1 And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.

And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord,

With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.

And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.

Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.

Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The Lord is righteous.

And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

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.

10 Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king's house.

11 And when the king entered into the house of the Lord, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber.

12 And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well.

13 So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.

14 And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.

15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

16 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.

Commentary

Verse 1

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
And all Israel - So called, because they forsook God, as Israel had done.
McArther Bible Commentary
fifth year. C. 926 B.C. Presumably, Rehoboam's three years of blessing preceded a fourth year of spiritual rebellion, which God judged in his fifth year with judgment at the hand of the Egyptians.
Bible Cross References
1 Kings 14:22 2 Chronicles 11:17 2 Chronicles 11:23 2 Chronicles 12:13 2 Chronicles 26:13

Verse 2

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Fifth year - Presently after the apostacy of the king and people, which was in the fourth year.
McArther Bible Commentary
Shishak. He ruled over Egypt c. 945-924 B.C. An Egyptian record of this invasion written on stone has been found, recording that Shishak's army penetrated all the way north to the Sea of Galilee. He wanted to restore Egypt's once-great power, but was unable to conquer both Israel and Judah. However, he was able to destroy cities in Judah and gain some control of trade routes. Judah came under Egyptian control.
Bible Cross References
1 Kings 11:40 1 Kings 14:25 2 Kings 7:6 2 Chronicles 14:9 Isaiah 18:2

Verse 3

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Lubims - A people of Africk bordering upon Egypt. Sukkiims - A people living in tents, as the word signifies; and such there were not far from Egypt, both in Africk and in Arabia. Ethiopians - Either those beyond Egypt, or the Arabians.
Bible Cross References
2 Kings 7:6 2 Chronicles 14:9 2 Chronicles 16:8 Daniel 11:43 Nahum 3:9

Verse 4

Bible Cross References
Numbers 31:43 2 Chronicles 11:5

Verse 5

Bible Cross References
Deuteronomy 28:15 1 Kings 12:22 2 Chronicles 11:2 2 Chronicles 12:15 2 Chronicles 15:2

Verse 6

McArther Bible Commentary
humbled themselves. In the face of the Egyptian conqueror, the leaders responded to the Word of God through the prophet (2Ch 12:5) and repented, so that God would end His wrath worked through Shishak.
Bible Cross References
Exodus 9:27 2 Chronicles 12:12 2 Chronicles 21:2 Daniel 9:14

Verse 7

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Some deliverance - I will give some stop to the course of my wrath, which was ready to be poured forth upon them to their utter destruction. Those who acknowledge God is righteous in afflicting them, shall find him gracious.
Bible Cross References
1 Kings 21:29 2 Chronicles 12:12 2 Chronicles 34:25 2 Chronicles 34:27 Psalm 78:38

Verse 8

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
May know - That they may experimentally know the difference between my yoke and the yoke of a foreign and idolatrous prince.
McArther Bible Commentary
Nevertheless. A fitting punishment arose to remind the Jews of their heritage in relationship to Egypt. This was the first major military encounter with Egypt since the Exodus had ended hundreds of years of slavery there. A taste of being enslaved again to a people from whom God had given liberation was bitter. The message was crystal clear-if the Jews would forsake the true worship of God, they would also lose His protective hand of blessing. It was much better to serve God than to have to serve "kingdoms of the nations."
Bible Cross References
Deuteronomy 28:47 Deuteronomy 28:48

Verse 9

McArther Bible Commentary
against Jerusalem. After the parenthetical section (2Ch 12:5-8) describing the state of the beleaguered court, the historian returns to discuss the attack on Jerusalem and the pillage of the temple and palace.
Bible Cross References
1 Kings 10:16 1 Kings 10:17 1 Kings 14:25 1 Kings 14:26 2 Chronicles 9:15 2 Chronicles 9:16 2 Chronicles 12:10

Verse 10

McArther Bible Commentary
bronze. The pure gold was replaced by bronze, which was carefully guarded.
Bible Cross References
1 Kings 10:16 2 Chronicles 12:9 2 Chronicles 12:11

Verse 11

Bible Cross References
1 Kings 14:28 2 Chronicles 12:10 2 Chronicles 12:12

Verse 12

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Went well - The began to recruity themselves, and regain some degree of their former prosperity.
McArther Bible Commentary
Cf. 2Ch 12:7. God preserved Judah because of her repentance.
Bible Cross References
2 Chronicles 12:6 2 Chronicles 12:7 2 Chronicles 12:11 2 Chronicles 19:3

Verse 13

McArther Bible Commentary
C. 931-913 B.C. By the general revival of true worship, Rehoboam's reign acquired new life and continued many years after the departure of Shishak. Sadly, he faltered (2Ch 12:14), probably due largely to his heathen mother (2Ch 12:13).
Bible Cross References
1 Kings 14:21 2 Chronicles 6:6 2 Chronicles 12:1 2 Chronicles 13:7

Verse 14

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Did evil - Or, settled not, although he humbled himself, for a season, yet he quickly relapsed into sin, because his heart was not right with God.
Bible Cross References
1 Kings 14:22 2 Chronicles 19:3

Verse 15

Bible Cross References
1 Kings 14:29 2 Chronicles 9:29 2 Chronicles 11:2 2 Chronicles 12:5

Verse 16

McArther Bible Commentary
Abijah. Cf. 2Ch 11:20, 2Ch 11:22. In 1Ki 15:3, he is called a great sinner. But consistent with his pattern, the writer of the Chronicles highlights the little good he did to indicate that he was still in line with God's covenant promise to David.
Bible Cross References
1 Kings 14:29 2 Chronicles 11:20