2 Chronicles — Chapter 12

Loading ESV text...

1After Rehoboam had established his sovereignty and royal power, he and all Israel with him forsook the Law of the LORD.

2In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem

3with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen, and countless troops who came with him out of Egypt—Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites.

4He captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

5Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the LORD says: ‘You have forsaken Me; therefore, I have forsaken you into the hand of Shishak.’”

6So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The LORD is righteous.”

7When the LORD saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them, but will soon grant them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.

8Nevertheless, they will become his servants, so that they may learn the difference between serving Me and serving the kings of other lands.”

9So King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and seized the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the royal palace. He took everything, including the gold shields that Solomon had made.

10Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place and committed them to the care of the captains of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.

11And whenever the king entered the house of the LORD, the guards would go with him, bearing the shields, and later they would return them to the guardroom.

12Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the anger of the LORD turned away from him, and He did not destroy him completely. Indeed, conditions were good in Judah.

13Thus King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem and reigned. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite.

14And Rehoboam did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.

15Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the Prophet and of Iddo the Seer concerning the genealogies? There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout their days.

16And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And his son Abijah reigned in his place.

1And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him.

2And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD,

3With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubim, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.

4And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.

5Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.

6Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The LORD is righteous.

7And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

8Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

9So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

10Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king’s house.

11And when the king entered into the house of the LORD, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber.

12And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the LORD turned from him that he would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well.

13So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess.

14And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.

15Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

16And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.

1And it came to pass, when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established, and he was strong, that he forsook the law of Jehovah, and all Israel with him.

2And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had trespassed against Jehovah,

3with twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen. And the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt: the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians.

4And he took the fortified cities which pertained to Judah, and came unto Jerusalem.

5Now Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, Ye have forsaken me, therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.

6Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, Jehovah is righteous.

7And when Jehovah saw that they humbled themselves, the word of Jehovah came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves: I will not destroy them; but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

8Nevertheless they shall be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

9So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the king`s house: he took all away: he took away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

10And king Rehoboam made in their stead shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, that kept the door of the king`s house.

11And it was so, that, as oft as the king entered into the house of Jehovah, the guard came and bare them, and brought them back into the guard-chamber.

12And when he humbled himself, the wrath of Jehovah turned from him, so as not to destroy him altogether: and moreover in Judah there were good things [found].

13So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Jehovah had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there: and his mother`s name was Naamah the Ammonitess.

14And he did that which was evil, because he set not his heart to seek Jehovah.

15Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the histories of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, after the manner of genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

16And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.

1After Rehoboam’s rule was established and solidified, he and all Israel rejected the law of the Lord.

2Because they were unfaithful to the Lord, in King Rehoboam’s fifth year, King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem.

3He had 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen, and an innumerable number of soldiers who accompanied him from Egypt, including Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites.

4He captured the fortified cities of Judah and marched against Jerusalem.

5Shemaiah the prophet visited Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who were assembled in Jerusalem because of Shishak. He said to them, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have rejected me, so I have rejected you and will hand you over to Shishak.’”

6The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is just.”

7When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the Lord’s message came to Shemaiah: “They have humbled themselves, so I will not destroy them. I will deliver them soon. My anger will not be unleashed against Jerusalem through Shishak.

8Yet they will become his subjects, so they can experience how serving me differs from serving the surrounding nations.”

9King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the Lord’s temple and of the royal palace; he took everything, including the gold shields that Solomon had made.

10King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned them to the officers of the royal guard who protected the entrance to the royal palace.

11Whenever the king visited the Lord’s temple, the royal guards carried them and then brought them back to the guardroom.

12So when Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord relented from his anger and did not annihilate him; Judah experienced some good things.

13King Rehoboam solidified his rule in Jerusalem; he was forty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord chose from all the tribes of Israel to be his home. Rehoboam’s mother was an Ammonite named Naamah.

14He did evil because he was not determined to follow the Lord.

15The events of Rehoboam’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded in the Annals of Shemaiah the Prophet and of Iddo the Seer that include genealogical records. There were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

16Then Rehoboam passed away and was buried in the City of David. His son Abijah replaced him as king.

1When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned Yahweh’s law, and all Israel with him.

2In the fifth year of king Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had trespassed against Yahweh,

3with twelve hundred chariots, and sixty thousand horsemen. The people were without number who came with him out of Egypt: the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians.

4He took the fortified cities which belonged to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.

5Now Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, who were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Yahweh says, ‘You have forsaken me, therefore I have also left you in the hand of Shishak.’”

6Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, “Yahweh is righteous.”

7When Yahweh saw that they humbled themselves, Yahweh’s word came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them; but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath won’t be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

8Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

9So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and took away the treasures of Yahweh’s house and the treasures of the king’s house. He took it all away. He also took away the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

10King Rehoboam made shields of brass in their place, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who kept the door of the king’s house.

11As often as the king entered into Yahweh’s house, the guard came and bore them, then brought them back into the guard room.

12When he humbled himself, Yahweh’s wrath turned from him, so as not to destroy him altogether. Moreover, there were good things found in Judah.

13So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned; for Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Yahweh had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess.

14He did that which was evil, because he didn’t set his heart to seek Yahweh.

15Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, aren’t they written in the histories of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, in the genealogies? There were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

16Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in David’s city; and Abijah his son reigned in his place.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

Once Rehoboam's kingdom is secure, he and all Israel abandon the LORD's law, so in his fifth year God allows Shishak of Egypt to invade with a massive army and seize Judah's fortified cities before reaching Jerusalem (vv. 1-4). The prophet Shemaiah tells Rehoboam and the princes that they have been abandoned to Shishak because they abandoned the LORD, and when they humble themselves, God relents from full destruction, though he still lets Judah become subject to Egypt so they will know the difference between serving him and serving foreign kings (vv. 5-8). Shishak plunders the temple and palace treasures, including Solomon's gold shields, which Rehoboam replaces with bronze ones (vv. 9-11). Because Rehoboam humbled himself, some good remains in Judah, and the chapter closes with a summary of his seventeen-year reign, his failure to set his heart on seeking the LORD, and his death and succession by his son Abijah (vv. 12-16).

Authorship & Background

Author: Traditionally attributed to Ezra the scribe. Originally one book with 1 Chronicles. Written post-exile (approximately 450-400 BC). 2 Chronicles covers Solomon's reign through the Babylonian exile and Cyrus's decree of return (approximately 970-538 BC). The Chronicler focuses exclusively on Judah (ignoring the northern kingdom) and emphasizes Temple worship, reform movements, and the principle of 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people... shall humble themselves, and pray... then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
Historical Context: Chapter 12 is the first full application of the 2 Chronicles 7:14 principle. Rehoboam forsakes God when strong (v.1), faces judgment through Shishak of Egypt (vv.2-4), hears prophetic explanation (v.5), humbles himself (v.6), and receives partial deliverance (vv.7-8). This cycle — sin, judgment, prophetic word, humbling, partial restoration — becomes the template for evaluating every subsequent king. The king and princes respond correctly: "The LORD is righteous" (v.6). They acknowledge God's justice rather than complaining about His severity. This humbling triggers God's mercy — but not complete restoration. They receive "some deliverance" (v.7) but become Shishak's servants temporarily. God explains the purpose: "that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms" (v.8) — foreign servitude teaches appreciation for God's service by contrast.
Classification: Historical Narrative
Key Themes: A verdict given before the invasion even starts, when Rehoboam had strengthened himself he forsook the law of the LORD, an Egyptian campaign whose record on a relief at Karnak makes this one of the earliest points where scripture and outside history touch, a prophetic principle stated plainly, ye have forsaken me, therefore have I left you to Shishak, humility acknowledged in one clause, the LORD is righteous, that triggers partial rather than complete deliverance, and gold shields replaced by brass kept up with the same ceremony but none of the substance
Shishak Comes Up, and Shemaiah's Word (vv.1-8): The verdict is given before the invasion, and the order matters: when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD. In the fifth year Shishak of Egypt comes with twelve hundred chariots, sixty thousand horsemen and troops out of Libya, Sukkiim and Ethiopia, takes the fenced cities and reaches Jerusalem. Shishak is generally identified with Shoshenq I, whose campaign into Palestine is recorded on a relief at Karnak, which makes this one of the earliest points where the biblical narrative and Egyptian records touch. Shemaiah states the principle in one line, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you. The princes and the king humble themselves and say, The LORD is righteous, and the sentence is reduced rather than canceled: they will be Shishak's servants, that they may know the difference between the two services.
The Golden Shields Replaced with Brass (vv.9-16): Shishak takes the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house, including the shields of gold Solomon had made, and Rehoboam replaces them with shields of brass. Everything else in the chapter is summary; that one substitution is the picture. Judah keeps the ceremony, the guard still carries the shields when the king goes into the house of the LORD, and the metal has changed. The rest is the formal close of the reign: he did evil, for he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD, the acts are in the book of Shemaiah the prophet and Iddo the seer, there was war with Jeroboam continually, seventeen years, and Abijah reigned in his stead.

Map & Geography

  • Parallels 1-2 Kings but focuses exclusively on Judah (the southern kingdom). Jerusalem and the Temple are the theological center throughout.
  • Key locations include various battle sites, reform locations, and high places destroyed or rebuilt by successive kings.
  • The book ends with exile to Babylon (586 BC) and Cyrus's decree permitting return — the geographic arc moves from Jerusalem to Babylon and back.

Places on this map

  • JerusalemJerusalemA hill town about 2,500 feet up in the central spine of Judah, roughly 35 miles inland from the Mediterranean and 15 miles west of the Jordan. It sits on no trade route and has no river, which is why it mattered as a fortress and a sanctuary rather than as a market. Wikipedia
  • Babylonnear Hillah, IraqOn the Euphrates about 55 miles south of modern Baghdad. Judah's exiles were marched roughly 900 miles to get here, the long way round the Arabian desert, which is why the journey took months and the return was a genuine undertaking rather than a short trip home. Wikipedia

Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes the bronze shields as a symbol of the church maintaining outward form while losing inner substance. He notes the pattern: strength → independence → abandonment → judgment → humbling → partial restoration.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

2 Chronicles 12 Summary: 5 Minute Bible Study
2BeLikeChrist

2 Chronicles 10-12 | The Kingdom Divides | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of 2 Chronicles -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Strength Can Breed Forgetting God (v.1) — Once Rehoboam's kingdom was firmly established, he and Israel abandoned the law of the Lord. Are you more spiritually alert during hard seasons than during seasons when everything is going well?
  • God Explains Before He Disciplines (v.5) — The prophet Shemaiah tells Rehoboam plainly that Shishak's invasion is a direct consequence of forsaking God. When difficulty comes, do you ever pause to ask whether it's connected to something you've drifted from?
  • Agreeing With God Opens the Door to Mercy (v.6) — Rehoboam and the leaders respond to the prophet's rebuke by simply acknowledging that the Lord is righteous. Does your response to correction tend toward agreement and humility, or toward defensiveness?
  • Neglect Can Be As Costly As Rebellion (v.14) — The verdict on Rehoboam isn't that he committed some dramatic sin, but that he never set his heart to seek the Lord. Is there a quiet neglect in your own devotional life that you've been excusing because it doesn't look like "real" sin?