2 Chronicles 13 12

2 Chronicles 13:12 kjv

And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.

2 Chronicles 13:12 nkjv

Now look, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with sounding trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers, for you shall not prosper!"

2 Chronicles 13:12 niv

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

2 Chronicles 13:12 esv

Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed."

2 Chronicles 13:12 nlt

So you see, God is with us. He is our leader. His priests blow their trumpets and lead us into battle against you. O people of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed!"

2 Chronicles 13 verses

2 Chronicles 13 12 Meaning

2 Chronicles 13:12 conveys a solemn declaration from King Abijah of Judah to Jeroboam and the army of Israel. It asserts that God Himself, the covenant LORD, is on Judah's side, acting as their supreme leader and general in battle. The legitimate priests, along with their divinely ordained trumpets sounding the war alarm, signify God's direct involvement and presence among Judah. The verse issues a direct warning to Israel: fighting against Judah is tantamount to fighting against the LORD, the very God of their shared ancestors, a battle they are destined to lose and in which they cannot possibly succeed. It highlights the divine sanction upon Judah and the futility of opposing God's chosen people when His presence leads them.

2 Chronicles 13 12 Context

This verse is central to King Abijah's dramatic address to Jeroboam and the Israelite army, prior to a significant battle described in 2 Chronicles 13. Following the division of the unified kingdom after Solomon's reign, the northern kingdom of Israel, under Jeroboam, had abandoned the true worship of God in Jerusalem, establishing golden calves as idols in Dan and Bethel and appointing their own illegitimate priests. In contrast, the southern kingdom of Judah, though not without its flaws, maintained adherence to the LORD, His temple in Jerusalem, and the legitimate Aaronic priesthood according to the Mosaic Law. Abijah's speech (2 Chr 13:4-12) outlines Jeroboam's rebellion against the Davidic covenant and the true worship of God, while simultaneously asserting Judah's legitimate kingship and their faithful relationship with the LORD. Verse 12 serves as the culminating theological and military challenge, a strong polemic against Israel's idolatry and spiritual rebellion, underscoring the spiritual nature of the conflict and predicting their inevitable defeat due to God's presence with Judah.

2 Chronicles 13 12 Word analysis

• For God Himself is with us: This highlights the profound, active presence of Yahweh (אֱלֹהִים - Elohim), the supreme divine being, standing in solidarity with Judah. It means more than merely having God's favor; it speaks of His direct participation and leadership.
• as our head: The Hebrew word for "head" is רֹאשׁ (rosh). Here, it signifies God as the supreme leader, commander, and strategist for Judah's army. It implies that Judah is not fighting a battle for themselves, but as instruments under divine direction. This is a theological declaration of reliance and trust.
• and His priests: Refers to the כֹּהֲנִים (kohanim), the legitimate descendants of Aaron, members of the tribe of Levi, who were Divinely ordained for service in the tabernacle and later the Temple. This stands in stark contrast to Jeroboam's unauthorized, non-Levitical priests (2 Chr 13:9). Their presence indicates Judah's adherence to God's covenant and law regarding proper worship and priesthood.
• with their trumpets: The trumpets mentioned are the חֲצֹצְר֫וֹת (chatzotzerot), specific silver trumpets prescribed by God (Num 10:2). These were distinct from the ram's horn shofar and were used for signaling assembly, moving camp, and importantly, for sounding an alarm in times of war to call upon God for remembrance and victory. Their presence signifies divine authority and intervention in battle.
• for the alarm to sound against you: The term for "alarm" is תְּרוּעָה (teruah), a loud shout or trumpet blast that served multiple purposes: a signal for battle, a call for divine attention, or a joyous shout of victory. Here, it explicitly functions as a battle cry, warning Israel of the impending divine judgment and God's active opposition against them.
• O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD: This is a direct, imperative warning. It explicitly labels their war against Judah as a direct act of aggression against Yahweh (יְהוָה - YHWH), the covenant God, demonstrating the severity of their apostasy and rebellion. It underscores that God is inextricably linked to His chosen people and covenant.
• the God of your fathers: אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם (Elohei avoteikhem). This phrase appeals to Israel's shared spiritual heritage with Judah, invoking the covenant God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It serves as a powerful reminder that the God whom Judah worships is the very same God who established the covenant with their forefathers, whom Israel had forsaken through idolatry. It emphasizes continuity of faith and the gravity of abandoning their ancestral God.
• for you will not succeed: The Hebrew word צָלַח (tsalach) means "to prosper" or "to succeed." The negation makes it clear that their enterprise is doomed to fail because it is arrayed against God Himself. This pronounces God's judgment and the certainty of Judah's victory, not due to their own strength, but due to divine backing.

Words-group analysis

• "God Himself is with us as our head": This phrase captures the essence of Judah's confidence: divine indwelling, leadership, and partnership. It emphasizes God's sovereign authority over their nation and military endeavors, ensuring success not through human might but through divine orchestration.
• "His priests with their trumpets for the alarm": This imagery powerfully links legitimate worship and priestly service directly to military might and divine assistance. It symbolizes the sacred dimension of the battle, where the priestly duties and divine commands (like blowing trumpets in war, Num 10:9) directly invoke God's presence and action, making it a "holy war" under divine sanction.
• "do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers": This warning elevates the conflict from a mere political or territorial dispute to a profound spiritual confrontation. By framing it as an attack on "the LORD" and "the God of your fathers," Abijah directly confronts Israel's idolatry and rebellion against their shared covenant heritage, demonstrating the absolute illegitimacy of their actions from a divine perspective.

2 Chronicles 13 12 Bonus section

• This verse illustrates a key theme throughout Chronicles: God's unfailing commitment to the Davidic covenant and to those who remain faithful to His true worship in Jerusalem, contrasting them sharply with the apostate Northern Kingdom.
• The emphasis on the priests and trumpets highlights the crucial role of ritual and religious fidelity in Judah's national identity and security, differentiating them from Israel, which had forsaken these divine commands.
• Abijah's confidence stemmed not from his army's strength but from the theological conviction of God's direct leadership, prefiguring later prophets and kings who understood battles as the LORD's.

2 Chronicles 13 12 Commentary

2 Chronicles 13:12 encapsulates Abijah's powerful theological and strategic argument to the northern kingdom of Israel. It declares that the conflict is not merely between two earthly kings or nations, but a battle in which Yahweh, the true God of Israel, is personally engaged on Judah's side. God's presence "as our head" signifies divine command and supreme leadership, rendering Judah invincible when aligned with His will. The legitimate Aaronic priests, carrying the Divinely mandated trumpets used for war alarms, underscore this sacred dimension. Their involvement transforms the army of Judah into an extension of God's divine host, symbolizing His active involvement and His remembrance of His covenant with them. By asserting that Judah is under the direct leadership of the God of Israel, Abijah frames Jeroboam's rebellion and Israel's advance as a direct attack on God Himself, making success impossible. This verse serves as a foundational declaration of Judah's legitimacy, a direct condemnation of Israel's apostasy, and a warning of the inevitable consequence of warring against the Almighty. The spiritual identity of God as the "God of your fathers" further stresses that Israel, by opposing Judah, was tragically fighting against its own spiritual heritage and the very God who founded their nation.