John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 2. And it came to pass in the fifth year of Rehoboam , etc.] In the fourth year, the apostasy of him and his people began; and, in the year following, what is next related happened, as a punishment of it: Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem ; of whom (see Kings 11:40 14:25), because they transgressed against the Lord ; transgressed the law of the Lord by falling into idolatry and other abominable evils; the Targum is, “against the Word of the Lord.”
Matthew Henry Commentary
- Rehoboam, forsaking the Lord, is punished.
--When Rehoboam was so strong that he supposed he had nothing to fea from Jeroboam, he cast off his outward profession of godliness. It is very common, but very lamentable, that men, who in distress or danger or near death, seem much engaged in seeking and serving God, thro aside all their religion when they have received a mercifu deliverance. God quickly brought troubles upon Judah, to awaken the people to repentance, before their hearts were hardened. Thus it becomes us, when we are under the rebukes of Providence, to justif God, and to judge ourselves. If we have humbled hearts under humblin providences, the affliction has done its work; it shall be removed, or the property of it be altered. The more God's service is compared with other services, the more reasonable and easy it will appear. Are the laws of temperance thought hard? The effects of intemperance will be found much harder. The service of God is perfect liberty; the servic of our lusts is complete slavery. Rehoboam was never rightly fixed in his religion. He never quite cast off God; yet he engaged not his hear to seek the Lord. See what his fault was; he did not serve the Lord because he did not seek the Lord. He did not pray, as Solomon, for wisdom and grace; he did not consult the word of God, did not seek to that as his oracle, nor follow its directions. He made nothing of his religion, because he did not set his heart to it, nor ever came up to steady resolution in it. He did evil, because he never was determine for good _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew ויהי1961 בשׁנה8141 החמישׁית2549 למלך4428 רחבעם7346 עלה5927 שׁישׁק7895 מלך4428 מצרים4714 על5921 ירושׁלם3389 כי3588 מעלו4603 ביהוה׃3068
_1184-427.jpg "Illustration and Scripture")
