2 Chronicles 13

This chapter continues the account of the kings of southern Judah after the division of the kingdom in 2 Chronicles. It opens after the death of Rehoboam in 2 Chronicles 12, when his son Abijah succeeds him on the throne.

Outline

• Verses 1–3: In the eighteenth year of Jeroboam, Abijah becomes king of Judah and reigns three years in Jerusalem. Abijah fields an army of 400,000 against Jeroboam's 800,000.
• Verses 4–12: Abijah delivers a speech on Mount Zemaraim. He declares that God gave the kingdom to David's descendants by a covenant of salt, and he condemns northern Israel for worshiping the golden calves and appointing priests at will. He then warns, "fight ye not against the LORD."
• Verses 13–18: Surrounded front and rear by Jeroboam's ambush, Judah cries out to the LORD, and the priests sound the trumpets. God smites Israel, and 500,000 of Israel's soldiers are slain.
• Verses 19–22: Abijah captures Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephrain. Jeroboam never regains his strength and dies, while Abijah grows increasingly strong. Abijah's acts are said to be recorded in the story (commentary) of the prophet Iddo.

Key Verses

• 2 Chronicles 13:5: "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" — This reflects the unchanging nature of the Davidic covenant, a theme Chronicles emphasizes.
• 2 Chronicles 13:18: "because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers" — This reveals the Chronicler's perspective, which attributes victory not to military strength but to reliance on God.

People and Places

• Abijah: Son of Rehoboam and the second king of Judah. In Kings he is called Abijam.
• Jeroboam: The first king of northern Israel.
• Michaiah: Abijah's mother, whom the text identifies as the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.
• Mount Zemaraim: A mountain in the hill country of Ephraim, where Abijah delivered his speech.
• Bethel: The site where Jeroboam set up a golden calf; Abijah captures it in this chapter.
• Iddo: The prophet who recorded Abijah's acts.

Points for Reflection

• 1 Kings 15, which covers the same king, assesses Abijam negatively, stating that "he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him," and it does not include the speech or the victory in this war. The Chronicler is commonly understood to focus on the legitimacy of Judah, which maintained the temple worship.
• 1 Kings 15:2 names Abijam's mother as Maachah the daughter of Abishalom. Various explanations have been offered for this difference, including the view that Maachah was a granddaughter.
• Regarding large figures such as 400,000, 800,000, and 500,000, some scholars suggest that the Hebrew word translated "thousand" may denote a military unit. Others accept the numbers in the text as they stand.
• Abijah's name appears in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1.