2 Chronicles 12:3

_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._ The Lubims - the Libyans of northeastern Africa. THE SUKKIIMS. Some think these were the Scenite Arabs, dwellers in tents, but others maintain more justly that these were Arab-Troglodytes, who inhabited the caverns of a mountain range on the western coast of the Red Sea. THE ETHIOPIANS - from the regions south of Egypt. By the overwhelming force of numbers they took the fortresses of Judah which had been recently put in a state of defense, and marched to lay siege to the capital. While Shishak and his army were before Jerusalem, the prophet Shemaiah addressed Rehoboam and the princes, tracing this calamity to the national apostasy, and threatening them with utter destruction, in consequence of having forsak...

Verse 2 Chronicles 12:3. _THE LUBIMS_] Supposed to be a people of _Libya_, adjoining to Egypt; sometimes called _Phut_ in Scripture, as the people are called _Lehabim_ and _Ludim_. _THE SUKKIIMS_] The _Troglodytes_, a people of Egypt on the coast of the Red Sea. They were called _Troglodytes_, Τρωγλοδυται, οἱ τας τρωγλας οικουντες, "because they dwelt in caves." - _Hesych_. This agrees with what _Pliny_ says of them, _Troglodytae specus excavant,_ _haec illis domus_; "The Troglodytes dig themselves caves; and these serve them for houses." This is not very different from the import of the original name סכיים _Sukkiyim_, from סכה _sachah_, to _cover_ or _overspread_; (hence סוך _such_, a _tabernacle_;) the people who were _covered_ (emphatically) under the earth

TWELVE HUNDRED CHARIOTS - This number is not unusnal (compare Exodus 14:7; 1 Kings 10:26). Benhadad brought 1,200 chariots into the field against Shalmaneser II; and Ahabhad at the same time a force of 2,000 chariots (compare the 1 Kings 20:1 note). The Lubims or “Libyans” Daniel 11:43, were a people of Africa, distinct from the Egyptians and the Ethiopians dwelling in their immediate neighborhood. They were called Ribu or Libu by the Egyptians. See Genesis 10:13....

EXPOSITION This chapter finishes for us the history of Rehoboam, his "acts" and his character; and, with the preceding two chapters, it may be counted among the masterpieces of Scripture biography. In so short a compass, how well marked, how distinctly limned, are the features of the man! The name of Rehoboam is, undoubtedly, one of the more important, if not taking rank among the most important, of Scripture, and no one can rise from the study of the fifty-eight verses of these three chapters without a very satisfactory conception of the man Rehoboam and what he was. It will be seen from the language of the second verse, compared with 2 Chronicles 11:17, that, roughly speaking, this chapter stretches over the last sad and evil twelve of the whole seventeen years of Rehoboam's reign. This, however, does not negative the possibility of the anticipation in...

WITH TWELVE HUNDRED CHARIOTS, AND THREESCORE THOUSAND HORSEMEN; AND THE PEOPLE WERE WITHOUT NUMBER,.... The foot soldiers; their number, according to Josephus h was 400,000: THAT CAME WITH HIM OUT OF EGYPT; the above numerous army came from thence with him, which was famous for horses and chariots of war, see Exodus 14:7, what follow seem to have joined him after he came out of Egypt, or whom he subdued in his way; the Lubim or Lybians, inhabitants of Libya, a country near Egypt the same with the Lehabim; of whom see Genesis 10:13, THE SUKKIIMS; who were either the Scenite Arabs, who dwelt in tents, as this word signifies; or the Troglodytes, according to the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, who dwelt in dens and caves, in which sense the

2 Chronicles 12:1. _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._ They prospered, at first, by adhering to Jehovah. The good people out of the neighbouring land of Israel emigrated to them, strengthening them but, as soon as they grew strong, they forsook the law of Jehovah. 2 Chronicles 12:2. _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,_ Shishak did not know that fact, nor did he care about Jehovah. God so ruled in providence that, when his people cast him off, he soon found a rod with which to chasten them. The king of Egypt dete

CHAPTER 12 REHOBOAM'S APOSTASY, PUNISHMENT, AND DEATH _ 1. Rehoboam's apostasy (2 Chronicles 12:1)_ 2. Punishment through Shishak (2 Chronicles 12:2) 3. Death of Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 12:13) The kingdom had been established; Rehoboam had strengthened himself and lived in the indulgence of the flesh. Then followed the awful plunge into apostasy. “He forsook the law of the Lord and all Israel with him.” Idolatry in the high places and under every green tree was established and fostered by him. “And there were also Sodomites in the land, and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel” ...

SHISHAK INVADES JUDAH; SUMMARY OF REHOBOAM'S REIGN; HIS DEATH (see notes on 1 Kings 14:21 f., 1 Kings 14:25; 1 Kings 14:29). The words in 2 Chronicles 12:2_ b_ (because they had trespassed.) to the end of 2 Chronicles 12:8, which do not figure in 1 K., are regarded by many commentators as a _midrash_ (see note on 2 Chronicles 13:22) which the Chronicler either wrote himself or incorporated from some source to which he

_with twelve hundred chariots_ The details given in this verse are absent from 1 Kin. _Lubims_ R.V. LUBIM (cp. 2 Chronicles 16:8). The "s" is not needed, "im" being a mark of the Heb. plural as in "Cherubim" and "Seraphim." The _Lubim_are no doubt the _Libyans_. _Sukkiims_ R.V. SUKKIIM. LXX. Τρωγλοδύται, i.e. the cave dwellers of the mountains which fringe the west coast of the Red Sea. But whether these are really meant here is doubtful....

THE LUBIMS, THE SUKKIIMS— The _Lubims_ were a people of _Lybia,_ which adjoined to Egypt, and are sometimes in Scripture called _Phut,_ and sometimes _Lubims,_ from the Arabic word _Lub,_ which signifies _dry_ or _thirsty,_ as was the land which they inhabited. The _Sukkiims_ were the people called _Troglodites,_ because they dwelt in _Troglais,_ caves and dens in the earth, on the coast of the Red Sea. The people called _Cush,_ which we translate _Ethiopians,_ were either inhabitants of a country on the south of Egypt, or the _Scenitae_ of Arabia; for the name was common to both....