Matthew Henry on 2 Chronicles 12:1-12
Israel was very much disgraced and weakened by being divided into two kingdoms; yet the kingdom of Judah, having both the temple and the royal city, both the house of David and the house of Aaron, might have done very well if they had continued in the way of their duty; but here we have all out of order there.
I. Rehoboam and his people left God: He forsook the law of the Lord, and so in effect forsook God, and all Israel with him, Ch2 12:1. He had his happy triennium, when he walked in the way of David and Solomon (Ch2 11:17), but it expired, and he grew remiss in the worship of God; in what instances we are not told, but he fell off, and Judah with him, here called Israel, because they wal…
Read the whole note in the consoleJamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Chronicles 12:7
when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves--Their repentance and contrition was followed by the best effects; for Shemaiah was commissioned to announce that the phial of divine judgment would not be fully poured out on them--that the entire overthrow of the kingdom of Judah would not take place at that time, nor through the agency of Shishak; and yet, although it should enjoy a respite from total subversion, [Judah] should become a tributary province of Egypt in order that the people might learn how much lighter and better is the service of God than that of idolatrous foreign despots.
Adam Clarke on 2 Chronicles 12:6
Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves - This is not mentioned in the parallel place, Kg1 14:25-29 : this was the sole reason why Jerusalem was not at this time totally destroyed, and the house of David entirely cut off; for they were totally incapable of defending themselves against this innumerable host.
John Gill on 2 Chronicles 12:7
And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves,.... Though but externally; the Lord takes notice of external humiliation, as he did of Ahab's, 1 Kings 21:29,
the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, they have humbled themselves, therefore I will not destroy them; not now, at least not altogether, 2 Chronicles 12:12,
but I will grant them some deliverance; yet not a complete one, for they were brought into servitude by Shishak, 2 Chronicles 12:8, or only for a short time:
and my wrath shall not be poured out against Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak; that is, to the uttermost; that was reserved to another time, and to be done by another hand, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
