2 Chronicles 13 15

2 Chronicles 13:15 kjv

Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

2 Chronicles 13:15 nkjv

Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

2 Chronicles 13:15 niv

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

2 Chronicles 13:15 esv

Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

2 Chronicles 13:15 nlt

and the men of Judah began to shout. At the sound of their battle cry, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel and routed them before Abijah and the army of Judah.

2 Chronicles 13 verses

2 Chronicles 13 15 Meaning

This verse describes a pivotal moment in the battle between Abijah's Judah and Jeroboam's Israel. It signifies that upon Judah's battle cry, God Himself intervened directly and powerfully, inflicting a crushing defeat on Jeroboam and the entire army of Israel, securing a decisive victory for Abijah and Judah. The verse emphasizes divine agency as the sole cause of the military success.

2 Chronicles 13 15 Context

2 Chronicles 13:15 is the dramatic climax of the conflict between Judah and Israel under kings Abijah and Jeroboam. The preceding verses set the stage: Abijah, the king of Judah, directly addresses Jeroboam's forces, proclaiming God's perpetual covenant with David (2 Chron 13:5) and contrasting Judah's faithful reliance on the LORD with Israel's apostasy, their rejection of the Levites, and their adoption of idolatrous golden calves (2 Chron 13:8-12). Despite Israel's numerical superiority and military maneuvering (2 Chron 13:13), Judah's people "cried to the LORD" (2 Chron 13:14) and "relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers" (2 Chron 13:12). This verse directly follows that desperate cry and reliance, showing the immediate and overwhelming divine response.

Historically, this event occurs within the early period of the divided kingdom. The Chronicler, writing later, emphasizes the legitimacy of the Davidic line and the true worship in Jerusalem. The narrative of this battle serves as a theological statement, illustrating God's swift judgment on unfaithfulness and His direct intervention for those who remain loyal to Him and His covenant, regardless of numerical disadvantage. It is a clear polemic against the northern kingdom's rejection of God's prescribed worship and priesthood.

2 Chronicles 13 15 Word analysis

• Then: Wĕ'āz. This adverb signifies an immediate consequence, showing a direct causal link between Judah's prior action (crying out and trusting God) and the divine intervention.
• the men of Judah gave a shout: Hebrew: wayyāri‘û ʾîš yəhûḏâ.
  • wayyāri‘û (from rua'): To shout, raise a war cry, cheer, make a loud noise, often a cry of battle or alarm. This shout is not merely a military tactic but an act often infused with spiritual significance, serving as a corporate act of faith, an appeal to God, or a declaration of dependence on His power, reminiscent of Jericho (Jos 6) or Gideon's army (Judg 7). It implies a collective outpouring of conviction and trust.
  • gave a shout: This action is synchronized with the divine intervention, suggesting that the human act of faith (the shout of reliance) was the immediate precursor to God's supernatural activity.
• and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened that: This phrasing highlights the instantaneous connection. The act of shouting immediately coincides with God's action, reinforcing the cause-and-effect relationship in the narrative, where Judah's faith-filled obedience prompts God's decisive response.
• God struck: Hebrew: wayyiggop hāʾělōhîm.
  • wayyiggop (from nagaph or nagaph): To strike, smite, beat, wound, bring about a defeat. This verb frequently denotes a direct, forceful, often lethal, blow from God (e.g., God striking Uzzah, 2 Sam 6:7). It emphasizes the supernatural, non-human agency in the victory.
  • God: Hebrew: hāʾělōhîm. The definite article points to the one true God, underscoring that this intervention was by the covenant God of Israel, not any false deity. This is central to Abijah's preceding argument. The Chronicler meticulously attributes the victory to divine power.
• Jeroboam and all Israel: This encompasses the entire northern kingdom, including their leadership. The comprehensive defeat underscores the severity of God's judgment and the extent of His power. It emphasizes that Jeroboam’s reliance on numbers and human strength was utterly worthless before God’s power.
• before Abijah and Judah: This specifies the beneficiaries of God's action. The victory was publicly awarded to Judah and their king, serving as vindication for their faithfulness and their adherence to the Davidic covenant and true worship.

2 Chronicles 13 15 Bonus section

The specific choice of the Hebrew verb nagaph ("struck") is significant as it implies a divinely inflicted plague or defeat, often devastating and irresistible. This term highlights that God did not merely provide favorable circumstances; He actively, supernaturally intervened with destructive force against Israel's army. This event is a classic example of "holy war" where God Himself functions as the divine warrior, fulfilling His promises to defend those who remain true to Him, as also seen in Asa's later victory against the Ethiopians (2 Chron 14) and Jehoshaphat's triumph over the Ammonites and Moabites (2 Chron 20). The narrative in Chronicles frequently presents God's immediate judgment or deliverance in a manner that leaves no doubt about His direct agency.

2 Chronicles 13 15 Commentary

2 Chronicles 13:15 concisely captures the theological heart of the Chronicler's message: God directly intervenes for His faithful people. Abijah's speech (2 Chron 13:4-12) provided the theological framework, contrasting Judah's covenant loyalty and proper worship with Israel's apostasy and illegitimate religious practices. Faced with overwhelming odds and military encirclement (2 Chron 13:13-14), Judah's response was not one of strategic ingenuity but of profound spiritual reliance. Their cry to God followed by a corporate battle shout signaled their complete dependence on Him, demonstrating a faith similar to Joshua at Jericho or Gideon in battle. This shout was less about frightening the enemy and more about declaring Judah's trust in their covenant-keeping God.

In immediate response to this act of faith, the verse states that "God struck" Jeroboam and all Israel. This emphasizes that the victory was not a result of Judah's military prowess, nor a mere turn of events, but a direct, supernatural act of divine judgment against apostate Israel and a demonstration of God's favor toward the kingdom that honored Him. This vivid depiction serves to validate Abijah's prior declarations and reinforce the Chronicler's central theme: God governs history according to His covenant and principles of immediate retribution for sin and immediate reward for faithfulness. The battle became God's own vindication of the Davidic line and the legitimate worship centered in Jerusalem. This victory highlights that true strength lies not in numbers or military might, but in unwavering trust and obedience to the living God.