Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 13:13
But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment [was] behind them.
13. Jeroboam caused an ambushment ] While Abijah was endeavouring to shake the fidelity of the Northern army, the Northern leader was not idle.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 13. But Jeroboam caused an ambushment] While Abijah was thus employed in reproving them, Jeroboam divided his army privately, and sent a part to take Abijah in the rear; and this must have proved fatal to the Jews, had not the Lord interposed.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Whilst Abijah was discoursing, Jeroboam takes the advantage of it to lay an ambush.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13-17. But Jeroboam caused anambushment to come about behind themThe oration of Abijah,however animating an effect it might have produced on his own troops,was unheeded by the party to whom it was addressed; for while he waswasting time in useless words, Jeroboam had ordered a detachment ofhis men to move quietly round the base of the hill, so that whenAbijah stopped speaking, he and his followers found themselvessurprised in the rear, while the main body of the Israelitish forcesremained in front. A panic might have ensued, had not the leaders”cried unto the Lord,” and the priests “sounded withthe trumpets”the pledge of victory (Num 10:9;Num 31:6). Reassured by thewell-known signal, the men of Judah responded with a war shout,which, echoed by the whole army, was followed by an impetuous rushagainst the foe. The shock was resistless. The ranks of theIsraelites were broken, for “God smote Jeroboam and all Israel.”They took to flight, and the merciless slaughter that ensued can beaccounted for only by tracing it to the rancorous passions enkindledby a civil war.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them,…. While Abijah was making his oration, he detached a party from his army, which got about, and lay in ambush, behind the army of Abijah:
so they were before Judah; Jeroboam and the greater part of his army:
and the ambushment was behind them; which Jeroboam had sent thither.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
| Jeroboam Defeated by Abijah. | B. C. 957. |
13 But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them. 14 And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand. 17 And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. 18 Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers. 19 And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Beth-el with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof. 20 Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the LORD struck him, and he died. 21 But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters. 22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.
We do not find that Jeroboam offered to make any answer at all to Abijah’s speech. Though it was much to the purpose, he resolved not to heed it, and therefore he heard it as though he heard it not. He came to fight, not to dispute. The longest sword, he thought, would determine the matter, not the better cause. Let us therefore see the issue, whether right and religion carried the day or no.
I. Jeroboam, who trusted to his politics, was beaten. He was so far from fair reasoning that he was not for fair fighting. We may suppose that he felt a sovereign contempt for Abijah’s harangue. “One stratagem,” thinks he, “is worth twenty such speeches; we will soon give him an answer to all his arguments; he shall soon find himself overpowered with numbers, surrounded on every side with the instruments of death, and then let him boast of his religion and his title to the crown.” A parley, it is probable, was agreed on, yet Jeroboam basely takes the advantage of it, and, while he was treating, laid his ambushment behind Judah, against all the laws of arms. What honour could be expected in a servant when he reigned? Abijah was for peace, but, when he spoke, they were for war, Ps. cxx. 7.
II. Abijah and his people, who trusted in their God, came off conquerors, notwithstanding the disproportion of their strength and numbers.
1. They were brought into a great strait, put into a great fright, for the battle was before and behind. A good cause, and one which is designed to be victorious, may for a season be involved in embarrassment and distress. It was David’s case. They compassed me about like bees, Ps. cxviii. 10-12.
2. In their distress, when danger was on every side, which way should they look but upwards for deliverance? It is an unspeakable comfort that no enemy (not the most powerful or politic), no stratagem or ambushment, can cut off our communication with heaven; our way thitherward is always open. (1.) They cried unto the Lord, v. 14. We hope they did this before they engaged in this war, but the distress they were in made them renew their prayers and quickened them to be importunate. God brings his people into straits, that he may teach them to cry unto him. Earnest praying is crying. (2.) They relied on the God of their fathers, depended upon his power to help them and committed themselves to him, v. 18. The prayer of faith is the prevailing prayer, and this is that by which we overcome the world, even our faith, 1 John v. 4. (3.) The priests sounded the trumpets to animate them by giving them an assurance of God’s presence with them. It was not only a martial but a sacred sound, and put life into their faith. (4.) They shouted in confidence of victory: “The day is our own, for God is with us.” To the cry of the prayer they added the shout of faith, and so became more than conquerors.
3. Thus they obtained a complete victory: As the men of Judah shouted for joy in God’s salvation, God smote Jeroboam and his army with such terror and amazement that they could not strike a stroke, but fled with the greatest precipitation imaginable, and the conquerors gave no quarter, so that they put to the sword 500,000 chosen men (v. 17), more, it is said, than ever we read of in any history to have been killed in one battle; but the battle was the Lord’s, who would thus chastise the idolatry of Israel and own the house of David. But see the sad effect of division: it was the blood of Israelites that was thus shed like water by Israelites, while the heathen, their neighbours, to whom the name of Israel had formerly been a terror, cried, Aha! so would we have it.
4. The consequence of this was that the children of Israel, though they were not brought back to the house of David (which by so great a blow surely they would have been had not the determinate counsel of God been otherwise), yet, for that time, were brought under, v. 18. Many cities were taken, and remained in the possession of the kings of Judah; as Bethel particularly, v. 19. What became of the golden calf there, when it came into the hands of the king of Judah, we are not told; perhaps it was removed to some place of greater safety, and at length to Samaria (Hos. viii. 5); yet in Jehu’s time we find it at Bethel, 2 Kings x. 29. Perhaps Abijah, when it was in his power to demolish it, suffered it to stand, for his heart was not perfect with God; and, not improving what he had got for the honour of God, he soon lost it all again.
Lastly, The death of both of the conquered and of the conqueror, not long after. 1. Jeroboam never looked up after this defeat, though he survived it two or three years. He could not recover strength again, v. 20. The Lord struck him either with some bodily disease, of which he languished, or with melancholy and trouble of mind; his heart was broken, and vexation at his loss brought his head, probably by this time a hoary head, with sorrow to the grave. He escaped the sword of Abijah, but God struck him: and there is no escaping his sword. 2. Abijah waxed mighty upon it. What number of wives and children he had before does not appear; but now he multiplied his wives to fourteen in all, by whom he had thirty-eight children, v. 21. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of those arrows. It seems, he had ways peculiar to himself, and sayings of his own, which were recorded with his acts in the history of those times, v. 22. But the number of his months was cut off in the midst, and, soon after his triumphs, death conquered the conqueror. Perhaps he was too much lifted up with his victories, and therefore God would not let him live long to enjoy the honour of them.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
2Ch 13:13
(The 1st edition Hardbound version of the commentary includes the following comments under 1 Kings 15).
End of Jeroboam, Verses 13-20
It appears that the men of Abijah were engrossed in his eloquent oration, so that they were unaware of what was happening among the men of Jeroboam. As their king closed his speech they suddenly realized that they had been ambushed. Jeroboam had taken the advantage of their enthrallment with their king’s great words and encircled them with his 800,000 men, and they were hemmed in on every side. God had allowed a situation which would prove the claims to divine allegiance made for them by King Abijah.
The men of Judah responded admirably. They immediately cried to the Lord for help when they realized their predicament. The priests bearing the trumpets also responded by sounding them in the name of the Lord. The men raised their voices in a mighty shout which reached up to God. As a result the Lord heard them and gave them victory over the mighty army of Jeroboam. In fact He is said to have smitten Jeroboam and all Israel Himself, before the eyes of Abijah and Judah. This indicates that the nature of the defeat of Israel was such that there was no denying the hand of God in the matter. They were wholly delivered into the hands of the men of Judah (cf. 2Co 2:14).
Israel suffered a very disastrous defeat at the hands of Abijah and Judah. Five hundred thousand of the 800,000 men perished in the battle. The northern kingdom was so severely beaten they did not recover for many years. Abijah carried the war further into the kingdom, capturing Bethel (where the calf temple was), Jeshanah (just south of Shiloh) and its environs, and Ephraim (or Ophrah, eastward from Bethel) and its towns. Nothing is said of Abijah’s treatment of the city of Bethel and its idolatrous temple. Had he been sincere in his flowery speech about his devotion to true worship he surely would have destroyed it. This he certainly must not have done, or the Lord would have recorded it in the Scriptures. He was not a sincere and truthful worshipper (Joh 4:23).
Notice has already been made in this commentary of the death of Jeroboam (see above). But it is well to emphasize again the nature of his death. This battle of Mount Zemaraim is his last notable act, though he lived about two years longer. The Scriptures say that the Lord struck him, and he died. This would accord with the prediction of the Prophet Ahijah, who said that Jeroboam and all his house would die violently and their bodies go unburied.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(13) But Jeroboam caused . . .Now Jeroboam had brought the ambush round, in order to attack (literally, approach) them in the rear (literally, from behind them; so they (Jeroboam and his main body) were in front of Judah, and the ambush was in their rear.
The ambush.The troops which Jeroboam had detached for that service.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
The Defeat of Jeroboam
v. 13. But Jeroboam, v. 14. And when Judah looked back, v. 15. Then the men of Judah, v. 16. And the children of Israel fled before Judah; and God delivered them into their hand.
v. 11. And Abijah and his people, v. 18. Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, v. 19. And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him: Bethel with the towns thereof, v. 20. Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah, v. 21. But Abijah, v. 22. And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
It should seem that while Abijah was addressing the armies Jeroboam artfully sent off a party to surround him.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Ch 13:13 But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment [was] behind them.
Ver. 13. But Jeroboam caused an ambushment. ] While Abijah was thus haranguing and persuading the people to lay down their arms, and to return to their obedience, Jeroboam closely divided his army, causing one part to wheel about, and to come upon their backs, and the other to set upon them before, thinking so to surprise them unawares.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Ch 13:13-22
2Ch 13:13-22
THE BATTLE; JEROBOAM’S DEFEAT; AND ABIJAH’S DEATH
“But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them; so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them; and when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried unto Jehovah, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. And the children of Israel fled : before Judah; and God delivered them into their hand. And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand men. Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon Jehovah, the God of their fathers. And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns thereof, and Ephron with the towns thereof. Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and Jehovah smote him, and he died. But Abijah waxed mighty, and took unto himself fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters. And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.”
Regarding the huge numbers of the troops engaged in this battle, Curtis (Madsen) characterized them as `Midrash,’ which is a critcal code-word for `false.’ However the same writers admitted that, “The number of Jeroboam’s warriors is exactly the same as the number credited to Israel in the census taken by Joab.” To this writer it appears to be an altogether gratuitous and unfounded allegation that, “These numbers are utterly unhistorical.” Oh yes, there are unexplained discrepancies here; but, so what? one may read conflicting biographies of John F. Kennedy! The Chronicler was merely quoting the public records, in this case, the commentary of the prophet Iddo; and there is no dependable authority today for setting aside as “unhistorical” any of this material. This IS the history, as it has come down to us. It is of no importance that some do not believe it. Neither do they believe that God created heaven and earth.
A little reflection will support the proposition so eloquently propounded in this chapter that Judah’s victory was of God. They were fighting two tribes against ten! They were surrounded! Jeroboam was a conceited, mad killer determined to take the whole world if he had been able to do so. Why did he fail? This chapter has the correct answer.
Furthermore, Abijah was not the reason for God’s intervention upon behalf of Judah. He was an evil king. “He walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; and his heart was not perfect with Jehovah … Nevertheless for David’s sake … God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him” (1Ki 15:3-4). This was vitally related to God’s purpose of eventually bringing in the Messiah to provide an opportunity for all mankind to be saved. It was that fundamental truth that required the intervention of God Himself in the events of this chapter.
E.M. Zerr:
2Ch 13:13. The speech of Abijah was in vain. An ambushment is a body of troops lying in concealment. Jeroboam had his main forces with him in the front of the battle, while the ambushment was in the rear.
2Ch 13:14. When the action began, the men of Judah realized their situation. They resorted both to divine and human means for help. That is, they cried unto the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.
2Ch 13:15-16. Shout is from RUWA and Strong defines it, “figuratively to split the ears.” The shout alone could not have caused the victory. But it exhibited their faith in God who responded by smiting the forces of Jeroboam, and they fled before the men of Judah. They did not escape defeat, however, as we shall see in the next verse.
2Ch 13:17. This was a remarkable battle, and, as far as I can recall, was without a parallel in all history in the point of the number of the slain. We should bear in mind the fact that no great destructive means existed at that time for warfare. The usual weapon was the sword or spear, and required hand-to-hand fighting. But the victorious army slew 100,000 more men of the enemy than it had in its own entire forces. The explanation lies in the great truth that the Lord was with them, and against him no force can prevail.
2Ch 13:18. The success of the battle just ended is accounted for by the fact that Judah relied upon the Lord God of their fathers.
2Ch 13:19-20. Cities and towns differ mainly in size and corresponding importance. The towns were the same as villages, and were connected in some sort of dependency with the cities named with them. Bethel is the most important city in this group, because it had one of the golden calves that Jeroboam set up. The effect of this great battle was to render the king of Israel weak the rest of the reign of Abijah. He finally was stricken with some sort of sickness and died.
2Ch 13:21. While Jeroboam grew weaker, Abijah grew stronger. His marrying the 14 wives gave him the large number of children attributed to him, and that contributed to his strength as a king.
2Ch 13:22. Iddo was a writing prophet, although his works were not included in the Bible. Like many others already mentioned, his writings were good history, and persons could consult them who wished a more detailed account of the various subjects than were to be found in the regular compilation.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
an ambushment: 2Ch 20:22, Jos 8:4, Pro 21:30, Jer 4:22
Reciprocal: Jos 8:2 – lay thee Jdg 20:14 – General 1Ch 5:20 – in the battle
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ch 13:13. But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come behind While Abijah was discoursing, he took the advantage thus afforded him of sending a party of soldiers privately to lie in ambush, and attack Abijahs army behind, while he continued to face them with his main body. It does not appear that he made any answer to Abijahs speech. The longest sword, he thinks, must determine the matter, not the better cause.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
13:13 But Jeroboam caused an ambushment {m} to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment [was] behind them.
(m) Contemning the good counsel which came from the Spirit of God, he thought to have overcome by deceit.