1.
Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.
2.
He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
Michaiah. Called also Maachah in 2 Chronicles 11:20 ; 1 Kings 15:2 . See note on 1 Chronicles 25:11 . Michaiah = Who is like Jehovah? This name used of her as the queen-mother; but she is called Maachah = oppression, when speaking of her idolatry (2 Chronicles 15:16 ).
Uriel of Gibeah. Josephus ( Antiquities VIII. 10, 1) says he was the husband of Tamar the daughter of Absalom, and the mother of Michaiah. See above, 2 Chronicles 11:20 . 1 Kings 15:2 .
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.
men of. Hebrew. gibbor. App-14 .
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" (1 Kings 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 1 Kings 12:17 .
mighty men. Hebrew. gibbor. App-14 .
4.
And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel;
mount = hill country: i.e. of Ephraim.
5.
Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?
Ought ye not . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .
even to him. Israel's king must be of David's line.
a covenant of salt. See notes on Leviticus 2:13 and Numbers 18:19 . This is the third of the three occurrences,
6.
Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord.
rebelled. Compare 1 Kings 11:26 .
7.
And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.
children = sons.
was. Hebrew. hayah = became, or showed himself [to be young and weak].
young. Compare 2 Chronicles 10:8 ; 2 Chronicles 12:13 .
8.
And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.
the kingdom of the LORD. Once pertaining to the whole nation (1 Chronicles 28:5 . 1 Chronicles 9:8 ), now confined to Judah.
made you. Compare 1 Kings 12:28 .
9.
Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.
Have ye not . . . ? Compare 2 Chronicles 11:14 . Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .
nations = Peoples.
seven rams. In Exodus 29:1 and Leviticus 8:2 only "two rams" appointed. But religion and ritual, being for the flesh, always add outward things while they diminish the spiritual.
10.
But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business:
11.
And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken him.
burn = "burn [as incense]". Hebrew. katar. App-43 .
candlestick = lampstand.
12.
And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.
behold. Figure of speech Asterismos.
sounding trumpets. Compare Numbers 10:9 ; Numbers 31:6 .
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.
behold. Figure of speech Asterismos.
Ephrain. Identified as "Ephraim" (John 11:54 ).
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, Bethel with the towns thereof, and Jeshnah 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.
he died. Figure of speech Hysterologia. App-6 . Jeroboam outlived Abijah. See note on 1 Kings 14:20 .
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.
story. Hebrew. midrash = a, historical commentary, having in view the moral instruction rather than the historic facts. Occurs only here and 2 Chronicles 24:27 .
Iddo. Compare 2 Chronicles 9:29 ; 2 Chronicles 12:15 .