{"commentary":{"id":"jamieson-fausset-brown","name":"Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary","website":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamieson-Fausset-Brown_Bible_Commentary","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/","licenseNotes":null,"licenseNotice":null,"englishName":"Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary","language":"eng","textDirection":"rtl","sha256":"db3d4c8b3c1f32ef9d1430a57392e02bda3a17aac1f9bbe398461de021a3cb13","availableFormats":["json"],"listOfBooksApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/books.json","listOfProfilesApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/profiles.json","numberOfBooks":66,"totalNumberOfChapters":1187,"totalNumberOfVerses":17056,"totalNumberOfProfiles":0,"languageName":"English","languageEnglishName":"English"},"book":{"id":"2CH","commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","name":"2 Chronicles","commonName":"2 Chronicles","introduction":"THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF CHRONICLES were also considered as one by the ancient Jews, who called them \"words of days,\" that is, diaries or journals, being probably compiled from those registers that were kept by the king's historiographers of passing occurrences. In the Septuagint the title given them is Paraleipomenon, \"of things omitted,\" that is, the books are supplementary because many things unnoticed in the former books are here recorded; and not only the omissions are supplied, but some narratives extended while others are added. The authorship is commonly ascribed to Ezra, whose leading object seems to have been to show the division of families, possessions, &c., before the captivity, with a view to the exact restoration of the same order after the return from Babylon. Although many things are restated and others are exact repetitions of what is contained in Kings, there is so much new and important information that, as JEROME has well said, the Chronicles furnish the means of comprehending parts of the New Testament, which must have been unintelligible without them. They are frequently referred to by Christ and the Apostles as forming part of \"the Word of God\" (see the genealogies in Mat. 1:1-16; Luk. 3:23-38; compare Ch2 19:7 with Pe1 1:17; Ch2 24:19-21 with Mat 23:32-35). \n\n\n\nNext: 2 Chronicles Chapter 1\n\n","order":14,"numberOfChapters":36,"sha256":"f291b9c58d20a01f9f30f2a2ba69c9ee6ed83a9049a1f843fb4191bd81958391","firstChapterNumber":1,"firstChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/2CH/1.json","firstChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"2CH","chapter":1},"lastChapterNumber":36,"lastChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/2CH/36.json","lastChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"2CH","chapter":36},"totalNumberOfVerses":257},"chapter":{"number":11,"content":[{"type":"verse","number":5,"content":["built cities for defence in Judah--This is evidently used as the name of the southern kingdom. Rehoboam, having now a bitter enemy in Israel, deemed it prudent to lose no time in fortifying several cities that lay along the frontier of his kingdom. Jeroboam, on his side, took a similar precaution (Kg1 12:25). Of the fifteen cities named, Aijalon, now Yalo, and Zorah, now Surah, between Jerusalem and Jabneh [ROBINSON], lay within the province of Benjamin. Gath, though a Philistine city, had been subject to Solomon. And Etham, which was on the border of Simeon, now incorporated with the kingdom of Israel, was fortified to repel danger from that quarter. These fortresses Rehoboam placed under able commanders and stocked them with provisions and military stores, sufficient, if necessary, to stand a siege. In the crippled state of his kingdom, he seems to have been afraid lest it might be made the prey of some powerful neighbors.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":13,"content":["the priests and the Levites . . . resorted to him out of all their coasts--This was an accession of moral power, for the maintenance of the true religion is the best support and safeguard of any nation; and as it was peculiarly the grand source of the strength and prosperity of the Hebrew monarchy, the great numbers of good and pious people who sought an asylum within the territories of Judah contributed greatly to consolidate the throne of Rehoboam. The cause of so extensive an emigration from the kingdom of Israel was the deep and daring policy of Jeroboam, who set himself to break the national unity by entirely abolishing, within his dominions, the religious institutions of Judaism. He dreaded an eventual reunion of the tribes if the people continued to repair thrice a year to worship in Jerusalem as they were obliged by law to do. Accordingly, on pretense that the distance of that city was too great for multitudes of his subjects, he fixed upon two more convenient places, where he established a new mode of worshipping God under gross and prohibited symbols [Kg1 12:26-33]. The priests and Levites, refusing to take part in the idolatrous ceremonies, were ejected from their living [Ch2 11:13-14]. Along with them a large body of the people who faithfully adhered to the instituted worship of God, offended and shocked by the impious innovations, departed from the kingdom.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":15,"content":["he ordained him priests--The persons he appointed to the priesthood were low and worthless creatures (Kg1 12:31; Kg1 13:33); any were consecrated who brought a bullock and seven rams (Ch2 13:9; Exo 29:37). \n\nfor the high places--Those favorite places of religious worship were encouraged throughout the country. \n\nfor the devils--a term sometimes used for idols in general (Lev 17:7). But here it is applied distinctively to the goat deities, which were probably worshipped chiefly in the northern parts of his kingdom, where the heathen Canaanites still abounded. \n\nfor the calves which he had made--figures of the ox gods Apis and Mnevis, with which Jeroboam's residence in Egypt had familiarized him. (See on Kg1 12:26).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":17,"content":["they strengthened the kingdom of Judah--The innovating measures of Jeroboam were not introduced all at once. But as they were developed, the secession of the most excellent of his subjects began, and continuing to increase for three years, lowered the tone of religion in his kingdom, while it proportionally quickened its life and extended its influence in that of Judah.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":18,"content":["HIS WIVES AND CHILDREN. (Ch2 11:18-23)\n\nRehoboam took Mahalath--The names of her father and mother are given. Jerimoth, the father, must have been the son of one of David's concubines (Ch1 3:9). Abihail was, of course, his cousin, previous to their marriage.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":20,"content":["after her he took Maachah . . . daughter--that is, granddaughter (Sa2 14:27) of Absalom, Tamar being, according to JOSEPHUS, her mother. (Compare Sa2 18:18).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":21,"content":["he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines--This royal harem, though far smaller than his father's, was equally in violation of the law, which forbade a king to \"multiply wives unto himself\" [Deu 17:17].\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":22,"content":["made Abijah . . . chief . . . ruler among his brethren--This preference seems to have been given to Abijah solely from the king's doting fondness for his mother and through her influence over him. It is plainly implied that Abijah was not the oldest of the family. In destining a younger son for the kingdom, without a divine warrant, as in Solomon's case, Rehoboam acted in violation of the law (Deu 21:15).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":23,"content":["he dealt wisely--that is, with deep and calculating policy (Exo 1:10). \n\nand dispersed of all his children . . . unto every fenced city--The circumstance of twenty-eight sons of the king being made governors of fortresses would, in our quarter of the world, produce jealousy and dissatisfaction. But Eastern monarchs ensure peace and tranquillity to their kingdom by bestowing government offices on their sons and grandsons. They obtain an independent provision, and being kept apart, are not likely to cabal in their father's lifetime. Rehoboam acted thus, and his sagacity will appear still greater if the wives he desired for them belonged to the cities where each son was located. These connections would bind them more closely to their respective places. In the modern countries of the East, particularly Persia and Turkey, younger princes were, till very lately, shut up in the harem during their father's lifetime; and, to prevent competition, they were blinded or killed when their brother ascended the throne. In the former country the old practice of dispersing them through the country as Rehoboam did, has been again revived.\n\n\n\n\nNext: 2 Chronicles Chapter 12\n\n"]}],"introduction":"REHOBOAM, RAISING AN ARMY TO SUBDUE ISRAEL, IS FORBIDDEN BY SHEMAIAH. (2Ch. 11:1-17)\n\nRehoboam . . . gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin . . . to fight against Israel--(See Kg1 12:21-24).\n\n"},"thisChapterLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/2CH/11.json","thisChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"2CH","chapter":11},"nextChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/2CH/12.json","nextChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"2CH","chapter":12},"previousChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/2CH/10.json","previousChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"2CH","chapter":10},"numberOfVerses":9}