2 Chronicles 11:4 kjv
Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam.
2 Chronicles 11:4 nkjv
'Thus says the LORD: "You shall not go up or fight against your brethren! Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me." ' " Therefore they obeyed the words of the LORD, and turned back from attacking Jeroboam.
2 Chronicles 11:4 niv
'This is what the LORD says: Do not go up to fight against your fellow Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.'?" So they obeyed the words of the LORD and turned back from marching against Jeroboam.
2 Chronicles 11:4 esv
'Thus says the LORD, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives. Return every man to his home, for this thing is from me.'" So they listened to the word of the LORD and returned and did not go against Jeroboam.
2 Chronicles 11:4 nlt
'This is what the LORD says: Do not fight against your relatives. Go back home, for what has happened is my doing!'" So they obeyed the message of the LORD and did not fight against Jeroboam.
2 Chronicles 11 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Kgs 11:31-35 | "...I will tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon... because he has forsaken Me." | God's sovereignty in dividing the kingdom. |
| 1 Kgs 12:15 | "So the king did not listen... for the thing was from the LORD..." | Parallel account, confirms divine origin. |
| Isa 45:7 | "I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity..." | God's comprehensive sovereignty over all events. |
| Ps 135:6 | "Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth..." | God's absolute power and will. |
| Prov 19:21 | "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand." | Divine counsel prevails over human plans. |
| Dan 4:35 | "...He does according to His will among the host of heaven..." | God's sovereign control over kingdoms. |
| Amos 3:6 | "If disaster befalls a city, is not the LORD the doer?" | God's hand in calamity and division. |
| Num 27:21 | "...Joshua... shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD." | Seeking divine will before battle. |
| 1 Sam 13:13-14 | "...You have not kept the command of the LORD your God..." | Consequences of disobedience to God's command. |
| Deut 28:15 | "But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God..." | Warning against rejecting God's word. |
| Zech 1:6 | "But My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets...?" | The enduring authority of prophetic word. |
| Heb 4:7 | "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." | Call to immediate obedience to God's voice. |
| 1 Sam 15:22 | "...Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings... as in obeying the voice of the LORD?" | Obedience is paramount over sacrifice. |
| 1 Chr 29:11 | "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power... for all that is in heaven and on earth is Yours." | God's absolute ownership and power. |
| Matt 5:9 | "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." | Divine call to avoid internal strife. |
| Rom 12:18 | "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." | Promoting peace and avoiding conflict. |
| Gal 5:15 | "But if you bite and devour one another, watch out..." | Warning against internal division among God's people. |
| James 3:18 | "And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." | Benefits of seeking peace. |
| Prov 6:19 | "...one who sows discord among brothers." | Displeasing to God to create internal conflict. |
| Judges 20:23 | "Then the people of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until the evening..." | Internal Israelite conflict previously leading to immense loss. |
| Exod 4:21 | "...but I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go." | God's sovereignty can even involve hardening hearts to fulfill His plan. |
| Gen 20:6 | "Then God said to him in the dream, 'Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against Me.'" | God prevents evil to fulfill His greater purpose. |
| Isa 7:4 | "...Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint..." | Prophetic command to desist from fear/military action. |
2 Chronicles 11 verses
2 Chronicles 11 4 Meaning
2 Chronicles 11:4 conveys the direct command of God through His prophet Shemaiah to Rehoboam and the people of Judah and Benjamin, forbidding them from waging war against the northern tribes led by Jeroboam. The verse explicitly states God's responsibility for the kingdom's division, declaring that "this thing is from Me." This divine intervention prevents a fratricidal civil war among the people of Israel and highlights the principle of divine sovereignty overriding human political and military intentions.
2 Chronicles 11 4 Context
Following the death of King Solomon, his son Rehoboam ascended to the throne. The people, burdened by Solomon's heavy yoke, requested Rehoboam lighten their load. Rehoboam, rejecting the counsel of the wise elders and listening instead to the foolish advice of his younger peers, responded harshly to the people, declaring he would make their yoke heavier. This decision directly caused the ten northern tribes to rebel and secede, forming their own kingdom under Jeroboam, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Ahijah the prophet to Jeroboam (1 Kgs 11:29-39). Enraged and determined to bring the rebellious tribes back under his control, Rehoboam gathered an army of 180,000 chosen men from Judah and Benjamin to wage war against them. It is at this critical juncture, as Rehoboam's army is prepared for battle, that 2 Chronicles 11:4 records the divine intervention through Shemaiah the prophet, directly thwarting the impending civil war.
2 Chronicles 11 4 Word analysis
- Thus says the LORD: (Hebrew: Koh amar YHWH - כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה) This is a foundational phrase in prophetic literature, signifying an immediate and authoritative divine declaration. It marks the word as directly from the covenant God of Israel (YHWH), not human opinion. It establishes the unassailable source of the command.
- You shall not go up: (Hebrew: Lo ta'alu - לֹא תַעֲלוּ) A strong negative command using lo (not) and the verb alah (to go up), which in military context means "to advance for war" or "to launch a campaign." It directly forbids any military ascent or preparation for conflict.
- or fight against your brothers: (Hebrew: v'lo tilkhəmu - וְלֹא תִלָּחֲמוּ עִם־אֲחֵיכֶם) The conjunction "or" continues the negative command. Lacham means "to fight," "to wage war." The crucial addition "against your brothers" (Hebrew: im-ahichem - עִם־אֲחֵיכֶם) emphasizes the tragic nature of the proposed conflict. It is internal strife, fratricidal within the family of Israel, who share a common heritage and covenant with God. This underlines the ethical and covenantal violation of such a war.
- return every man to his house: (Hebrew: Shuvu ish leveto - שׁוּבוּ אִישׁ לְבֵיתוֹ) This is a clear, concise command to demobilize. Shuvu means "return" or "turn back." It's a direct instruction for the soldiers to disband and go home, abandoning their military objective completely. This ensures not just cessation of conflict, but reversal of military preparation.
- for this thing is from Me: (Hebrew: Ki me'itti hayetah ha'davar ha'zeh - כִּי מֵאִתִּי הָיְתָה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה) This is the core theological declaration. "For" (Ki) introduces the divine rationale. "From Me" (me'itti) emphasizes God's direct initiation and superintendence. "This thing" (ha'davar ha'zeh) refers to the division of the kingdom. God explicitly takes responsibility for orchestrating this outcome as an act of His divine will, stemming from Solomon's disobedience. This transforms the political rebellion into a divinely ordained judgment.
- So they obeyed: (Hebrew: Va'yishma'u - וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ) This simple Hebrew verb implies more than just "hearing"; it means "to hear and do," "to heed," "to obey." It marks a pivotal act of submission by King Rehoboam and his people to the divine authority. Despite their earlier stubbornness and martial intent, the clear word from God yielded immediate compliance.
- the word of the LORD: (Hebrew: Devir YHWH - דְּבַר יְהֹוָה) Refers specifically to the prophetic message conveyed by Shemaiah. It emphasizes the content and source of the command that they submitted to.
- and returned from going against Jeroboam: This phrase explicitly confirms the concrete outcome of their obedience. They aborted their military campaign against the northern kingdom, thereby averting a potentially catastrophic civil war that would have further weakened the nation and spilled covenantal blood. It highlights the direct link between divine command and human action.
2 Chronicles 11 4 Bonus section
- The speed and totality of Rehoboam's obedience to God's command stands in stark contrast to his earlier stubborn refusal to heed the wise counsel of the elders (2 Chr 10:6-8). This emphasizes the unique and compelling authority of a direct prophetic word from God compared to human advice.
- The prophet Shemaiah acts as God's divine messenger, demonstrating the crucial role of prophets in conveying God's will directly to kings and nations during this era, serving as a moral and theological check on power.
- While human sin (Solomon's idolatry, Rehoboam's arrogance, Jeroboam's rebellion) was clearly at play in the division, God's explicit statement "this thing is from Me" highlights a theological principle: God can use, oversee, or even initiate circumstances born from sin to achieve His righteous judgments and ultimate plans for redemptive history. This does not absolve human responsibility for sin, but points to divine providence.
- This event spared Rehoboam's remnant kingdom (Judah and Benjamin) from weakening themselves through internal conflict, allowing them to consolidate and focus on their own governance and, in due time, their own periods of faithfulness and unfaithfulness.
2 Chronicles 11 4 Commentary
2 Chronicles 11:4 reveals a critical turning point where God's sovereign will directly intercepts human ambition to prevent a destructive civil war. Despite Rehoboam's firm resolve and prepared army, the authoritative prophetic declaration "Thus says the LORD: '...this thing is from Me'" leaves no room for defiance. God explicitly claims responsibility for the kingdom's division, not as an endorsement of rebellion but as a divine judgment upon the house of David for Solomon's idolatry. Rehoboam and the people's immediate obedience demonstrates profound respect for God's undeniable authority and averted immense bloodshed among His covenant people. This event underscores that God often works through complex political and human actions to achieve His purposes, and true wisdom lies in submitting to His clear directives, even when they go against one's immediate desires or plans for power. It reminds us that internal conflict among God's people is anathema, and God will intervene to preserve His larger design.