2. THE REIGN OF ABIJAH.

(Comp. 1Kings 15:1-8.)

And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.—Now war had arisen. See 1Kings 15:6. “Now war had prevailed [same verb] between Abijam [common Hebrew text incorrectly has Rehoboam] and Jeroboam all the days of his life.” The chronicler modifies the sense by omitting the concluding phrase, and then proceeds to give a striking account of a campaign in which Abijah totally defeated his rival (2Chronicles 13:3-20); of all which we find not a word in Kings.

Four hundred thousand chosen men.—In David’s census, Judah mustered 470,000 fighting men, and Israel 1,100,000, without reckoning Levi and Benjamin (1Chronicles 21:5). The numbers of the verse present a yet closer agreement with the results of that census as reported in 2Samuel 24:9; 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 2Chronicles 13:17.)

Jeroboam also set the battle in array.—While Jeroboam had drawn up against him. Vulg., instruxite contra aciem.

Upon.—Literally, from upon to mount Zemaraim; a mark of the chronicler’s hand.

Mount Zemaraim is otherwise unknown A city so called is mentioned (Joshua 18:22) as near Bethel, and probably lay a little to the south of it, on the northern frontier of Judah, perhaps upon this mountain.

Mount Ephraim.—The hill country of Ephraim.

By a covenant of salt.—As or after the manner of a covenant of salt, i.e., a firm and unalterable compact (see Numbers 18:19). According to ancient custom, salt was indispensable at formal meals for the ratification of friendship and alliance; and only a “salt treaty “was held to be secure. Salt therefore accompanied sacrifices, as being, in fact, so many renewals of the covenant between man and God. (Leviticus 2:13; Ezekiel 43:24; Leviticus 24:7 in the LXX.)

The antique phrase, “covenant of salt,” is otherwise important, as bearing on the authenticity of this speech.

Is risen up, and hath rebelled.—Arose and rebelled. (See 1Kings 11:26-40).

Vain men (rĕqîm, Judges 9:4; Judges 11:3).—Said of the followers of Abimelech and the freebooter Jephthah. Neither this nor the following phrase, “the children of Belial” (literally, sons of worthlessness, i.e., men of low character and estimation) occurs again in the Chronicles. (See Judges 19:22; Judges 20:13; 1Kings 21:10; 1Kings 21:13, for the latter.)

Have strengthened.—Omit have.

Young and tender-hearted.—Rather, a youth and soft of heart, faint-hearted. A similar phrase occurred 1Chronicles 29:1. The expression is somewhat inexact, as Rehoboam was forty-one when he ascended the throne (2Chronicles 12:13). But Abijah is naturally anxious to put the case as strongly as possible against Jeroboam, and to avoid all blame of his own father. In 2 Chronicles 10 Rehoboam appears as haughty and imperious, rather than timid and soft-hearted.

Could not withstand them.—Did not show himself strong or firm (2Chronicles 12:13).

Against them.—Before them. (Comp. 1Chronicles 12:17; a usage of the chronicler’s.)

To withstand the kingdom.—Literally, to show yourselves strong before the kingdom, as in last verse.

In (through) the hand of the sons of David.—The meaning is, the kingdom which Jehovah holds by the instrumentality of the house of David, as His earthly representatives. (Comp. Vulg., “regno Domini quod possidet per filios David.” (See 1Chronicles 29:23).

And there are with you golden calves.—And therefore you believe yourselves assured of Divine aid, in addition to the strength of numbers. But your trust is delusive, for Jeroboam made the objects of your fond idolatry (see Isaiah 44:9-17); and you have superseded the only lawful worship of Jehovah (2Chronicles 13:9).

Cast out.—Banished (Jeremiah 8:3).

After the manner of the nations of other lands.—Literally, like the peoples of the lands; that is, priests of all classes of the nation, and not members of the divinely chosen tribe of Levi. (See 1Kings 12:31; 1Kings 13:33). The surrounding heathen had no exclusive sacerdotal castes.

So that whosoever cometh . . .—Literally, every one that cometh, that they may fill his hand, with a steer, son of a herd, and seven rams, becometh a priest unto non-gods. “To fill a man’s hand” was the legal phrase for giving him authority and instituting him as a priest. (See Exodus 28:41; Exodus 29:9; Judges 17:5.) Every one that came with the prescribed sacrifices (see Exodus 29) was admissible to the new priesthood. The phrase “a young bullock and seven rams” is not a full account of the sacrifices required by the law of Moses for the consecration of a priest. Perhaps Abijah did not care to be exact; but it is quite possible that Jeroboam had modified the Mosaic rule.

The compound substantive “no-gods” (lō’ ’elôhîm) is like lō’ ’êl and lō’ ’elōah (Deuteronomy 32:17; Deuteronomy 32:21). The calves are spoken of as mere idols, although there is little doubt that Jeroboam set them up as representations of the God of Israel.

The shewbread also . . .—Literally, and a pile of bread on the pure table. The construction is uncertain. The words seem to depend loosely on the verb they offer (“they burn”) at the beginning of the sentence. But perhaps they should be taken thus: and a pile of bread is on the pure table, and the golden lampstand and its lamps they have to light every evening. (See Exodus 25:30; Exodus 25:37; Leviticus 24:5-7.) The Syriac reads, “and the golden lampstands and their lamps; and the lamp-boy lighteth them every evening.” It is noticeable that only one table and one candlestick are mentioned here. (Comp. 2Chronicles 4:7-8; 2Chronicles 4:19.)

The observance of these details of ritual is called “keeping the charge of Jehovah” (see Leviticus 8:35), and neglect of them is “forsaking” Him. (See on 2Chronicles 13:10).

The ambush.—The troops which Jeroboam had detached for that service.

Judah looked back.—Not prepared (Bertheau) (See Joshua 8:20).

Sounded.—Were sounding. Literally, trumpeting.

God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.—The wild panic which seized the host of Israel, when they heard the shout of their foes, is thus forcibly described. The same phrase is used in Judges 20:35, and again by the chronicler (2Chronicles 14:12). (Comp. the Vulg., “perterruit Deus Jeroboam et omnem Israel.” Syriac, “the Lord routed,” &c.)

Five hundred thousand chosen men.—Or more than half of Jeroboam’s entire army.

It is hardly true to say that “there is nothing in the original to indicate that this slaughter was all on one day.” (Speaker’s Commentary.) On the contrary, it is perfectly evident from the whole narrative that this verse describes the issue of a single great and decisive encounter of the rival hosts.

The result is certainly incredible, if the numbers be pressed; but it seems more reasonable to see in them “only a numerical expression of the belief of contemporaries of the war, that both kings had made a levy of all the fighting men in their respective realms, and that Jeroboam was defeated with such slaughter that he lost more than half his warriors” (Keil). The Syriac reads “five thousand.”

The number of slain on the other side is not stated. But it is absurd to talk as Reuss does, of Abijah’s 400,000 as being “still intact,” and then to ask why they did not proceed to reduce the northern kingdom.

Prevailed.—Was strong. (Psalm 18:13; Genesis 25:23.)

They relied upon the Lord.—Isaiah 10:20. (Authorised Version, “stay upon.”)

Bethel.—Beitin. (Genesis 12:8; Joshua 7:2.)

Jeshanah.—Not mentioned elsewhere in the Old Testament. Probably identical with Ἰσάνας of Josephus (Ant. xiv. 15, § 12); site unknown. Syriac, Shālā; Arabic, Sāiā.

Ephrain.—So the Heb. margin; Heb. text, Ephron; and so LXX., Vulg., Syriac, Arabic. Mount Ephron (Joshua 15:9) was situated too far to the south to be intended here. Perhaps Ophrah, near Bethel (Judges 6:11), or the town called Ephraim (John 6:54)—especially if Ephrain be the right reading—which also was near Bethel, according to Josephus (Bell. Jud. iv. 9, §9), is to be understood. Ophrah and Ephraim may be identical.

The Arabic adds: “And Zāghār with the towns thereof.”

And the Lord struck him, and he died.—All that is known of Jeroboam’s death is that it took place two years after that of Abijah (1Kings 15:8-9). The expressions of the text cannot mean, as Zöckler suggests, “visited him with misfortune till his death.” His death is regarded as a judicial visitation (compare the use of the same Hebrew phrase, 1Samuel 25:38). The verse, then, states that during the rest of Abijah’s reign Jeroboam remained powerless to injure his neighbour; and that the circumstances of his death were such that men recognised in them “the finger of God.” It is not likely that the reference is to the event of 2Chronicles 13:15 (Bertheau), nor to the death of his son (1Kings 14:1-8), as Keil supposes.

And married fourteen wives, and begat twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.—Abijah reigned only three years altogether. He must, therefore, have had most of these wives and children before his accession. (2Chronicles 11:21-23 may be said to imply this; see Note on 2Chronicles 11:23.) A stop should be placed after the first clause, thus: “And Abijah strengthened himself. And he took him fourteen wives, and begat twenty-two sons,” etc. The two facts are merely placed side by side, though a tacit contrast may be suggested between the number of Abijah’s off-spring, and the speedy extirpation of the house of Jeroboam.

Story.—Midrash. See margin. For the source here referred to, see Introduction, § 6.