2 Chronicles 12:4

_AND HE TOOK THE FENCED CITIES WHICH PERTAINED TO JUDAH, AND CAME TO JERUSALEM._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

See 1 the Kings 14:25 note....

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...

AND HE TOOK THE FENCED CITIES WHICH PERTAINED TO JUDAH,.... Which Rehoboam had lately built, and placed his sons in them, 2 Chronicles 11:5, these he took without any opposition: AND CAME TO JERUSALEM; there being no army to oppose him; and so Sesostris took many countries without fighting, and among the rest Phoenicia, as Manetho o relates, in which Judea may be included. o Apud Joseph. contr. Apion. l. 1. c. 15....

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

_the fenced cities_ Cp. 2 Chronicles 11:5....

2. THE REIGN OF REHOBOAM (11-12) TEXT 2 Chronicles 11:1. And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, that were warriors, to fight against Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam. 2. But the word of Jehovah came to Shemaiah the man of God saying, 3. Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 4. -Thus saith Jehovah, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house; for this thing is of me.-' So they hearkened unto the words of Jehovah, and returned from going against Jeroboam. And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah. 6. He built Beth-lehem, and Etam, and Tekoa. 7. and Beth-zur, and Soco, and Adullam, 8. and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph, 9. and Adorai

REIGN OF REHOBOAM (CONCLUDED) This chapter is parallel to 1 Kings 14:21, but supplies additional particulars respecting Shishak's army and the prophet Shemaiah....