Chapter 12

1 Rehoboam, forsaking the Lord, is punished by Shishak. 5 He and the princes, repenting at the preaching of Shemaiah, are delivered from destruction, but not from spoil. 13The reign and death of Rehoboam.

1. Forsook the law. This evidently occurred after Rehoboam’s third year (ch. 11:17). The evils of Rehoboam’s reign are set forth in greater detail in Kings. There it is stated that the people established high places, images, and groves, and that other abominations, such as the degrading practices of the sodomites, were encouraged (see on 1 Kings 14:22–24).

2. Shishak. Verses 2–12 give the account of Shishak’s invasion in much fuller form than the parallel account in 1 Kings 14:25–28. Shishak has left his own account of this invasion on the wall of the great temple to Amen at Karnak in which he lists names of cities of Judah and Israel (see on 1 Kings 14:25.

3. Twelve hundred chariots. These interesting details as to the size and composition of the Egyptian army are not mentioned in Kings.

Lubims. Or Libyans, inhabitants of a territory in North Africa, west of Egypt. The people of this region frequently infiltrated into Egypt, mingled with the Egyptians, and served as mercenary troops. Shishak, or Sheshonk I, was the first king of a dynasty of Libyan kings who ruled over Egypt probably about 950–750 b.c. The Libyans are also mentioned in 2 Chron. 16:8; Nahum 3:9; Dan. 11:43 (see Vol. II, p. 50).

The Sukkiims. These people have not been identified. They seem to have been some minor North African tribe.

Ethiopians. Literally, Cushites. Cush was the general name for the region lying south of Egypt proper corresponding roughly to the Sudan, or Nubia. In the classical period the term Ethiopia was applied to this region. This identification must not be confused with modern Ethiopia, which is farther to the south and east.

4. The fenced cities. The towns that Rehoboam had fortified seem to have been among those that fell to Shishak. The names of only two of these, Socoh and Aijalon (ch. 11:7, 10), are now legible on the Karnak inscription (see on v. 2).

5. Shemaiah. The narrative of Shemaiah’s message to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah does not appear in Kings. The writer of Chronicles frequently points out the sad results of transgression and the blessings of obedience.

Gathered together. As the smaller cities were being taken, the princes of Judah fell back to Jerusalem.

Left you. This statement reveals the method by which the Lord frequently deals with transgression. When His people forsake Him and fall into sin, the Lord withdraws His protecting hand, and the forces of evil are permitted to do their part in bringing judgment upon evil (see PP 428, 429).

6. Humbled themselves. When threatened with judgment, proud Nineveh humbled itself and was accorded mercy by the Lord (Jonah 3:5–10). So also judgment brought Judah to its knees and to repentance.

The Lord is righteous. The people acknowledged that the Lord was just in permiting the judgments they deserved to come upon them.

7. When the Lord saw. The Lord does not delight in the suffering that transgressors bring upon themselves, but is ever watching to see whether they will turn themselves from their iniquities so that the threatened judgments may be removed (see Eze. 18:30–32).

Some deliverance. Judgment in considerable measure had already fallen. The Lord would now grant deliverance to a remnant, and would not bring upon them the complete destruction that their iniquities deserved (see 2 Chron. 12:12; Ezra 9:13; Isa. 1:9).

Upon Jerusalem. Because the people repented, the threat of immediate destruction of Jerusalem was withdrawn. However, the menace of destruction still hung over the city, and would ultimately be carried out if the people persisted in iniquity.

8. May know my service. That is that they might know the difference between having the Lord as a Master and having the hand of some heathen king over them. The Lord wanted them to experience the terrible tyranny into which a man sells himself when he wanders away from God and enters the pathways of sin.

9. Took away the treasures. The Temple treasures gathered by David and Solomon and dedicated to the Lord now fell into the hands of a heathen king. By their sin the professed children of God brought reproach not only upon themselves but also upon God.

10. Chief of the guard. The shields of gold were presumably for the use of the royal bodyguard (see on ch. 9:16), and the shields of brass were now committed into the hands of the chief of the guard. The word for “guard,” ras\im, literally means, “runners.” It is translated “footmen” in 1 Sam. 22:17, and the phrase in which it appears is rendered “men to run” in 1 Kings 1:5. In each instance the men referred to seem to have belonged to the bodyguard.

13. Strengthened himself. These words indicate Rehoboam’s recovery from the results of Shishak’s invasion.

One and forty years. Since Solomon reigned 40 years (ch. 9:30), Rehoboam was probably born the year before Solomon came to the throne.

14. Prepared not his heart. These words explain the reason for Rehoboam’s iniquities. From this point on, as the various successors to the throne are discussed, the reigns will be characterized as either good or evil (see chs. 14:2; 20:32; 21:6; etc.).

15. Book of Shemaiah. Compare ch. 9:29. Verses 15, 16 constitute the closing formula of Rehoboam’s reign. It is typical of the form employed for the ending of the accounts of the reigns of the kings (see chs. 13:22; 14:1; 16:13, 14; 21:1; etc.). The parallel section is 1 Kings 14:29–31.

Ellen G. White comments

1–16PK 93–96

1 PK 93

2–5PK 94

6–12PK 95

14, 16 PK 9