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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comKeil and Delitzsch Commentary - 2 Chronicles 11:13 - 11:13
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
2Ch 11:13-17, the account of the internal spiritual strengthening of the kingdom of Judah by the migration of the priests and Levites, and many pious worshippers of Jahve out of all the tribes, to the kingdom of Judah.
2Ch 11:13-14
The priests and Levites in all Israel went over to him out of their whole domain. עַל הִתְיַצֵּב, to present oneself before any one, to await his commands, cf. Zec 6:5; Job 1:6; Job 2:1; here in the signification to place oneself at another's disposal, i.e., to go over to one. The suffix in גְּבוּלָם refers to “all Israel.” For - this was the motive of their migration, 2Ch 11:14 -the Levites (in the wider signification of the word, including the priests) forsook their territory and their possessions, i.e., the cities assigned to them, with the pasture lands for their cattle (Num 35:1-8), scil. in the domain of the ten tribes; “for Jeroboam and his sons had driven them out from the priesthood of Jahve.” To prevent his subjects from visiting the temple at Jerusalem, which he feared might ultimately cause the people to return to the house of David, Jeroboam had erected his own places of worship for his kingdom in Bethel and Dan, where Jahve was worshipped in the ox images (the golden calves), and had appointed, not the Levites, but men from the body of the people, to be priests in these so-called sanctuaries (1Ki 12:26-31), consecrated by himself. By these innovations not only the priests and Levites, who would not recognise this unlawful image-worship, were compelled to migrate to Judah and Jerusalem, but also the pious worshippers of the Lord, who would not renounce the temple worship which had been consecrated by God Himself. All Jeroboam's successors held firmly by this calf-worship introduced by him, and consequently the driving out of the priests and Levites is here said to have been the act of Jeroboam and his sons. By his sons are meant Jeroboam's successors on the throne, without respect to the fact that of Jeroboam's own sons only Nadab reached the throne, and that his dynasty terminated with him; for in this matter all the kings of Israel walked in the footsteps of Jeroboam.
2Ch 11:15
And had ordained him priests for the high places. וַיַּעֲמֶד־לֹו is a continuation of הִזְנִיחָם כִּי, 2Ch 11:14. בָּמֹות are the places of worship which were erected by Jeroboam for the image-worship, called in 1Ki 12:31 בָּמֹות בֵּית; see on that passage. The gods worshipped in these houses in high places the author of the Chronicle calls שְׂעִירִים from their nature, and עֲגָלִים from their form. The word שְׂעִירִים is taken from Lev 17:7, and signifies demons, so named from the Egyptian idolatry, in which the worship of goats, of Pan (Mendes), who was always represented in the form of a goat, occupied a prominent place; see on Lev 17:7. For further details as to the עֲגָלִים, see on 1Ki 12:28.
2Ch 11:16
אַחֲרֵיהֶם, after them, i.e., following after the priests and Levites. With אֶת־לְבָבָם הַנֹּתְנִים, who turned their hearts thereto, cf. 1Ch 22:19. They went to Jerusalem to sacrifice there; i.e., as we learn from the context, not merely to offer sacrifices, but also to remain in the kingdom of Judah.
2Ch 11:17
These immigrants - priests, Levites, and pious worshippers of Jahve-made the kingdom of Judah strong, by strengthening the religious foundation on which the kingdom was founded, and made Rehoboam strong three years, so that they (king and people) walked in the way of David and Solomon. The strengthening lasted only three years-only while the opposition to Jeroboam's action in the matter of religion was kept alive by the emigration of the pious people from the ten tribes. What occurred after these three years is narrated only in 2 Chron 12. - Here there follows, in