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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Chronicles 13:1-12

Abijah's mother was called Maachah, the daughter of Absalom, 2 Chron. 11:20; here she is called Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel. It is most probable that she was a grand-daughter of Absalom, by his daughter Tamar (2 Sam. 14:27), and that her immediate father was this Uriel. But we are here to attend Abijah into the field of battle with Jeroboam king of Israel. I. God gave him leave to engage with Jeroboam, and owned him in the conflict, though he would not permit Rehoboam to do it, 2 Chron.... read more

John Gill

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

And they burn unto the Lord, every morning and every evening, burnt sacrifices and sweet incense ,.... That is, the priests; the one they did on the altar of burnt offering, and the other on the altar of incense, and both every day, morning and evening: the shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table ; the shewbread table, every sabbath day, when they took the old bread off, which had stood there a week: and the candlestick of gold, with the lamps thereof, to burn every... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 13:12

And, behold, God himself is with us for our Captain ,.... To go before our armies, and fight our battles for us: and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you ; which was one use of the trumpets, that the people might be remembered by the Lord, and saved from their enemies, Numbers 10:9 , so that this circumstance was against Jeroboam and his army, and for Abijah and his: O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers ; for fighting... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Chronicles 13:12

God himself is with us - Ye have golden calves; we have the living and omnipotent Jehovah. With - trumpets to cry alarm against you - This was appalling: When the priests sound their trumpets, it will be a proof that the vengeance of the Lord shall speedily descend upon you. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Chronicles 13:1-20

The folly of unnatural severance, etc. The whole chapter presents to us a number of lessons, not very closely connected with one another. I. THE FOLLY OF AN UNNATURAL SEVERANCE . The first thing we read about the reign of Abijah is that there "was war between him and Jeroboam" ( 2 Chronicles 13:2 ). What else was to be expected? How, in those times, or indeed in any time, could it be otherwise? Tribes descended, as they were, from a common ancestor, speaking the same... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Chronicles 13:1-22

A royal and manly manifesto in the rights of godly truth. The narrative of Abijah's short reign of three years is distinguished by one clear account, at any rate, of the wars that had arisen and were prevailing between the two parts of the recently rended and bleeding kingdom, of which a very brief statement only had been made, at the close of the history of Rehoboam's reign, whether here or in the parallel. It is also, and most chiefly, distinguished by the graphic description of the very... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Chronicles 13:1-22

The successor of Rehoboam. I. HIS NAME . Abijah, "whose father is Jehovah" ( 1 Kings 14:1 ); Abijam, "father of the sea," i.e. a maritime man ( 1 Kings 14:31 ; 1 Kings 15:1 ); or Abia ( LXX .). If Abijam be not a clerical mistake, then the hypothesis is at least interesting that the Chronicler adopted the form Abijah because he did not intend to describe this king's reign as wicked, while the writer of the Kings, having this intention, frequently selected the form... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Chronicles 13:3-19

A great war in a short reign. I. THE CONTENDING ARMIES . ( 2 Chronicles 13:3 .) 1 . Their leaders. Of the army of Judah, Abijah; of the host of Israel, Jeroboam—both capable generals, and each the inspiring spirit of his troops. 2 . Their numbers. Of Judah, four hundred thousand men—one hundred thousand fewer than Joab numbered to Judah; of Israel, eight hundred thousand—exactly the number Joab counted to Israel ( 2 Samuel 24:9 ). 3 . Their quality. (a) ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Chronicles 13:5-12

The idea of Abijah in this religious harangue, addressed or supposed to be addressed to the kingdom of the ten tribes, was good, and the execution was spirited. While, however, he preaches well to others, there are not wanting signs that he can blind himself as to some failure of practice on his own part. The points of the argument running through his harangue are correct, skilfully chosen, and well and religiously thrust home on the heart of his supposed audience. The practical trust of... read more

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