Abijam

Biblical Account

Abijam was the grandson of Solomon and the son of Rehoboam. After the division of the kingdom, he became the second king of Judah. 1 Kings calls him "Abijam," while 2 Chronicles calls him "Abijah."

According to 1 Kings 15:1-8, he came to the throne in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam, king of Israel, and reigned three years in Jerusalem. The text judges that he walked in all the sins of his father and that his heart was not perfect as the heart of David. Nevertheless, it adds that for David's sake God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem (1 Kings 15:4). War continued between Judah and Israel throughout his reign. When he died, his son Asa succeeded him.

2 Chronicles 13 gives a detailed account of the war with Jeroboam. Abijah addresses Jeroboam's army from Mount Zemaraim. He declares that God gave the kingdom to the descendants of David "by a covenant of salt" (2 Chronicles 13:5), and he rebukes Israel for worshiping the golden calves and for appointing priests at will. Judah was outnumbered and caught in an ambush. But when the people cried out to the LORD and the priests sounded the trumpets, Judah prevailed and captured several cities, including Bethel. The rest of his acts are said to be written "in the story of the prophet Iddo" (2 Chronicles 13:22).

Significance Within Scripture

1 Kings treats Abijam briefly as an ungodly king, yet it attributes the continuation of his dynasty to God's promise to David. For this reason his story is read as an illustration of God's faithfulness to the Davidic covenant. 2 Chronicles, by contrast, focuses on the victory the same king won when he relied on God.

In the New Testament, his name appears only in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:7: "And Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa." The "course of Abia" in Luke 1:5 is the name of a priestly division and refers to someone other than this king.

Interpretation and Issues

• Differing assessments in the two books: 1 Kings portrays him negatively, while 2 Chronicles portrays him in a comparatively positive light. Conservative commentators harmonize the two accounts, holding that 1 Kings evaluates his life as a whole, whereas 2 Chronicles records a particular moment of faith. Other scholars hold that the Chronicler wrote with the theological aim of emphasizing the legitimacy of the Davidic dynasty and of temple worship.
• His mother's name: 1 Kings 15:2 and 2 Chronicles 11:20 identify his mother as "Maachah the daughter of Abishalom (Absalom)." 2 Chronicles 13:2 calls her "Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah." Asa's mother is also named Maachah (1 Kings 15:10). Several explanations have been proposed. One view reads "daughter" broadly as granddaughter and "mother" as grandmother; another regards Michaiah as a variant form of Maachah. Opinions also differ on whether Maachah's father was Absalom.
• Names and numbers: It is uncertain how the two names Abijam and Abijah arose. Interpreters also differ on whether the large figures in 2 Chronicles 13—400,000, 800,000, and 500,000—should be read literally.

In the Korean Church

Abijam is not frequently featured in Sunday school curricula or sermons. When preachers do address him, they usually take 2 Chronicles 13 as their text, speaking on "the victory given when we rely on God" or on the "covenant of salt." In through-the-Bible reading programs, he is mentioned as the king between Rehoboam and Asa when readers learn the succession of the kings of Judah.