2 Chronicles 13

1 In the eighteenth [almost 18 years into] year [a period of time, like when Abraham was 100 years old] of Jeroboam’s [the people will contend, a king of Israel] reign, Abijah [my father is the Lord, a king of Judah] became king [to reign, to rule as a king] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob], word study 2 and he reigned [as king, ruled] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Judah] three [a period of time, a sequence of years] years. His mother’s [female parent, maternal figure] name was Micaiah [who is like God, a daughter of Uriel] daughter of Uriel [God is my light, a Levite]; she was from Gibeah [a city in Benjamin, hill or peak]. And there was war [battle, conflict, fighting] between [in the midst of, during the time of] Abijah [my father is the Lord, a king of Judah] and Jeroboam [the people will contend, a king of Israel]. word study 3 Abijah [the father of Jah, a king of Judah] went into battle [to engage in war, to fight] with an army [a large group of soldiers, a force] of 400,000 [four hundred thousand] chosen [selected, elite] men, while Jeroboam [the people will contend, a king of Israel] drew up in formation [arranged, set in order] against him with 800,000 [eight hundred thousand] chosen [select, mighty] and mighty [strong, powerful] men of valor [men of strength, courage, and honor, helech]. word study 4 Then Abijah [the father of Jah, a king of Judah] stood [rose up, took his position] on Mount [a high hill, a place of spiritual significance] Zemaraim [a place of double fleece, abundance] in the hill country [the mountainous region] of Ephraim [doubly fruitful, a tribe of Israel] and said, “Hear me [listen to me, give attention to my words], O Jeroboam [the people will contend, a king of Israel] and all [every single one, the entire nation] Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, God’s chosen people]! word study 5 Do you not know [ought you not to understand] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], the God [Elohim, the one supreme God] of Israel, has given [bestowed, granted] the kingship [kingdom, dominion] of Israel to David [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] and his descendants [sons, posterity] forever [for all eternity, always] by a covenant [binding agreement, promise] of salt? word study 6 Yet Jeroboam [the people will contend] son of Nebat, a [faithful or bonded] servant [or slave] of Solomon [Shelomoh, a king of peace] son of David, rose up [to power or authority] and rebelled [resisted or defied] against his master [master or lord, ʼâdôwn, emphasizing authority]. word study 7 Then worthless [vain, empty, without value] and wicked [evil, ungodly] men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam [king of Judah] son of Solomon [a king of Israel] when he was young [a youth, in his early years], inexperienced [tender-hearted, lacking wisdom], and unable [not strong enough, lacking courage] to resist [stand against, withstand] them. word study 8 And now [at this moment, in this present time] you think [consider, suppose] you can resist [withstand, oppose] the kingdom [dominion, reign] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], which is in the hands [power, authority] of David’s descendants [sons, heirs]. You are indeed [truly, certainly] a vast army [great multitude, large crowd], and you have with you [accompanied by, in your possession] the golden [valuable, precious] calves [young bulls, idols] that Jeroboam [the people will contend, a king of Israel] made [created, fashioned] for you as gods [idols, false deities]. word study 9 But did you not [utterly reject] drive out the priests of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], the sons of Aaron [the first high priest, brother of Moses], and the Levites [descendants of Levi, a tribe of Israel]? And did you not make priests for yourselves [appoint your own, like the nations around you] as do the peoples of other lands [nations, countries, territories]? Now whoever comes to consecrate [dedicate, set apart] himself with a young bull [a bullock, an ox] and seven rams [strong, powerful animals] can become a priest of things that are not [idols, false] gods [Elohim, supernatural beings]. word study 10 But as for us, the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] is our God [Elohim, the one supreme God]. We have not [in no way] forsaken [abandoned or loosened our bond with] Him; the priests [those who serve God] who minister [serve or attend to] to the LORD [Yehovah] are sons [descendants] of Aaron, and the Levites [descendants of Levi] attend to [wait upon or assist with] their duties [work or occupation]. word study 11 Every morning [at the break of day] and every evening [at sunset] they present [offer, burn] burnt offerings [sacrifices totally consumed by fire] and fragrant incense [sweet perfume, aromas] to the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God]. They set out the rows [arrangements, piles] of showbread [sacred bread, loaves] on the ceremonially clean [pure, holy] table, and every evening [at dusk] they light the lamps [lights, flames] of the gold [valuable, precious] lampstand [candlestick, chandelier]. We are carrying out [keeping, obeying] the requirements [charge, commands] of the LORD our God [Yehovah, the Lord God], while you have forsaken [abandoned, turned away from] Him. word study 12 Now behold [look, pay attention], God [Elohim, the supreme God] Himself is with [together, in accompaniment] us as our head [leader, chief], and His priests [spiritual leaders, mediators] with their trumpets [instruments of alarm, signaling] sound the battle call [shout, alarm] against you. O children [sons, descendants] of Israel, do not [refuse, abstain] fight [engage in battle, strive] against the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], the God [Elohim, the one supreme God] of your fathers [ancestors, progenitors], for [because, since] you will not [cannot, shall not] succeed [prosper, rush forward].” word study 13 Now Jeroboam [the people will contend] had sent troops around [to surround, to encompass] to ambush [set a hidden trap, lie in wait] from the rear [from behind, in the back], so that while he was in front [facing, before] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah], the ambush [a hidden trap, a surprise attack] was behind [after, in the rear] them. word study 14 When Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, son of Jacob] turned [faced, looked back] and discovered [saw, beheld] that the battle [war, conflict] was both before [in front of] and behind [at the rear of] them, they cried out [utterly, with distress] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. Then the priests [spiritual leaders, mediators] blew [sounded, trumpeted] the trumpets [signaling instruments, proclaiming alarm], word study 15 and the men [warriors, fighting men] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, son of Jacob] raised the battle cry [shouted, gave a loud shout]. And when they raised the cry [at their shouting], God [Elohim, the supreme God] routed [struck, smote] Jeroboam [the king of the northern kingdom] and all [every, the entire] Israel [the descendants of Jacob] before [in the presence of, facing] Abijah [the king of Judah] and Judah [the southern kingdom]. word study 16 So the [children of, descendants of] Israelites fled [ran away, escaped] before [in the presence of, from the face of] Judah [the tribe descended from Judah], and [the supreme] God [Elohim, the one true God] delivered [gave, handed over] them into [to, into the power of] their [open, powerful] hands. word study 17 Then Abijah [a king of Judah, son of Rehoboam] and his people [nation, tribe] struck them with a mighty [great, powerful] blow [wound, defeat], and 500,000 [five hundred thousand] chosen [select, elite] men of Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s people] fell [were defeated] slain [killed, destroyed]. word study 18 Thus the Israelites [were brought under, humbled] were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah [were victorious] prevailed because they relied [trusted, leaned] on the LORD [Yehovah, the God of covenant], the God [Elohim, the supreme ruler] of their fathers [ancestors, heritage]. word study 19 Abijah [the father is the Lord] pursued [chased after, followed with hostile intent] Jeroboam [the people will contend] and captured [seized, took control of] some cities [towns, settlements] from him: Bethel [house of God, a sacred place], Jeshanah [an old, abandoned place], and Ephron [a place of dust, fertility], along with their villages [surrounding towns, daughters]. word study 20 Jeroboam [the people will contend] did not again [still, any more] recover his power [strength, might] during the days [time, period] of Abijah [my father is the Lord], and the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] struck him down [smote, afflicted] and he died [passed away, perished]. word study 21 But Abijah [waxed mighty, became strong] grew strong [strengthened himself], married [took to himself, took as wives] fourteen [four and ten] wives, and became the father [begat, gave birth to] of twenty-two [twenty and two] sons and sixteen [six and ten] daughters. word study 22 Now the rest [remainder, excess] of the acts [deeds, accomplishments] of Abijah [a king of Judah], along with his ways [manner of life, path] and his words [sayings, teachings], are written [recorded, inscribed] in the Treatise [story, commentary, midrash] of the Prophet [spokesperson for God] Iddo [a prophet and historian]. word study