalem,”
as he did, having taken it, and spoiled it of its riches, and settled a yearly tax on the inhabitants of the land; of this, and the two following verses, [See comments on 1Ki 14:26].
[See comments on 1Ki 14:27].
[See comments on 1Ki 14:28].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
With 2Ch 12:9 the account of the war is taken up again and continued by the repetition of the words, “Then marched Shishak … against Jerusalem” (2Ch 12:4). Shishak plundered the treasures of the temple and the palace; he had consequently captured Jerusalem. The golden shields also which had been placed in the house of the forest of Lebanon, i.e., the palace built by Solomon in Jerusalem, which Solomon had caused to be made (cf. 2Ch 9:16), Shishak took away, and in their place Rehoboam caused brazen shields to be prepared; see on 1Ki 14:26-28. – In 2Ch 12:12 the author of the Chronicle concludes the account of this event with the didactic remark, “Because he (Rehoboam) humbled himself, the anger of Jahve was turned away from him.” , and it was not to extermination utterly ( , properly to destruction, i.e., completely; cf. Eze 13:13). And also in Judah were good things. This is the other motive which caused the Lord to turn away His wrath. Good things are proofs of piety and fear of God, cf. 2Ch 19:3.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(9) So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem.The narrative is resumed after the parenthesis relating to Shemaiah by repeating the statement of 2Ch. 12:2.
And took away the treasures of the house of the Lord.See 1Ki. 14:26, with which the rest of this verse is identical.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2Ch 12:9 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.
Ver. 9. So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. ] Josephus saith he marched into it, and plundered it. But it is more likely that he compounded with Rehoboam for a great sum, as Sennacherib did with Hezekiah, 2Ki 18:14-15 and upon this account had the treasures and golden shields.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
against Jerusalem. See note on Jdg 1:8, and App-53.
had made. Compare 2Ch 10:17.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
2Ch 12:9-12
2Ch 12:9-12
SHISHAK ROBS THE SACRED TREASURES OF ISRAEL
“So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the king’s house; he took all away; he took away also the shields of gold that Solomon had made. And king Rehoboam made in their stead shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the captain of the guard, that kept the door of the king’s house. And it was so, that as off as the king entered into the house of Jehovah, the guard came and bare them, and brought them back into the guard-chamber. And when he humbled himself the wrath of Jehovah turned from him, so as not to destroy him altogether: moreover there was in Judah good things found.”
Much of 1 Kings 14 is parallel with what we have here. Oddly enough, neither in Kings nor in Chronicles is it stated that Shishak captured Jerusalem; but either he actually did this, or Rehoboam was able to buy him off with all the treasures both of the temple and of the king’s house.
“And king Rehoboam made in their stead shields of brass” (2Ch 12:10). (See 1 Kings commentary).
E.M. Zerr:
2Ch 12:9-11. See the comments on 1Ki 14:25-28 for explanation of this paragraph.
2Ch 12:12. There were two facts that caused the Lord to become lenient at this time: one was humility of Rehoboam; the other was the existence of some good In Judah. In Judah things went well means that there was some good still left in Judah. So all in all, there was reason not to be too hard on the nation.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Shishak: 1Ki 14:25, 1Ki 14:26
took away: 1Ki 15:18, 2Ki 16:8, 2Ki 18:15, 2Ki 18:16, Lam 1:10
the shields: 2Ch 9:15, 2Ch 9:16, 1Ki 10:16, 1Ki 10:17
Reciprocal: 1Ch 18:7 – shields 2Ch 25:24 – all the gold 2Ch 28:21 – took away Ecc 2:19 – who knoweth Son 4:4 – a thousand
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ch 12:9-10. Shishak took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the kings house He plundered both the temple and the exchequer, the treasuries of both which Solomon had left full. David and Solomon, who walked in the ways of God, filled the treasuries, one by war, and the other by merchandise; but Rehoboam, who forsook these ways, emptied them. Respecting the taking away of the golden shields, and substituting brazen ones in their place, see notes on 1Ki 14:25-28.