II Chronicles 12:9

With Ch2 12:9 the account of the war is taken up again and continued by the repetition of the words, "Then marched Shishak ... against Jerusalem" (Ch2 12:4). Shishak plundered the treasures of the temple and the palace; he had consequently captured Jerusalem. The golden shields also which had been placed in the house of the forest of Lebanon, i.e., the palace built by Solomon in Jerusalem, which Solomon had caused to be made (cf. Ch2 9:16), Shishak took away, and in their place Rehoboam caused brazen shields to be prepared; see on Kg1 14:26-28. - In Ch2 12:12 the author of the Chronicle concludes the account of this event with the didactic remark, "Because he (Rehoboam) humbled himself, the anger of Jahve was turned away from him." להשׁחית ולא, and it was not to extermination utterly (לכלה, properly to destruction, i.e., completely; cf. Eze 13:13). And also in Judah were good things. This is the other motive which caused the Lord to turn away His wrath. Good things are proofs of piety and fear of God, cf. Ch2 19:3.

This chapter gives us a more full account of the reign of Rehoboam than we had before in Kings and it is a very melancholy account. Methinks we are in the book of Judges again; for, I. Rehoboam and his people did evil in the sight of the Lord (Ch2 12:1). II. God thereupon sold them into the hands of Shishak, king of Egypt, who greatly oppressed them (Ch2 12:2-4) III. God sent a prophet to them, to expound to them the judgment and to call them to repentance (Ch2 12:5). IV. They thereupon humbled themselves (Ch2 12:6). V. God, upon their repentance, turned from his anger (Ch2 12:7, Ch2 12:12) and yet left them under the marks of his displeasure (Ch2 12:8-11). Lastly, Here is a general character of Rehoboam and his reign, with the conclusion of it (Ch2 12:13-16).

12:9-11 The looting of the royal treasuries and of the Temple were the punishment Rehoboam received for his disobedience. The gold shields were ritually carried by the guard accompanying the king when he moved from the palace to the Temple. The royal processionals lost much of their splendor with the bronze shields (cp. 9:15-16), which were safely stored in the huge armory Solomon had built (8:6).