But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them ,.... While Abijah was making his oration, he detached a party from his army, which got about, and lay in ambush, behind the army of Abijah: so they were before Judah ; Jeroboam and the greater part of his army: and the ambushment was behind them ; which Jeroboam had sent thither. read more
And when Judah looked back ,.... On hearing a noise behind them: behold, the battle was before and behind ; men were set in battle array, and the battle was begun, and an attack made upon them both ways: and they cried unto the Lord ; for help against their enemies, and to deliver them out of their hands: and the priests sounded with the trumpets ; to inspire them with cheerfulness, and to suggest to them that God was with them and they need not be afraid. read more
Then the men of Judah gave a shout ,.... Taking heart at the sound of the trumpets, and in order to encourage one another, and intimidate the enemy; See Gill on 1 Samuel 17:20 , and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah ; possessed them with a panic, so that they fled at once, as follows. read more
And the children of Israel fled before Judah ,.... Were in such a fright and consternation, that they could not stand their ground, or engage at all; but took to flight immediately: and God delivered them into their hand ; to be taken and slain by them. read more
And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter ,.... As they fled, pursuing them: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men ; such a slaughter as is not to be met with in any history, as Josephus F19 Antiqu. l. 8. c. 11. sect. 3. observes; though Abarbinel wonders he should say so, and affirms that he had read of larger numbers slain at once; but he is the only man that ever pretended to it; Jerom F20 Trad. Heb. fol. 84. M. makes the... read more
Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time ,.... Humbled and weakened, but not reduced to the government of the house of David: and the children of Judah prevailed ; or grew strong: because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers ; trusted in him, and not in an arm of flesh; the Targum is,"in the Word of the Lord God of their fathers.' read more
And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam ,.... As he and his army fled: and took cities from him ; the following ones: Bethel with the towns thereof ; the villages adjoining to it; here one of the calves was set up, which either Jeroboam took care to remove before this place fell into the hands of Abijah, or Abijah let it remain, and did not destroy it: and Jeshanah with the towns thereof ; which Reland F24 Palestin. Illustrat. p. 861. thinks is the same that is called by Jerom ... read more
Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah ,.... So as to bring an army into the field against him, and fight him: and the Lord struck him ; by some Jewish writers F1 Bereshit Rabba, sect. 65. fol. 58. 8. Seder Olam Rabba, c. 16. , this is interpreted of Abijah; and the reason of his being stricken, they say, was because he did not destroy the calf when he took Bethel; but it is best to understand it of Jeroboam, since Abijah is afterwards said to wax mighty:... read more
But Abijah waxed mighty ,.... In his kingdom, increasing in riches and numbers, power and authority, and in his family: and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons and sixteen daughters ; not after the above battle, nor since he began to reign; for he reigned but three years; but he, no doubt, married wives and had children before he came to the throne, as he might have others after. read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Chronicles 13:13-22
We do not find that Jeroboam offered to make any answer at all to Abijah's speech. Though it was much to the purpose, he resolved not to heed it, and therefore he heard it as though he heard it not. He came to fight, not to dispute. The longest sword, he thought, would determine the matter, not the better cause. Let us therefore see the issue, whether right and religion carried the day or no. I. Jeroboam, who trusted to his politics, was beaten. He was so far from fair reasoning that he was... read more