2 Chronicles 13:5 kjv
Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?
2 Chronicles 13:5 nkjv
Should you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the dominion over Israel to David forever, to him and his sons, by a covenant of salt?
2 Chronicles 13:5 niv
Don't you know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?
2 Chronicles 13:5 esv
Ought you not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?
2 Chronicles 13:5 nlt
Don't you realize that the LORD, the God of Israel, made a lasting covenant with David, giving him and his descendants the throne of Israel forever?
2 Chronicles 13 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | ...I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever... | Davidic covenant's eternal nature |
| 1 Chr 17:11-14 | ...I will establish his throne forever... | Parallel Davidic covenant narrative |
| Ps 89:3-4 | I have sworn to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever...' | God's oath to David's seed |
| Ps 89:27-29 | ...I will make him the firstborn...my covenant shall stand firm...' | Divine elevation and steadfastness of Davidic covenant |
| Ps 89:34-37 | My covenant I will not break...his throne as the sun before me...' | Immutability of God's covenant with David |
| Ps 132:11-12 | The Lord has sworn to David a sure oath...your descendant will I set on your throne.' | God's unbreakable promise for David's line |
| Lev 2:13 | ...with all your offerings you shall offer salt.' | Salt signifies permanence/preservation in offerings |
| Num 18:19 | All the heave offerings...a perpetual covenant of salt before the Lord.' | God's perpetual covenant with priests, likened to salt |
| 2 Kgs 8:19 | ...for the sake of David his servant...give him always a lamp.' | God's continuing favor for David's line |
| Jer 33:20-21 | 'If you can break my covenant with the day...then also my covenant...' | God's covenants are as immutable as natural laws |
| Heb 1:8 | But of the Son he says, 'Your throne, O God, is forever...' | Christ's eternal Davidic throne fulfilled |
| Lk 1:32-33 | He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High...and of his kingdom there will be no end.' | Christ's eternal kingdom fulfills Davidic covenant |
| Acts 2:30 | ...that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne.' | Apostolic understanding of Davidic covenant |
| Isa 9:6-7 | For to us a child is born...on the throne of David and over his kingdom.' | Prophecy of Messiah on David's throne |
| Zec 12:8 | In that day the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem...' | Eschatological Davidic kingdom |
| Rom 1:3 | concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh.' | Jesus' Davidic lineage confirmed |
| 2 Tim 2:8 | Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David...' | Paul emphasizes Jesus' Davidic descent |
| Gen 12:2 | And I will make of you a great nation...' | Foundation of God's covenant promises |
| Exod 19:5 | Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant...' | Basis of the Sinai covenant with Israel |
| Ps 105:8-10 | He remembers his covenant forever...which he made with Abraham...' | God's faithfulness to all His covenants |
| Matt 22:42 | 'What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?' They said to him, 'The son of David.' | Jesus acknowledged as Son of David |
| Rev 22:16 | 'I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.' | Jesus declares His Davidic authority in revelation |
2 Chronicles 13 verses
2 Chronicles 13 5 Meaning
This verse declares that the Lord God of Israel definitively and eternally granted the kingdom of Israel to David and his descendants through an unalterable "covenant of salt." It serves as a foundational premise for Abijah's subsequent rebuke of Jeroboam and the Northern Kingdom, asserting the divine legitimacy and permanence of the Davidic line's rule over all Israel, challenging the perceived rebellion against God's established order.
2 Chronicles 13 5 Context
This verse opens a pivotal speech by King Abijah of Judah to Jeroboam and the Northern Kingdom's army, just before battle (2 Chr 13:4-12). Following the division of the kingdom after Solomon's reign, the Northern tribes under Jeroboam had rejected the Davidic monarchy and established idolatrous worship practices, including golden calves in Dan and Bethel. Abijah's address aims to discredit Jeroboam's reign and rally his troops by emphasizing Judah's legitimate claim to the throne through God's unchangeable covenant with David, presenting the Northern Kingdom as rebels against divine decree. Historically, the kingdom's division was foretold due to Solomon's apostasy (1 Kgs 11), but God maintained a lamp for David's house. Abijah asserts that Judah remains faithful to the Lord and the Davidic covenant, while Israel has forsaken Him.
2 Chronicles 13 5 Word analysis
- Ought ye not to know: The Hebrew uses an interrogative particle, implying a rhetorical question that expects a "yes" answer. It suggests a clear, undeniable truth that should be common knowledge among God's people. This serves as an immediate challenge to the Northern Kingdom's actions, implying their rebellion stems from ignorance or deliberate rejection of fundamental divine decree.
- that the Lord God of Israel: (Yahweh Elohei Yisrael). Emphasizes God's personal covenantal name, "Yahweh," identifying Him as the active, sovereign deity who specifically made Israel His people. The "God of Israel" highlights His particular relationship with and choice of Israel, and implicitly, His specific arrangements for their governance.
- gave: (nātan). The Hebrew verb means to give, grant, place, or appoint. It stresses God's initiative and sovereign act in bestowing the kingdom, not a human acquisition or democratic process. It is a divine transfer of authority.
- the kingdom over Israel: (mamlekhet al Yisrael). Refers to the unified monarchy over all twelve tribes, not just Judah. This is a direct polemic against Jeroboam's separatist kingdom, implying it is not the legitimate, divinely ordained "kingdom over Israel."
- to David forever: (lᵉDāvîd ‘ôlām). The "forever" signifies perpetuity, eternity, or a perpetual duration for successive generations. This points to the unending nature of God's promise to David and his descendants concerning their royal succession. It sets up an expectation for an enduring, dynastic rule that would transcend time.
- even to him and to his sons: Specifies the dynastic nature of the grant, passing through the paternal line. This underscores the hereditary principle established by God for the Davidic monarchy, countering any claims of a usurped or alternative dynasty.
- by a covenant of salt: (bᵉrît melach). A solemn and enduring covenant. In the ancient Near East, salt symbolized permanence, loyalty, and incorruptibility due to its preserving qualities. It also indicated a binding agreement, often sworn with sacrifices that were accompanied by salt (Lev 2:13). God had previously made a "covenant of salt" with the Levitical priesthood (Num 18:19) signifying an everlasting ordinance. Applied to the Davidic covenant, it emphasizes its unchangeable, unbreakable, and perpetual nature. It signifies God's absolute commitment and the utter reliability of His promise to David's house. This phrasing strengthens the divine authority and unwavering character of the Davidic covenant beyond dispute.
2 Chronicles 13 5 Bonus section
The concept of the "covenant of salt" also implies that the relationship established by God is one of enduring loyalty and purity, reflecting the preserving qualities of salt. It is presented as a stark contrast to the shifting loyalties and corrupt worship introduced by Jeroboam in the North. This statement by Abijah functions as a significant theological polemic, asserting that God’s choice of Jerusalem, the Temple, and the Davidic line constituted an unchanging truth, while Jeroboam’s religious and political innovations were a illegitimate transgression. The permanence of this covenant foreshadows the ultimate fulfillment of the Davidic covenant in the eternal reign of Jesus Christ, a direct descendant of David, whose kingdom is indeed forever (Lk 1:32-33).
2 Chronicles 13 5 Commentary
Abijah’s declaration in 2 Chronicles 13:5 serves as the theological foundation for his denouncement of the Northern Kingdom. He articulates that God’s grant of the kingdom to David was not temporary or conditional in terms of the dynasty, but permanent ("forever") and secured by an inviolable "covenant of salt." This highlights God's unyielding faithfulness to His word despite human sin or rebellion. The reference to the "covenant of salt" reinforces the absolute certainty and perpetual nature of God's promise, acting as an implicit accusation against Jeroboam for his rebellion against this divinely established, unchangeable order. Abijah frames the conflict not merely as a civil war between two kings, but as the Northern Kingdom's opposition to God's own will and immutable covenant, implying that their breaking away from Judah and establishing their own false religious practices was a direct defiance of God Himself.