Study Desk

Abijah King of Judah^(a)

In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah,

and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother's name was Maakah,^[a](b) a daughter^[b] of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah^(c) and Jeroboam.^(d)

Abijah went into battle with an army of four hundred thousand able fighting men, and Jeroboam drew up a battle line against him with eight hundred thousand able troops.

Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim,^(e) in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Jeroboam and all Israel,^(f) listen to me!

Don't you know that the Lord , the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever^(g) by a covenant of salt?^(h)

Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, an official of Solomon son of David, rebelled⁽ⁱ⁾ against his master.

Some worthless scoundrels^(j) gathered around him and opposed Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young and indecisive^(k) and not strong enough to resist them.

"And now you plan to resist the kingdom of the Lord , which is in the hands of David's descendants.^(l) You are indeed a vast army and have with you^(m) the golden calves⁽ⁿ⁾ that Jeroboam made to be your gods.

But didn't you drive out the priests^(o) of the Lord ,^(p) the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests of your own as the peoples of other lands do? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull^(q) and seven rams^(r) may become a priest of what are not gods.^(s)

"As for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the Lord are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them.

Every morning and evening^(t) they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense^(u) to the Lord . They set out the bread on the ceremonially clean table^(v) and light the lamps^(w) on the gold lampstand every evening. We are observing the requirements of the Lord our God. But you have forsaken him.

God is with us; he is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you.^(x) People of Israel, do not fight against the Lord ,^(y) the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed."^(z)

Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah the ambush^(aa) was behind them.

Judah turned and saw that they were being attacked at both front and rear. Then they cried out^(ab) to the Lord . The priests blew their trumpets

and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. At the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel^(ac) before Abijah and Judah.

The Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered^(ad) them into their hands.

Abijah and his troops inflicted heavy losses on them, so that there were five hundred thousand casualties among Israel's able men.

The Israelites were subdued on that occasion, and the people of Judah were victorious because they relied^(ae) on the Lord , the God of their ancestors.

Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took from him the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah and Ephron, with their surrounding villages.

Jeroboam did not regain power during the time of Abijah. And the Lord struck him down and he died.

But Abijah grew in strength. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

The other events of Abijah's reign, what he did and what he said, are written in the annotations of the prophet Iddo.

^[a]And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. Asa his son succeeded him as king, and in his days the country was at peace for ten years.

Asa King of Judah^(a)

Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.^(b)

He removed the foreign altars^(c) and the high places, smashed the sacred stones^(d) and cut down the Asherah poles.^[b](e)

He commanded Judah to seek the Lord ,^(f) the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands.

He removed the high places^(g) and incense altars^(h) in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him.

He built up the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at peace. No one was at war with him during those years, for the Lord gave him rest.⁽ⁱ⁾

"Let us build up these towns," he said to Judah, "and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God; we sought him and he has given us rest^(j) on every side." So they built and prospered.

Asa had an army of three hundred thousand^(k) men from Judah, equipped with large shields and with spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin, armed with small shields and with bows. All these were brave fighting men.

Zerah the Cushite^(l) marched out against them with an army of thousands upon thousands and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah.^(m)

Asa went out to meet him, and they took up battle positions in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

Then Asa called⁽ⁿ⁾ to the Lord his God and said, " Lord , there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us,^(o) Lord our God, for we rely^(p) on you, and in your name^(q) we have come against this vast army. Lord , you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail^(r) against you."

The Lord struck down^(s) the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled,

and Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar.^(t) Such a great number of Cushites fell that they could not recover; they were crushed^(u) before the Lord and his forces. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder.^(v)

They destroyed all the villages around Gerar, for the terror^(w) of the Lord had fallen on them. They looted all these villages, since there was much plunder there.

They also attacked the camps of the herders and carried off droves of sheep and goats and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.