1Rehoboam forsaking the Lord is punished by Shishak's invasion: 5he and the princes repenting at the preaching of Shemaiah are delivered from destruction, but not from spoil. 13The reign and death of Rehoboam: Abijah succeedeth him.
1AND it camea to pass, 1when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook 2the law of the LORD, and 3all Israel with him.
a 1 Kings 14:22.
1 Namely, after three years, wherein he had walked after David’s and Solomon’s example. See 2 Chron. 11:17.
2 That is, lapsed from the true doctrine, pure religion and upright conduct, prescribed by the law of God. Compare Deut. 32:15; 1 Kings 18:18; 2 Chron. 7:19; 13:11; Job 6:14; Prov. 2:13; Isa. 1:4; Jer. 2:13, etc.
3 That is, Judah, and all the Israelites who resorted to Judah. See 1 Kings 12 on verse 17; for, earlier the other tribes were brought to revolting by Jeroboam. Notwithstanding, this apostasy is thus to be understood that God yet had His chosen remnant, consisting of prophets, as Ahijah, Shemaiah, Iddo, and some of the priests, Levites, and of the congregation, who gave heed to the prophets, kept themselves pure and clean from the pollutions of idolatry. See verse 12.
2And it came to pass, that in theb fifth year of king Rehoboam 4Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they 5had transgressed against the LORD,
b 1 Kings 14:25.
4 See 1 Kings 14:25.
5 See of their abominable sins committed against the first and second table, 1 Kings 14:23, 24.
3With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the 6Lubims, the 7Sukkiims, and the 8Ethiopians.
6 A people in Africa, bordering upon Egypt. See of them also in Dan. 11:43; Nahum 3:9.
7 Otherwise called: Troglodites, also a people in Africa.
8 Hebr. Cuschim, the Cushites, that is, the Moors and Arabians. See Gen. 10 on verse 6.
4And he took the 9fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.
9 Compare 2 Chron. 11:5.
5¶Then came 10Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem 11because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.
10 See of this prophet also in 1 Kings 12:12 and the annotation.
11 Or, by reason. Hebr. from the face. Other, for fear.
6Whereupon the princes 12of Israel and the king 13humbled themselves; and they said, The LORD is righteous.
12 That is, of the Israelites, who were under the dominion of Rehoboam.
13 Namely, acknowledging with the heart, and confessing with the mouth the wickedness and iniquity of their sins and the justice of God’s punishment.
7And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them 14some 15deliverance; and my wrath shall 16not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
14 Or, after a little, namely, while; also Job 32:22; Psalm 2:12; 81:14. Or, a small thing, or, some little thing tending to deliverance.
15 That is, escape.
16 That is, My wrath shall not proceed so far that Jerusalem would be destroyed, and the people carried away captive, as at length came to pass by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, 2 Kings 25; 2 Chronicles 36; Jeremiah 52. Other, shall not drop, that is, shall not last or continue long.
8Nevertheless they shall be 17his servants; 18that they may know my service, and the service of the 19kingdoms of the countries.
17 That is, they shall have to yield the city to him, pay ransom, permit him to take away whatsoever he will, and receive such terms of peace as he shall be pleased to give them.
18 Namely, how happy is the state of those who serve and obey Me according to My Word; and on the contrary, how grievous and miserable it is to serve the idolatrous and tyrannical kings of the earth, after their covetous and ambitious desire.
19 Or, earthly kingdoms.
9So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the 20treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house; 21he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon hadc made.
20 Namely, being permitted (as it seems) by the king and the people, he is to take the city as a ransom, in order that it shall not be raided and plundered by the force of arms.
21 See 1 Kings 14 on verse 26.
c 1 Kings 10:16; 2 Chron. 9:15.
10Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief 22of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king's house.
22 See 1 Kings 14 on verse 27.
11And when the king entered into the house of the LORD, the guard came and fetched 23them, and brought them again into the 24guard chamber.
23 Namely, the shields.
24 See 1 Kings 14 on verse 28.
12And when 25he humbled him-self, the wrath of the LORD turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went 26well.
25 Namely, the king, with evidence of sorrow and repentance.
26 As: I. the law of Moses; II. the word of the prophets; III. circumcision; IV. somewhat of the pure worship of God; V. some true believers and godly people, who had not corrupted their way; for which things all, the Lord yet spared the city; as He would have spared Sodom had there been but ten righteous persons in it, Gen. 18:32. Compare herewith the annotation on verse 1.
13¶So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: ford Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosene out of all the tribes of Israel, to put 27his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.
d 1 Kings 14:21.
e 2 Chron. 6:6.
27 See 1 Kings 8 on verse 29.
14And he did evil, because he prepared not 28his heart to seek the 29LORD.
28 Although man is not able to do this by the strength of nature but only by the grace of regeneration, Jer. 31:18; Mat. 7:18; John 15:5, yet he is bound to do it, and liable to punishment when he does it not, because the fault is in him that he does it not, nor can do it.
29 See 2 Chron. 11 on verse 16.
15Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the 30book of 31Shemaiah the prophet, and of 32Iddo the seer 33concerning genealogies? 34And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam 35continually.
30 Other, in the books, or, in the words. See 2 Chron. 9 on verse 29.
31 See 1 Kings 12 on verse 22.
32 See 2 Chron. 9 on verse 29.
33 Other, in the account of the genealogies, or, in the genealogies, that is, in the book, describing the generations of kings, called the history of the prophet Iddo, 2 Chron. 13:22.
34 That is, are not also in the same words written the wars, etc.
35 That is, which lasted all their lifetime. Or, and the wars of Rehoboam and Jeroboam were all their days, that is, as long as they lived.
16And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and 36Abijah his son reigned in his stead.
36 Otherwise called: Abijam, 1 Kings 14:31; 15:1, etc.