2 Chronicles 11:11-16

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Chronicles 11:1-12

How the ten tribes deserted the house of David we read in the foregoing chapter. They had formerly sat loose to that family (2 Sam. 20:1, 2), and now they quite threw it off, not considering how much it would weaken the common interest and take Israel down from that pitch of glory at which it had arrived in the last reign. But thus the kingdom must be corrected as well as the house of David. 1. Rehoboam at length, like a bold man, raises an army, with a design to reduce the revolters, 2 Chron.... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Chronicles 11:13-23

See here, I. How Rehoboam was strengthened by the accession of the priests and Levites, and all the devout and pious Israelites, to him, even all that were true to their God and their religion. 1. Jeroboam cast them off, that is, he set up such a way of worship as he knew they could not in conscience comply with, which obliged them to withdraw from his altar, and at the same time he would not allow them to go up to Jerusalem to worship at the altar there; so that he totally cast them off from... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 11:11

And he fortified the strong holds ,.... Of these and other cities: and put captains in them ; garrisons of soldiers, with captains over them to defend them: and store of victual, and of oil and wine ; that they might be able to hold out a siege, should they be attacked. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 11:12

And in every several city he put shields and spears ,.... Furnished them with these and perhaps other pieces of armour, these being put for all, to defend themselves with against an enemy, and to annoy them: and made them exceeding strong ; so that they could not be easily taken: having Judah and Benjamin on his side : which tribes cleaved to one another, and to Rehoboam, and to the kings of the house of David, in later times, as well as to the true religion. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 11:13

And the priests and the Levites, that were in all Israel ,.... In the ten tribes, in the cities assigned to them therein: resorted to him out of all their coasts ; as to their rightful sovereign, and chiefly for the sake of the service of the sanctuary at Jerusalem. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 11:14

For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession ,.... The cities and the fields adjacent to them, which were given them in the several tribes, and were in all forty eight; see Joshua 21:1 and came to Judah and Jerusalem; to the cities of Judah, which belonged to the Levites; and to Jerusalem, where they exercised their functions: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from exercising the priest's office unto the Lord ; neither suffering them to go to Jerusalem in their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 11:15

And he ordained him priests for the high places ,.... Of such who were not of the tribe of Levi, and family of Aaron; see 1 Kings 12:31 . and for the devils ; demons in the shape of goats, as this word signifies, in which form many of the Heathen deities were worshipped; idols of whatsoever kind are so called; for whosoever worships them worships not God, but devils, 1 Corinthians 10:21 the images which Jeroboam set up may be meant, and the next clause may be rendered as explanative... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 11:16

And after them out of all the tribes of Israel ,.... Besides the priests and Levites, and after their example, many of the common people, out of all the ten tribes: such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel ; to seek his face and favour, where he was to be found; to worship him according to his revealed will, and to receive doctrine or instruction from him, as the Targum: came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers ; to sacrifice where only... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Chronicles 11:11

Store of victual - In these places he laid up stores of provisions, not only to enable them to endure a siege; but also that they might be able, from their situation, to supply desolate places. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Chronicles 11:14

The Levites left their suburbs - They and the priests were expelled from their offices by Jeroboam, lest they should turn the hearts of the people to the true God, and then they would revolt to Judah, 1 Kings 12:26 ; and therefore he established a new worship, and made new gods. read more

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