3<\/strong>. Abijah set the battle in array<\/em> ] R.V. Abijah joined battle<\/strong>.<\/p>\n four hundred thousand eight hundred thousand<\/em> ] It is to be noted that the Chronicler does not<\/em> expressly say that these two huge armies met on one field of battle. In 2Sa 24:9<\/span> (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<\/em> to be included in the account of the fight.<\/p>\n Similarly it is to be noted that the Chronicler does not<\/em> say in 2Ch 13:17<\/span> that 500,000 of Israel fell in one day<\/em> (contrast 2Ch 28:6<\/span>). Rather, he implies that the war continued for some time (2Ch 13:19<\/span>).<\/p>\n 3 20 (no parallel in 1 Kin.). The Battle of Zemaraim<\/p>\n The historical probabilities of this account are discussed in the Introduction, 8.<\/p>\n It has been proposed to change the numbers, here and in 2Ch 13:17<\/span>, into 40,000, 80,000, and 50,000 respectively – partly because these smaller numbers are found in many early editions of the Vulgate, but mainly because the larger ones are thought to be incredible. The numbers accord well, however, with the census of the people taken in the reign of David 1Ch 21:5<\/span>, joined to the fact which the writer has related 2Ch 11:13-17<\/span>, of a considerable subsequent emigration from the northern kingdom into the southern one. The total adult male population at the time of the census was 1,570, 000. The total of the fighting men now is 1,200, 000. This would allow for the aged and infirm 370, 000, or nearly a fourth of the whole. And in 2Ch 13:17<\/span>, our author may be understood to mean that this was the entire Israelite loss in the course of the war, which probably continued through the whole reign of Abijah.<\/P> <\/p>\n Verse 3<\/span>. Abijah set the battle in array<\/B><\/I>] The numbers<\/I> in this verse and in the seventeenth seem almost incredible. Abijah’s army consisted of four hundred thousand<\/I> effective men; that of Jeroboam consisted of eight hundred thousand<\/I>; and the slain<\/I> of Jeroboam’s army were five hundred thousand<\/I>. Now it is very possible that there is a cipher<\/I> too much in all these numbers, and that they should stand thus: Abijah’s<\/I> army, forty thousand; Jeroboam’s<\/I> eighty thousand<\/I>; the slain, fifty thousand. Calmet<\/I>, who defends the common reading, allows that the Venice<\/I> edition of the Vulgate, in 1478; another, in 1489; that of Nuremberg<\/I>, in 1521; that of Basil<\/I>, by Froben<\/I>, in 1538; that of Robert Stevens<\/I>, in 1546; and many others, have the smaller numbers<\/I>. Dr. Kennicott<\/I> says: “On a particular collation of the Vulgate<\/I> version, it appears that the number of chosen men here slain, which Pope Clement’s<\/I> edition in 1592 determines to be five hundred thousand<\/I>, the edition of Pope Sixtus<\/I>, printed two years before, determined to be only fifty<\/I> thousand<\/I>; and the two preceding numbers, in the edition of Sixtus<\/I>, are forty thousand<\/I> and eighty thousand<\/I>. As to different printed<\/I> editions<\/I>, out of fifty-two<\/I>, from the year 1462 to 1592, thirty-one<\/I> contain the less number. And out of fifty-one<\/I> MSS. twenty-three<\/I> in the Bodleian<\/I> library, four<\/I> in that of Dean Aldrich<\/I>, and two<\/I> in that of Exeter College<\/I>, contain the less<\/I> number, or else are corrupted irregularly, varying only one or two numbers.”<\/P> <\/P> This examination was made by Dr. Kennicott<\/I> before he had finished his collation of Hebrew MSS., and before De Rossi<\/I> had published his Variae Lectiones Veteris Testamenti<\/I>; but from these works we find little help, as far as the Hebrew<\/I> MSS. are concerned. One Hebrew MS., instead of arba meoth<\/I> eleph, four hundred thousand<\/I>, reads arba eser eleph,<\/I> fourteen thousand<\/I>.<\/P> <\/P> In all printed<\/I> copies of the Hebrew<\/I>, the numbers are as in the common text, four hundred thousand, eight hundred thousand<\/I>, and five hundred thousand<\/I>.<\/P> <\/P> The versions<\/I> are as follow: – The Targum<\/I>, or Chaldee<\/I>, the same in each place as the Hebrew.<\/P> <\/P> The Syriac<\/I> in 2Ch 13:3<\/span> has four hundred thousand young men<\/I> for the army of Abijah, and eight hundred thousand stout youth<\/I> for that of Jeroboam. For the slain<\/I> Israelites, in 2Ch 13:17<\/span>, it has [Syriac] five hundred thousand<\/I>, falsely translated in the Latin text quinque milia, five thousand<\/I>, both in the Paris<\/I> and London<\/I> Polyglots: another proof among many that little dependence is to be placed on the Latin translation<\/I> of this version in either of the above Polyglots.<\/P> <\/P> The Arabic<\/I> is the same in all these cases with the Syriac<\/I>, from which it has been translated.<\/P> <\/P> The Septuagint<\/I>, both as it is published in all the Polyglots, and as far as I have seen in MSS.. is the same with the Hebrew<\/I> text<\/I>. So also is Josephus<\/I>.<\/P> <\/P> The Vulgate<\/I> or Latin<\/I> version is that alone that exhibits any important variations; we have had considerable proof of this in the above-mentioned collations of Calmet<\/I> and Kennicott<\/I>. I shall beg liberty to add others from my own collection.<\/P> <\/P> In the Editio Princeps<\/I> of the Latin Bible, though without date<\/I> or place<\/I>, yet evidently printed long before that of Fust<\/I>, in 1462, the places stand thus: 2Ch 13:3<\/span>. Cumque inisset certamen, et haberet<\/I> bellicosissimos viros, et electorum QUADRAGINTA milia: Iheroboam<\/I> construxit e contra aciem OCTOGINTA milia virorum<\/I>; “With him Abia entered into battle; and he had of the most warlike and choice men forty thousand<\/I>; and Jeroboam raised an army against him of eighty<\/I> thousand men<\/I>.”<\/P> <\/P> And in 2Ch 13:17<\/span>: Et corruerunt vulnerati ex Israel, QUINQUAGINTA<\/I> milia virorum fortium<\/I>; “And there fell down wounded fifty<\/I> thousand stout men of Israel.”<\/P> <\/P> In the Glossa Ordinaria<\/I>, by Strabo Fuldensis<\/I>, we have forty<\/I> thousand<\/I> and eighty thousand<\/I> in the two first instances, and five<\/I> hundred thousand<\/I> in the last.-Bib. Sacr<\/I>. vol. ii., Antv<\/I>. 1634.<\/P> <\/P> In six<\/I> ancient MSS. of my own, marked A, B, C, D, E, F. the text stands thus: –<\/P> <\/P> A. – Cumque inisset Abia certamen, et haberet bellicosissimos<\/I> viros, et electorum<\/I> XL. MIL. Jeroboam instruxit contra aciem<\/I> LXXX. MIL.<\/P> <\/P> And in 2Ch 13:17<\/span>: Et corruerunt vulnerati ex Israel<\/I> L. MIL. virorum fortium<\/I>. Here we have forty thousand<\/I> for the army of Abijah<\/I>, and eighty thousand<\/I> for that of Jeroboam<\/I>, and FIFTY thousand<\/I> for the slain<\/I> of the latter.<\/P> B.-QUADRAGINITA milia<\/I>, OCTOGINTA milia<\/I>,<\/P> FORTY thousand<\/I>. EIGHTY thousand<\/I>.<\/P> QUINQUIAGINTA milia<\/I>,<\/P> FIFTY thousand<\/I>.<\/P> The numbers being here expressed in words<\/I> at full length, there can be no suspicion of mistake.<\/P> C.-CCCC milia<\/I>, DCCC milibus<\/I>, D milia<\/I><\/P> 400 thousand<\/I>. 800 thousand<\/I>. 500 thousand<\/I>.<\/P> This is the same as the Hebrew text, and very distinctly expressed.<\/P> D.-xl<\/I>. m. lxxx<\/I>. m. l<\/I>. v<\/I>. m.<\/P> 40,000. 80,000. 50 and 5000.<\/P> This, in the two first numbers, is the same as the others above; but the last is confused, and appears to stand for fifty<\/I> thousand and five thousand<\/I>. A later hand has corrected the two first numbers in this MS., placing over<\/I> the first<\/I> four CCCC, thus (cccc\/xl.), thus changing forty<\/I> into four hundred<\/I>; and over the second thus, (dccc\/lxxx.), thus changing eighty<\/I> into eight hundred<\/I>. Over the latter number, which is evidently a mistake<\/I> of the scribe, there is no correction.<\/P> E.-xl<\/I>. m. OCTOGINTA m. l<\/I>. m.<\/P> 40,000 EIGHTY thousand<\/I>. 50,000.<\/P> <\/P> F.-CCCC. m. DCCC. m. D. m.<\/P> 400,000. 800,000. 600,000.<\/P> This also is the same as the Hebrew.<\/P> <\/P> The reader has now the whole evidence which I have been able to collect before him, and may choose; the smaller<\/I> numbers appear to be the most correct. Corruptions in the numbers in these historical books we have often had cause to suspect<\/I>, and to complain of.<\/P> <\/p>\n Abijah set the battle in array<\/B> against Jeroboam. We need not scrupulously inquire into the lawfulness of this war, for this Abijah, though here he makes a fair flourish, and maintained the better cause, yet was indeed an ungodly man, 1Ki 15:3<\/span>, and therefore minded not the satisfaction of his conscience, but only the recovery of his parents ancient dominions. <\/P> <\/p>\n 3. Abijah set the battle inarray<\/B>that is, took the field and opened the campaign. <\/P> with . . . four hundredthousand chosen men . . . Jeroboam with eight hundred thousand<\/B>Theseare, doubtless, large numbers, considering the smallness of the twokingdoms. It must be borne in mind, however, that Oriental armies aremere mobsvast numbers accompanying the camp in hope of plunder, sothat the gross numbers described as going upon an Asiatic expeditionare often far from denoting the exact number of fighting men. But inaccounting for the large number of soldiers enlisted in therespective armies of Abijah and Jeroboam, there is no need ofresorting to this mode of explanation; for we know by the census ofDavid the immense number of the population that was capable ofbearing arms (1Ch 21:5<\/span>; compare2Ch 14:8<\/span>; 2Ch 17:14<\/span>).<\/P><\/p>\n And Abijah set the battle in array, with an army of valiant man of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men<\/strong>,…. Collected such an army of select men, led them into his enemy’s country, and set them in order of battle:<\/p>\n and Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him, with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour<\/strong>; double the number of Abijah s army, he having ten tribes to collect out of, and Abijah but two.<\/p>\n The War between Abijah and Jeroboam<\/em>. – , war arose, broke out.<\/p>\n 2Ch 13:3<\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong> Abijah began the war with an army of 400,000 valiant warriors. , chosen men. , to bind on war, i.e., to open the war. Jeroboam prepared for the war with 800,000 warriors. The number of Jeroboam’s warriors is exactly that which Joab returned as the result, as to Israel, of the numbering of the people commanded by David, while that of Abijah’s army is less by 100,000 men than Joab numbered in Judah (2Sa 24:9<\/span>).<\/p>\n 2Ch 13:4<\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong> When the two armies lay over against each other, ready for the combat, Abijah addressed the enemy, King Jeroboam and all Israel, in a speech from Mount Zemaraim. The mountain is met with only here; but a city of this name is mentioned in Jos 18:22<\/span>, whence we would incline to the conclusion that the mountain near or upon which this city lay was intended. But if this city was situated to the east, not only of Bethel, but also of Jerusalem, on the road to Jericho (see on Jos 18:22<\/span>), as we may conclude from its enumeration between Beth-arabah and Bethel in Josh. loc. cit.<\/em>, it will not suit our passage, at least if Zemaraim be really represented by the ruin el Sumra to the east of Khan Hadur on the way from Jerusalem to Jericho. Robinson ( Phys. Geog.<\/em> S. 38) conjectures Mount Zemaraim to the east of Bethel, near the border of the two kingdoms, to which Mount Ephraim also extends. Abijah represented first of all (2Ch 13:5-7<\/span>) to Jeroboam and the Israelites that their kingdom was the result of a revolt against Jahve, who had given the kingship over Israel to David and his sons for ever. <\/p>\n 2Ch 13:5-7<\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong> “Is it not to you to know?” i.e., can it be unknown to you? , accus. of nearer definition: after the fashion of a covenant of salt, i.e., of an irrevocable covenant; cf. on Lev 2:13<\/span> and Num 18:19<\/span>. “And Jeroboam, the servant of Solomon the son of David (cf. 1Ki 11:11<\/span>), rebelled against his lord,” with the help of frivolous, worthless men ( as in Jdg 9:4<\/span>; Jdg 11:3<\/span>; as in 1Ki 21:10<\/span>, 1Ki 21:13<\/span> -not recurring elsewhere in the Chronicle), who gathered around him, and rose against Rehoboam with power. , to show oneself powerful, to show power against any one. Against this rising Rehoboam showed himself not strong enough, because he was an inexperienced man and soft of heart. denotes not “a boy,” for Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he entered upon his reign, but “an inexperienced young man,” as in 1Ch 29:1<\/span>. , soft of heart, i.e., faint-hearted, inclined to give way, without energy to make a stand against those rising insolently against him. lp’ , and showed himself not strong before them, proved to be too weak in opposition to them. This representation does not conform to the state of the case as narrated in 2 Chron 10. Rehoboam did not appear soft-hearted and compliant in the negotiation with the rebellious tribes at Sichem; on the contrary, he was hard and defiant, and showed himself youthfully inconsiderate only in throwing to the winds the wise advice of the older men, and in pursuance of the rash counsel of the young men who had grown up with him, brought about the rupture by his domineering manner. But Abijah wishes to justify his father as much as possible in his speech, and shifts all the guilt of the rebellion of the ten tribes from the house of David on to Jeroboam and his worthless following.<\/p>\n 2Ch 13:8-9<\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong> Abijah then points out to his opponents the vanity of their trust in the great multitude of their warriors and their gods, while yet they had driven out the priests of Jahve. “And now ye say,” scil.<\/em> in your heart, i.e., you think to show yourself strong before the kingdom of Jahve in the hands of the sons of David, i.e., against the kingdom of Jahve ruled over by the sons of David, by raising a great army in order to make war upon and to destroy this kingdom. , and truly ye are a great multitude, and with you are the golden calves, which Jeroboam hath made to you for gods; but trust not unto them, for Jahve, the true God, have ye not for you as a helper.<\/p>\n 2Ch 13:9<\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong> “Yea, ye have cast out the priests of Jahve, the sons of Aaron, and made you priests after the manner of the nations of the lands. Every one who has come, to fill his hand with a young bullock and … he has become a priest to the no-god.” , to fill his hand, denotes, in the language of the law, to invest one with the priesthood, and connected with it signifies to provide oneself with that which is to be offered to Jahve. To fill his hand with a young bullock, etc., therefore denotes to come with sacrificial beasts, to cause oneself to be consecrated priest. The animals mentioned also, a young bullock and seven rams, point to the consecration to the priesthood. In Ex 29 a young bullock as a sin-offering, a ram as a burnt-offering, and a ram as a consecratory-offering, are prescribed for this purpose. These sacrifices were to be repeated during seven days, so that in all seven rams were required for consecratory-sacrifices. Abijah mentions only one young bullock along with these, because it was not of any importance for him to enumerate perfectly the sacrifices which were necessary. But by offering these sacrifices no one becomes a priest of Jahve, and consequently the priests of Jeroboam also are only priests for Not-Elohim, i.e., only for the golden calves made Elohim by Jeroboam, to whom the attributes of the Godhead did not belong.<\/p>\n 2Ch 13:10-11<\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong> While, therefore, the Israelites have no-gods in their golden calves, Judah has Jahve for its God, whom it worships in His temple in the manner prescribed by Moses. “But in Jahve is our God, and we have not forsaken Him,” in so far, viz., as they observed the legal Jahve-worship. So Abijah himself explains his words, “as priests serve Him the sons of Aaron (who were chosen by Jahve), and the Levites are , in service,” i.e., performing the service prescribed to them. As essential parts of that service of God, the offering of the daily burnt-offering and the daily incense-offering (Exo 29:38<\/span>., 2Ch 30:7<\/span>), the laying out of the shew-bread (Exo 25:30<\/span>; Lev 24:5<\/span>.), the lighting of the lamps of the golden candlesticks (Exo 25:37<\/span>; Exo 27:20<\/span>.), are mentioned. In this respect they keep the (cf. Lev 8:35<\/span>).<\/p>\n 2Ch 13:12<\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong> Abijah draws from all this the conclusion: “Behold, with us at our head are (not the two calves of gold, but) God ( with the article, the true God) and His priests, and the alarm-trumpets to sound against you.” He mentions the trumpets as being the divinely appointed pledges that God would remember them in war, and would deliver them from their enemies, Num 10:9<\/span>. Then he closes with a warning to the Israelites not to strive with Jahve, the God of their fathers. <\/p>\n 2Ch 13:13-15<\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong> The war; Judah’s victory, and the defeat of Jeroboam and the Israelites. – 2Ch 13:13<\/span>. Jeroboam caused the ambush (the troops appointed to be an ambush) to go round about, so as to come upon their rear (i.e., of the men of Judah); and so they (the main division of Jeroboam’s troops) were before Judah, and the ambush in their rear (i.e., of the men of Judah); and the men of Judah, when they turned themselves ( scil.<\/em> to attack), saw war before and behind them, i.e., perceived that they were attacked in front and rear. In this dangerous position the men of Judah cried to the Lord, and the priests blew the trumpets (2Ch 13:15<\/span>); and as they raised this war-cry, God smote their enemies so that they took to flight. In and the loud shout of the warriors and the clangour of the trumpets in the hands of the priests are comprehended; and is neither to be taken to refer only to the war-cry raised by the warriors in making the attack, nor, with Bertheau, to be referred only to the blowing of the trumpets.<\/p>\n 2Ch 13:16-17<\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong> So Abijah and his people inflicted a great blow (defeat) on the Israelites, so that 500,000 of them, i.e., more than the half of Jeroboam’s whole army, fell. <\/p>\n 2Ch 13:18-19<\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong> The results of this victory. The Israelites were bowed down, their power weakened; the men of Judah became strong, mighty, because they relied upon Jahve their God. Following up his victory, Abijah took from Jeroboam several cities with their surrounding domains: Bethel, the present Beitin, see on Jos 7:2<\/span>; Jeshanah, occurring only here, and the position of which has not yet been ascertained; and Ephron ( , Keth.; the Keri<\/em>, on the contrary, ). This city cannot well be identified with Mount Ephron, Jos 15:9<\/span>; for that mountain was situated on the southern frontier of Benjamin, not far from Jerusalem, while the city Ephron is to be sought much farther north, in the neighbourhood of Bethel. C. v. Raumer and others identify Ephron or Ephrain both with Ophrah of Benjamin, which, it is conjectured, was situated near or in Tayibeh, to the east of Bethel, and with the , Joh 11:54<\/span>, whither Jesus withdrew into the wilderness, which, according to Josephus, Bell. Jud<\/em>. iv. 9. 9, lay in the neighbourhood of Bethel. See on Jos 18:23<\/span>. <\/p>\n (Note: The account of this war, which is peculiar to the Chronicle, and which de Wette declared, on utterly insufficient grounds, to be an invention of the chronicler (cf. against him my apol. Vers. ber die Chron.<\/em> S. 444ff.), is thus regarded by Ewald ( Gesch. Isr.<\/em> iii. S. 466, der 2 Aufl.): “ The chronicler must certainly have found among his ancient authorities an account of this conclusion of the war, and we cannot but believe that we have here, in so far, authentic tradition; ” and only the details of the description are the results of free expansion by the chronicler, but in the speech 2Ch 13:4-13<\/span> every word and every thought is marked by the peculiar colouring of the Chronicle. But this last assertion is contradicted by Ewald ‘ s own remark, i. S. 203, that “ in 2Ch 13:4-7<\/span>, 2Ch 13:19-21<\/span>, an antiquated manner of speech and representation appears, while in the other verses, on the contrary, those usual with the chronicler are found, ” – in support of which he adduces the words , 2Ch 13:7<\/span>, and , 2Ch 13:5<\/span>. According to this view, Abijah ‘ s speech cannot have been freely draughted by the chronicler, but must have been derived, at least so far as the fundamental thoughts are concerned, from an ancient authority, doubtless the Midrash of the prophet Iddo, cited in 2Ch 13:22<\/span>. But Ewald ‘ s further remark (iii. S. 466), that the author of the Chronicle, because he regarded the heathenized Samaria of his time as the true representative of the old kingdom of the ten tribes, seized this opportunity to put into King Abijah ‘ s mouth a long denunciatory and didactic speech, addressed at the commencement of the battle to the enemy as rebels not merely against the house of David, but also against the true religion, is founded upon the unscriptural idea that the calf-worship of the Israelites was merely a somewhat sensuous form of the true Jahve-worship, and was fundamentally distinct from the heathen idolatry, and also from the idolatry of the later Samaritans. In the judgment of all the prophets, not only of Hosea and Amos, but also of the prophetic author of the book of Kings, the calf-worship was a defection from Jahve, the God of the fathers, – a forsaking of the commands of Jahve, and a serving of the Baals; cf. e.g., 1 Kings 13; 2 Kings 17:7-23. What Abijah says of the calf-worship of the Israelites, and of Judah ‘ s attitude to Jahve and His worship in the temple, is founded on the truth, and is also reconcilable with the statement in 1Ki 15:3<\/span>, that Abijah ‘ s heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord, like David ‘ s heart. Abijah had promoted the legal temple-worship even by consecratory gifts (1Ki 15:15<\/span>), and could consequently quite well bring forward the worship of God in Judah as the true worship, in contrast to the Israelitic calf-worship, for the discouragement of his enemies, and for the encouragement of his own army; and we may consequently regard the kernel, or the essential contents of the speech, as being historically well-founded. The account of the war, moreover, is also shown to be historical by the exact statement as to the conquered cities in 2Ch 13:19<\/span>, which evidently has been derived from ancient authorities. Only in the statements about the number of warriors, and of the slain Israelites, the numbers are not to be estimated according to the literal value of the figures; for they are, as has been already hinted in the commentary, only an expression in figures of the opinion of contemporaries of the war, that both kings had made a levy of all the men in their respective kingdoms capable of bearing arms, and that Jeroboam was defeated with such slaughter that he lost more than the half of his warriors.)<\/p>\n 2Ch 13:20<\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong> Jeroboam could not afterwards gain power ( , as in 1Ch 29:14<\/span>): “And Jahve smote him, and he died.” The meaning of this remark is not clear, since we know nothing further of the end of Jeroboam’s life than that he died two years after Abijah. can hardly refer to the unfortunate result of the war (2Ch 13:15<\/span>.), for Jeroboam outlived the war by several years. We would be more inclined to understand it of the blow mentioned in 1Ki 14:1-8<\/span>, when God announced to him by Ahijah the extermination of his house, and took away his son Abijah, who was mourned by all Israel. <\/p>\n 2Ch 13:3<\/span><\/p>\n (The 1st edition Hardbound version of the commentary includes the following comments under 1 Kings 15).<\/strong><\/p>\n 1Ki 15:6<\/span> states that a state of war existed between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout their reigns. Though there was certainly belligerency God did not allow them to engage in open warfare. The first account of actual battle between Jeroboam and the southern kingdom occurred after the accession of Abijah, and is recorded only in Chronicles. It is in this incident that the characteristics of his grandfather, Absalom, appear in the young king. He appears as proud, boastful, and arrogant, yet having a brilliant mind. He was also a very able orator.<\/p>\n The site of this battle was Mount Zemaraim, in the tribe of Ephraim, but archaeologists today are unable to locate it. Abijah was the apparent aggressor, for he had his army inside the bounds of the northern kingdom, and Jeroboam was thus on the defensive. Abijah was outnumbered two to one, he having 400,000 chosen, valiant men in comparison to Jeroboam’s 800,000. Abijah’s army may have benefited from superior officers and training, due to the former prowess of David’s army which would have been passed on to them.<\/p>\n Abijah claimed a divine right to rule over all the tribes by the covenant of God with David. With his army situated on the mountain, from which his voice would carry well to the men of Israel in the valleys below, Abijah proceeded to deliver his oration to the men of Israel. His speech consisted of three major points: 1) the fact of God’s kingdom covenant with David; 2) rebuke of the northern tribes for their rebellion; 3) assurance that the Lord remained on the side of Judah.<\/p>\n Abah said the covenant of the Lord with David was a covenant of salt. Salt was considered a very important element to ancient men, and a covenant of salt. Salt was to be considered of vital force toward those who entered into it. This covenant had included David’ sons, and the tribes of Jeroboam’s kingdom ought to know this. Abijah ignored the apparent will of the Lord in allowing the separation of the tribes into two kingdoms.<\/p>\n The rebuke of Abijah was aimed basically at Jeroboam, to whom he referred as the rebellious servant of Solomon (which, of course, he had been). Those who had followed Jeroboam, of the tribes, Abijah characterized as vain men, worthless sons of Belial, who had taken advantage of a young and naive Rehoboam. Abijah possibly meant that his father was immature as a ruler and inexperienced in handling a crisis situation. The men of the north had come to him, even before his coronation, with demands he had insufficient time to consider. So they had made good their rebellion against the house of David, and expect to maintain themselves by the vast army they have accumulated. This they do in spite of having rejected the true God of Israel for two golden calves. They have further rejected the true priests and the Levites and have responded by making every man who can supply a sacrifice for his consecration a priest of the calves.<\/p>\n In contrast, Abijah protests, the true worship fo the Lord is still being carried out in Judah and Jerusalem. The sons of Aaron continue to maintain the temple worship, and the Levites continue in their designated positions. Abijah claims that Judah has not neglected the Lord, but continues the offerings, sacrifices, incense, shewbread, and lamps as the Lord had prescribed for Israel in His law given Moses.<\/p>\n Furthermore, he claimed that the Lord was with him, and His priests to sound the war trumpet against Jeroboam’s forces. They thus cannot expect to prosper infighting against the Lord.<\/p>\n (3) Set the battle in array.<\/strong>Began the battle.<\/em> Vulg., cumque iniisset Abia certanien (1Ki. 20:14<\/span>).<\/p>\n Four hundred thousand chosen men.<\/strong>In Davids census, Judah mustered 470,000 fighting men, and Israel 1,100,000, without reckoning Levi and Benjamin (1Ch. 21:5<\/span>). The numbers of the verse present a yet closer agreement with the results of that census as reported in 2Sa. 24:9<\/span>; where, as here, the total strength of the Israelite warriors is given as 800,000, and that of Judah as 500,000. This correspondence makes it improbable that the figures have been falsified in transmission. (See Note on 2Ch. 13:17<\/span>.)<\/p>\n Jeroboam also set the battle in array.<\/strong>While Jeroboam had drawn up against him.<\/em> Vulg., instruxite contra aciem. 3<\/strong>. <\/strong> Set the battle in array <\/strong> Literally, joined the battle; <\/em> that is, opened the war; began the fight. <\/p>\n Jeroboam also set the battle in array <\/strong> The verb here is different from that translated by the same words above. Abijah began the war in order to punish Jeroboam and Israel for rebellion, and Jeroboam ordered out his army for defense. The numbers 800,000 and 400,000 seem incredibly large; but perhaps the author only meant to designate the forces which each kingdom could command, not to say that all these 1,200,000 were engaged in any one battle. Compare the number of fighting men in David’s time. 2Sa 24:9<\/span>.<\/p>\n 2Ch 13:3<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>Even four hundred thousand chosen men<\/em><\/strong><\/strong> Houbigant thinks the numbers right in this and the 17th verse. Dr. Kennicott observes upon them as follows: “It is probable, that the Hebrew numbers may have been anciently expressed by marks, analogous to our common figures; for, indeed, several numbers seem greatly corrupted from the addition or subtraction of a cypher; and the numbers of this very passage, instead of 400,000, and 800,000, and 500,000, were probably at first 40,000, 80,000 and 50,000. On a particular examination of the Latin or Vulgate version, it appears that the number of chosen men here slain, which the Vulgate of Clement’s edition in 1592 determines to be 500,000, the Vulgate of Sextus, printed two years before, determined to be only 50,000; and the two preceding numbers in the edition of Sextus are 40,000, and 80,000, and that of Clement 400,000 and 800,000. As to different printed editions, out of fifty-two different editions from the year 1462 to 1592, thirty-one contained the lesser <\/em>number: and out of fifty-one manuscript copies, twenty-three in the Bodleian library, four in the library of Dean Aldrich, and two in that of Exeter College, contain the less <\/em>number, or else are corrupted irregularly, varying only one or two numbers.” Dissert. vol. i. p. 532. vol. ii. 197-221-564. <\/p>\n His army was greatly inferior. But this he regards not. He pleads right, as descended from David; whereas Jeroboam is an usurper. The covenant of salt should seem to imply a covenant with sacrifice. For every sacrifice is salted with salt. David, with an eye to Christ, had so expressed himself, Psa 50:5<\/span> . It is precious to see so much of Jesus in the general circumstances of the people in those remote ages. By Abijah standing upon mount Ephraim, it is clear that he had penetrated pretty far into the heart of Jeroboam’s dominions.<\/p>\n 2Ch 13:3 And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, [even] four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, [being] mighty men of valour.<\/p>\n Ver. 3. And Abijah set the battle in array.<\/strong> ] Josephus saith, that Jeroboam began the war, in hope to vanquish young Abijah; but Sethus Calvisius saith, that Abijah, rashly offering war to Jeroboam, yet obtained the victory, when he called upon God. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Even four hundred thousand, &c.<\/strong> ] Yet was this great army out numbered by Jeroboam’s; so was Asa’s six hundred thousand by Zera’s million. Huge were the armies of the Jews, that small people in comparison: five hundred thousand – not fifty thousand only, as Ruffinus ill translateth Josephus – were slain on one side; the greatest number that ever we read of slain in any battle.<\/p>\n men of. Hebrew. gibbor. App-14. <\/p>\n four hundred . . . eight hundred. Note the steady increase of Judah and the decrease of Israel: Rehoboam could assemble 180,000; Abijah (eighteen years later), 400,000; Asa (six years later), 580,000; Jehoshaphat (thirty-two years later), 1,160, 000. On the other hand, with Israel, Jeroboam could assemble 800,000, while Ahab’s army was compared to “two little flocks of kids” (1Ki 20:27), which could not stand against the Syrians. This increase of Judah was caused by the constant emigration of Israelites from the ten tribes. See note on 1Ki 12:17. <\/p>\n mighty men. Hebrew. gibbor. App-14. <\/p>\n set: Heb. bound together, 1Sa 17:1-3 <\/p>\n four hundred: 2Ch 11:1, 2Ch 14:8, 2Ch 17:14-18, 2Ch 26:12, 2Ch 26:13, 1Ch 21:5 <\/p>\n eight hundred: 2Ch 14:9 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Num 1:46 – General 1Ki 15:6 – there was war 1Ki 15:7 – there was war 1Ch 19:9 – put the battle 2Ch 13:17 – five hundred<\/p>\n 2Ch 13:3. Abijah set the battle in array Namely, against Jeroboam, having, no doubt, Gods authority to engage with him in battle. It is probable, indeed, that Jeroboam was the aggressor, and that what Abijah did was in his own necessary defence.<\/p>\n And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, [even] four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, [being] mighty men of valor. 3. Abijah set the battle in array ] R.V. Abijah joined battle. four hundred … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 13:3”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11468","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11468","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11468"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11468\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11468"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11468"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11468"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
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<\/P> Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
<\/em><\/p>\nFuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"