Abijah joined battle with a force of warriors, 400,000 of the best troops. Jeroboam arrayed for battle against him 800,000 of the best troops, warriors.
Riffraff and scoundrels gathered around him and pressed hard upon Rehoboam son of Solomon. Rehoboam was inexperienced and fainthearted and could not stand up to them.
Now you are bent on opposing GOD’s kingdom, which is in the charge of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and possess the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.
Did you not banish GOD’s priests, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and, like the peoples of the land, appoint your own priests? Anyone who offered himself for ordination with a young bull of the herd and seven rams became a priest of no-gods!
As for us, our God is the ETERNAL, whom we have not forsaken. The priests who minister to GOD are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites are at their tasks.
They offer burnt offerings in smoke each morning and each evening, and the aromatic incense, the rows of bread on the pure table; they kindle the golden lampstand with its lamps burning each evening, for we keep the charge of the ETERNAL our God, while you have forsaken it.
See who is with us as our chief: God, whose priests have the trumpets for sounding blasts against you. O children of Israel, do not fight the ETERNAL God of your ancestors, because you will not succeed.”
Jeroboam, however, had directed the ambush to go around and come from the rear, thus the main body wasathe main body was Lit. “they were.” in front of Judah, while the ambush was behind them.
Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some of his cities—Bethel with its dependencies, Jeshanah with its dependencies, and Ephrain with its dependencies.
Word-by-Word Analysis
וירדף
300
אביה
18
אחרי
219
ירבעם
322
וילכד
70
ממנו
136
ערים
320
אתביתאל
844
ואתבנותיה
880
ואתישנה
772
ואתבנותיה
880
ואתעפרון
813
עפרין
410
ובנתיה
473
II Chronicles 13:20
Gematria: 1585
ולאעצרכחירבעםעודבימיאביהוויגפהויהוהוימתפ
Jeroboam could not muster strength again during the days of Abijah. GOD struck him down and he died.