II Chronicles 12:1
A plain-spoken deep dive on this verse. Read the chapter →
After Rehoboam had established his sovereignty and royal power, he and all Israel with him forsook the Law of the LORD.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Israel was very much disgraced and weakened by being divided into two kingdoms; yet the kingdom of Judah, having both the temple and the royal city, both the house of David and the house of Aaron, might have done very well if they had continued in the way of their duty; but here we have all out of order there. I. Rehoboam and his people left God: He forsook the law of the Lord, and so in effect forsook God, and all Israel with him, Ch2 12:1. He had his happy triennium, when he walked in the way of David and Solomon (Ch2 11:17), but it expired, and he grew remiss in the worship of God; in what instances we are not told, but he fell off, and Judah with him, here called Israel, because they walked in the evil ways into which Jeroboam had drawn the kingdom of Israel. Thus he did when he had established the kingdom and strengthened himself. As long as he thought his throne tottered he kept to his duty, that he might make God his friend; but, when he found it stood pretty firmly, he thought he had no more occasion for religion; he was safe enough without it. Thus the prosperity of fools destroys them. Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked. When men prosper, and are in no apprehension of troubles, they are ready to say to God, Depart from us. II. God quickly brought troubles upon them, to awaken them, and recover them to repentance, before their hearts were hardened. It was but in the fourth year of Rehoboam that they began to corrupt themselves, and in the fifth year the king of Egypt came up against them with a vast army, took the fenced cities of Judah, and came against Jerusalem, Ch2 12:2, Ch2 12:3, Ch2 12:4. This great calamity coming upon them so soon after they began to desert the worship of God, by a hand they had little reason to suspect (having had a great deal of friendly c…
Open source ↗12:1-2 The book of Kings states no theological reason for Egypt’s invasion, but the Chronicler does: The Egyptians attacked Jerusalem because Rehoboam had abandoned the covenant and rebelled against the Lord.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, because they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon.
Thus King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite.
But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked— becoming fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation.
and even Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but lived according to the customs Israel had introduced.
When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel. But he incurred guilt through Baal, and he died.
“Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin
You ignored the Rock who brought you forth; you forgot the God who gave you birth.
You have kept the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab’s house; you have followed their counsel. Therefore I will make you a desolation, and your inhabitants an object of contempt; you will bear the scorn of the nations.”
And others will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the LORD their God who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—because of this, the LORD has brought all this disaster upon them.’”
but Rehoboam still reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.