Matthew Henry Commentary
Abijah overcomes Jeroboam. --Jeroboam and his people, by apostacy and idolatry, merited the sever punishment Abijah was permitted to execute upon them. It appears from the character of Abijah, 1Ki 15:3, that he was not himself trul religious, yet he encouraged himself from the religion of his people It is common for those that deny the power of godliness, to boast of the form of it. Many that have little religion themselves, value it is others. But it was true that there were numbers of pious worshippers in Judah, and that theirs was the more righteous cause. In their distress when danger was on every side, which way should they look for deliverance unless upward? It is an unspeakable comfort, that our wa thither is always open. They cried unto the Lord. Earnest prayer is crying. To the cry of prayer they added the shout of faith, and becam more than conquerors. Jeroboam escaped the sword of Abijah, but God struck him; there is no escaping his sword __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
ויקבצו 6908 עליו 5921 אנשׁים 582 רקים 7386 בני 1121 בליעל 1100 ויתאמצו 553 על 5921 רחבעם 7346 בן 1121 שׁלמה 8010 ורחבעם 7346 היה 1961 נער 5288 ורך 7390 לבב 3824 ולא 3808 התחזק 2388 לפניהם׃ 6440
