Bible Commentaries
2 Chronicles 13

Verse 2

Michaiah. Called also Maachah in 2 Chronicles 11:20 ; 1 Kings 15:2 . See note on 1 Chronicles 25:11 . Michaiah = Who is like Jehovah? This name used of her as the queen-mother; but she is called Maachah = oppression, when speaking of her idolatry (2 Chronicles 15:16 ).

Uriel of Gibeah. Josephus ( Antiquities VIII. 10, 1) says he was the husband of Tamar the daughter of Absalom, and the mother of Michaiah. See above, 2 Chronicles 11:20 . 1 Kings 15:2 .

Verse 3

men of. Hebrew. gibbor. App-14 .

four hundred . . . eight hundred. Note the steady increase of Judah and the decrease of Israel: Rehoboam could assemble 180,000; Abijah (eighteen years later), 400,000; Asa (six years later), 580,000; Jehoshaphat (thirty-two years later), 1,160, 000. On the other hand, with Israel, Jeroboam could assemble 800,000, while Ahab's army was compared to "two little flocks of kids" (1 Kings 20:27 ), which could not stand against the Syrians. This increase of Judah was caused by the constant emigration of Israelites from the ten tribes. See note on 1 Kings 12:17 .

mighty men. Hebrew. gibbor. App-14 .

Verse 4

mount = hill country: i.e. of Ephraim.

Verse 5

Ought ye not . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis.

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .

even to him. Israel's king must be of David's line.

a covenant of salt. See notes on Leviticus 2:13 and Numbers 18:19 . This is the third of the three occurrences,

Verse 6

rebelled. Compare 1 Kings 11:26 .

Verse 7

children = sons.

was. Hebrew. hayah = became, or showed himself [to be young and weak].

young. Compare 2 Chronicles 10:8 ; 2 Chronicles 12:13 .

Verse 8

the kingdom of the LORD. Once pertaining to the whole nation (1 Chronicles 28:5 . 1 Chronicles 9:8 ), now confined to Judah.

made you. Compare 1 Kings 12:28 .

Verse 9

Have ye not . . . ? Compare 2 Chronicles 11:14 . Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .

nations = Peoples.

seven rams. In Exodus 29:1 and Leviticus 8:2 only "two rams" appointed. But religion and ritual, being for the flesh, always add outward things while they diminish the spiritual.

Verse 11

burn = "burn [as incense]". Hebrew. katar. App-43 .

candlestick = lampstand.

Verse 12

behold. Figure of speech Asterismos.

sounding trumpets. Compare Numbers 10:9 ; Numbers 31:6 .

Verse 14

behold. Figure of speech Asterismos.

Ephrain. Identified as "Ephraim" (John 11:54 ).

Verse 20

he died. Figure of speech Hysterologia. App-6 . Jeroboam outlived Abijah. See note on 1 Kings 14:20 .

Verse 22

story. Hebrew. midrash = a, historical commentary, having in view the moral instruction rather than the historic facts. Occurs only here and 2 Chronicles 24:27 .

Iddo. Compare 2 Chronicles 9:29 ; 2 Chronicles 12:15 .