2 Chronicles 13:3 KJV

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 2 Chronicles 13:3

2 Chronicles 13:3. Abijah set the battle in array Namely, against Jeroboam, having, no doubt, God’s authority to engage with him in battle. It is probable, indeed, that Jeroboam was the aggressor, and that what Abijah did was in his own necessary defence. read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 13:1-22

10:1-36:23 THE KINGS OF JUDAHDivision and its consequences (10:1-13:22)The Chronicler records the division of the kingdom (10:1-11:4; see notes on 1 Kings 12:1-24), but omits the statement in 1 Kings 12:20 that Jeroboam was made king of the northern tribes. He does not even mention Jeroboam’s reign (1 Kings 12:25-14:20). He considers that because the northerners broke away from the dynasty of David and from the true worship of God, they had no right to be called a kingdom, and certainly not the... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 2 Chronicles 13:3

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... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - 2 Chronicles 13:3

2 Chronicles 13:3. Even four hundred thousand chosen men— Houbigant thinks the numbers right in this and the 17th verse. Dr. Kennicott observes upon them as follows: "It is probable, that the Hebrew numbers may have been anciently expressed by marks, analogous to our common figures; for, indeed, several numbers seem greatly corrupted from the addition or subtraction of a cypher; and the numbers of this very passage, instead of 400,000, and 800,000, and 500,000, were probably at first 40,000,... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 2 Chronicles 13:3

3. Abijah set the battle in array—that is, took the field and opened the campaign. with . . . four hundred thousand chosen men . . . Jeroboam with eight hundred thousand—These are, doubtless, large numbers, considering the smallness of the two kingdoms. It must be borne in mind, however, that Oriental armies are mere mobs—vast numbers accompanying the camp in hope of plunder, so that the gross numbers described as going upon an Asiatic expedition are often far from denoting the exact number of... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Chronicles 13:1-22

Reign of AbijahThis chapter expands the account given of Abijah (Abijam) in 1 Kings 15:1-8 by giving details of his war with Jeroboam, which is there only briefly mentioned.2. Michaiah] In 2 Chronicles 11:21 and 1 Kings 15:2 she is called ’Maachah,’ and was probably daughter of Uriel and granddaughter of Absalom.3. Four hundred thousand, etc.] These numbers (see also 2 Chronicles 13:17) are in keeping with the large figures that appear elsewhere in Chronicles: see 2 Chronicles 14:8-9; 2... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - 2 Chronicles 13:3

(3) Set the battle in array.—Began the battle. Vulg., “cumque iniisset Abia certanien” (1 Kings 20:14).Four hundred thousand chosen men.—In David’s census, Judah mustered 470,000 fighting men, and Israel 1,100,000, without reckoning Levi and Benjamin (1 Chronicles 21:5). The numbers of the verse present a yet closer agreement with the results of that census as reported in 2 Samuel 24:9; where, as here, the total strength of the Israelite warriors is given as 800,000, and that of Judah as... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 13:1-22

REHOBOAM AND ABIJAH: THE IMPORTANCE OF RITUAL2 Chronicles 10:1-19; 2 Chronicles 11:1-23; 2 Chronicles 12:1-16; 2 Chronicles 13:1-22THE transition from Solomon to Rehoboam brings to light a serious drawback of the chronicler’s principle of selection. In the history of Solomon we read of nothing but wealth, splendor, unchallenged dominion, and superhuman wisdom; and yet the breath is hardly out of the body of the wisest and greatest king of Israel before his empire falls to pieces. We are told,... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - 2 Chronicles 13:1-22

CHAPTER 13 The Reign of Abijah 1. The beginning of his reign (2 Chronicles 13:1-2 ) 2. War with Jeroboam (2 Chronicles 13:3-19 ) 3. Death of Jeroboam (2 Chronicles 13:20 ) 4. Abijah’s family (2 Chronicles 13:21-22 ) Abijah is called in Kings, Abijam, and in 2 Chronicles 13:21 , Abijahu (Hebrew text). His reign was not of a long duration; he outlived his father Rehoboam only three years. His mother was Maachah (2 Chronicles 11:20 ). She is called here Michaiah, probably because she was... read more

L.M. Grant

L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Chronicles 13:1-22

THE REIGN OF ABIJAH (vv.1-22) Jereboam outlived Rehoboam, though not for long (v.20). He died after reigning 22 years (1 Kings 14:20), five years longer than Rehoboam. But Abijah, son of Rehoboam, reigned only for three years in Judah (v.2). 1 Kings 15:3 tells us that Abijah wa1ked in all the sins of his father and his heart was not loyal to the Lord. Yet Chronicles does not mention this, but emphasises rather what was to his credit in regard to overcoming Jereboam, in battle. The guilt of... read more