2 Chronicles 13:8 kjv
And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with your golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.
2 Chronicles 13:8 nkjv
And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and with you are the gold calves which Jeroboam made for you as gods.
2 Chronicles 13:8 niv
"And now you plan to resist the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David's descendants. You are indeed a vast army and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods.
2 Chronicles 13:8 esv
"And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods.
2 Chronicles 13:8 nlt
"Do you really think you can stand against the kingdom of the LORD that is led by the descendants of David? You may have a vast army, and you have those gold calves that Jeroboam made as your gods.
2 Chronicles 13 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Chr 10:19 | So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. | Division of kingdom; perpetual rebellion |
| 2 Sam 7:16 | And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me... | Davidic Covenant; eternal dynasty |
| Ps 89:3-4 | "I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever...'" | God's faithfulness to Davidic promise |
| Ps 89:27-29 | I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth... | Davidic line chosen above others |
| 1 Chr 17:14 | but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever... | Confirmation of Davidic house |
| 1 Kgs 11:13 | However, I will not tear away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant... | God's preservation of David's line |
| 1 Kgs 12:28 | So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” | Jeroboam's original sin of the golden calves |
| Exod 32:4 | He received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a molded calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” | First golden calf sin; Israel's idolatry |
| Deut 4:28 | There you will serve gods of wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. | Futility of idol worship |
| Jer 2:11 | Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods?... | Questioning Israel's apostasy |
| Psa 115:4-7 | Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands... | Description of dead idols |
| Isa 44:9-11 | All who fashion idols are nothing, and their treasured things do not profit... | Denunciation of idolatry |
| Acts 17:29 | Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. | Against idols made by human hands |
| Deut 20:1 | When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you... | God's help overrides numbers |
| Judg 7:2 | The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me...'" | Numbers are not strength |
| 1 Sam 14:6 | Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” | God's power independent of numbers |
| Zech 4:6 | Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. | Divine strength, not human strength |
| Rom 1:22-23 | Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man... | Humanity's exchange of God for idols |
| Rom 13:1-2 | Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God... Whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed... | Authority established by God |
| 1 Tim 2:1-2 | First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. | Acknowledging God-ordained authorities |
| Heb 12:28 | Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken... | An unshakable, divine kingdom |
2 Chronicles 13 verses
2 Chronicles 13 8 Meaning
The verse 2 Chronicles 13:8 presents Abijah's direct confrontation of Jeroboam and the northern kingdom of Israel. It declares that their attempt to resist Judah, ruled by David's descendants, is fundamentally an act of opposition against the Lord's kingdom. This is presented despite their overwhelming numerical superiority, as their strength is invalidated by their reliance on the golden calves crafted by Jeroboam, which are denounced as false gods. The verse highlights the core theological conflict: legitimate divine authority versus idolatrous rebellion.
2 Chronicles 13 8 Context
2 Chronicles 13 records Abijah's address to Jeroboam and the Israelite army prior to the Battle of Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim. This speech serves as a critical theological and historical declaration, contrasting the legitimacy of the Davidic monarchy in Judah with the apostate rebellion of the northern kingdom under Jeroboam. Abijah asserts that the kingdom in Judah is truly "the kingdom of the Lord," established by an everlasting "covenant of salt" with David and his descendants. He condemns Israel for forsaking the true worship of God in Jerusalem, driving out the Levitical priests and installing their own illegitimate priests and gods—the golden calves—at Bethel and Dan. The battle described shortly after this verse becomes a test of whose God is real and whose kingdom is sanctioned by Heaven.
2 Chronicles 13 8 Word analysis
- And now you think to withstand: The Hebrew phrase translated as "you think to withstand" is תַעֲמֹד (ta'amod), from the root עָמַד (
amad), meaning "to stand, remain, stand still, or rise up." Here, it carries the sense of "standing against" or "resisting" with defiance and presumption. It implies not just physical opposition, but a challenging of divine order. This defiance is presented as folly given who they are truly opposing. - the kingdom of the Lord: מַמְלֶכֶת יְהוָה (mamlekhet YHWH). This phrase is profoundly significant. It asserts that Judah's kingdom, despite being a human monarchy, is a direct manifestation and representative of God's ultimate reign on earth. It highlights that the covenant with David was not just for David's house but for God's purposes in Israel and among the nations. The opposition to David's line is, therefore, opposition to God Himself. This phrase encapsulates the Chronicler's theology regarding the centrality of the Davidic covenant.
- in the hand of the sons of David: The "hand" (בְּיַד, bə·yaḏ) here signifies agency, authority, and lineage. It emphasizes that the Davidic line is the appointed channel through which God's kingdom is expressed and ruled. To reject David's descendants is to reject the divinely chosen succession. This underscores the theological claim that David’s house rules not by mere human right, but by divine decree.
- when you are a great multitude: הֲמ֥וֹן רָב֙ (hamon rav) meaning a "great noise" or "a great multitude/army." This points to Israel's significant numerical advantage over Judah (explicitly stated in 2 Chr 13:3 as 400,000 against 800,000, which can be interpreted as emphasizing their relative sizes rather than absolute numbers due to textual variation or hyperbole often seen in military counts). The rhetorical question suggests that their physical might is irrelevant in a battle against God's ordained authority.
- and have with you golden calves: עִגְלֵי זָהָב (ʿigle zahaḇ). This is a direct, damning accusation. The plural "calves" immediately recalls the initial sin of Aaron at Mount Sinai (Exod 32) and, more directly, Jeroboam's religious apostasy in setting up worship centers at Bethel and Dan with golden calves (1 Kgs 12:28-30). These were not just idols but deliberate replacements for the Temple worship in Jerusalem. This is the crux of their rebellion against God's true kingdom.
- which Jeroboam made for you as gods: The Hebrew here literally says "which Jeroboam made for you for gods" (אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרָבְעָ֜ם עָשָׂ֣ה לָכֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִֽים). This further exposes the nature of their worship as human-made and thus false. The phrase "for gods" explicitly declares these calves as objects of divine veneration by the Israelites, despite their non-existence as deities. It marks their religion as pure idolatry, distinct from and abhorrent to the worship of Yahweh.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David": This phrase encapsulates the central conflict: human presumption (Israel's defiance) directly opposing divine sovereignty (God's kingdom through the Davidic line). It posits the conflict not as merely political or tribal, but fundamentally spiritual. This is a theological assertion that the Judahite monarchy under the Davidic covenant is divinely established and maintained.
- "when you are a great multitude, and have with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made for you as gods": This section juxtaposes Israel's supposed human strength (numbers) with their profound spiritual weakness (idolatry). The numerical advantage, often a source of confidence in ancient warfare, is nullified by their spiritual apostasy. Their worship of the "golden calves," fabricated by a human king, underlines the illegitimacy and spiritual emptiness of their cause. The repeated emphasis on "Jeroboam made for you" places the blame squarely on Jeroboam for leading the people astray from the true God, yet also implicates the people for following. This highlights the foundational error of substituting human invention for divine command.
2 Chronicles 13 8 Bonus section
The Chronicler, writing to a post-exilic community, intentionally highlights the Davidic covenant and the sin of idolatry. This verse serves as a historical reminder of why the kingdom divided and why the Northern Kingdom eventually fell: their rejection of the legitimate Davidic line and, more significantly, their abandonment of YHWH for idols. By emphasizing "the kingdom of the Lord," the text elevates Judah's claim beyond mere political legitimacy to divine mandate. Abijah's speech, and particularly this verse, underscores that allegiance to the Davidic king was seen as tantamount to allegiance to God Himself, a concept further developed in Messianic prophecies where Christ, the ultimate Son of David, would establish an eternal, unshakable kingdom. The "covenant of salt" mentioned just prior in the chapter (v.5) refers to an unalterable, enduring covenant, emphasizing the absolute nature of God's promise to David, making Israel's resistance all the more grievous.
2 Chronicles 13 8 Commentary
2 Chronicles 13:8 encapsulates Abijah's decisive theological indictment against Jeroboam's northern kingdom. The verse is a powerful declaration that the war between Judah and Israel is not just a political conflict but a cosmic struggle for God's kingdom. By daring to oppose the "kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David," Israel challenges God's chosen authority directly, violating the everlasting "covenant of salt" God made with David. Israel’s reliance on their vast numerical superiority is exposed as spiritual folly when juxtaposed with their dependence on the "golden calves" made by Jeroboam. These calves are explicitly condemned as "gods" manufactured by human hands, embodying Israel's profound idolatry and apostasy. Abijah's speech frames the battle as a test of allegiance—to the true God of Israel via His appointed dynasty in Jerusalem, or to man-made idols in their own chosen sites. The victory for Judah described subsequently in the chapter vindicates Abijah's theological claim, demonstrating God's defense of His kingdom.Examples of this principle in application include:
- A reliance on one's own perceived strengths (wealth, status, intelligence) in defying God's clear commands or spiritual principles.
- Seeking solutions or comfort in human philosophies or secular ideas ("golden calves") instead of trusting in God's revealed truth.