2 Chronicles 10:15

Hebrew, by the hand of.

God’s will imposeth such a necessity to the second causes, that nothing can be done but according to the same, and yet man’s will worketh as of itself, so that it cannot be excused in doing that it is God’s ordinance.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

the king hearkened not unto the people, for the cause was of God--Rehoboam, in following an evil counsel, and the Hebrew people, in making a revolutionary movement, each acted as free agents, obeying their own will and passions. But God, who permitted the revolt of the northern tribes, intended it as a punishment of the house of David for Solomon's apostasy. That event demonstrates the immediate superintendence of His providence over the revolutions of kingdoms; and thus it affords an instance, similar to many other striking instances that are found in Scripture, of divine predictions, uttered long before, being accomplished by the operation of human passions, and in the natural course of events.

Next: 2 Chronicles Chapter 11

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 15. For the cause was of God] "For there was an occasion Divinely given." - Targum.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(15) The cause was of God.—It was brought about by God. Literally, it was a turn or turning-point (of events) from with God. The word n’sibbah is equivalent to sibbah of Kings. Both are isolated in the Old Testament. The latter is the common word for “cause” in Rabbinic, as sibbath sibbôth—causa causarum.

That the Lord might perform his word.—The chronicler does not deviate from the text of Kings here, although he has not mentioned Ahijah’s prophecy to Jeroboam before. (Comp. 2Ch_9:29. )

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15. the cause was of God] R.V. it was brought about of God.

might perform] R.V. might establish.

Ahijah] Cp. 1Ki_11:29-39. The incident referred to is not narrated in Chron., being assumed to be known.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Will of God: not that the king should act foolishly, or the people rebel, but to effect what he had promised. (Haydock) --- Syriac has well expressed the sense: "because this rebellion happened by the divine permission, that they might behold the truth of the prediction of Ahias;" (Calmet) and that the fault of Solomon might be punished. (Du Hamel)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

So the king hearkened not for the cause was of God his word, which he spake by Ahijah. (see, as before, 1Ki_11:29-31, 1Ki_11:9-39) Rehoboam hearkened not, as Pharaoh hearkened not, but hardened his heart. The Divine word foretold, as the Divine mind foreknew, the inevitable course of the stream, that took its source in and from Solomon"s faithless heart and life. Solomon "being dead yet" bears his full share of the responsibility of what Rehoboam was, and shortly came to show he was. Everything must fall out as God foretells it shall fall out, not because "the cause is from him" in this sense that he has made it, but in the sense that he has pronounced it, through knowing it with an absolute knowledge. It were but a thing to be expected also, that just in the measure that the Bible is the Word of God, it shall exhibit and pronounce plainly the phenomena of his own ultimate fiats, rather than linger to track or describe the uncertainties of human morality or conduct. Let but that result appear, which God has with his sure and abiding Word declared, and the practical attitude and language of Scripture are that it is vain to fight against it; for the thing is of God. It was known of him and said of him. And it carries its punishment or its recompense in it, as of him. It will be noticed, again, how our compiler refers to the incident of Ahijah, as though he had recorded it, which he had not done.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

So the king did not listen to the people

Here "listen to the people" represents not care about what they said or about actually doing what they asked. AT: "So the king did not do what the people had asked him to do" or "So the king ignored the people" (See: Metonymy)

it was a turn in events brought about by God

This is an idiom and can be stated in active form. AT: "God caused things to happen like this" (See: Idiom and Active or Passive)

that Yahweh might carry out his word ... Nebat

"that Yahweh might do according to the message that he told Ahijah the Shilonite to tell Jeroboam son of Nebat" or "that Yahweh might do what he had said he would do when he told Ahijah the Shilonite to give a message to Jeroboam son of Nebat"

that Yahweh might carry out his word

The idiom "carry out his word" means to do what he had said he would do. (See: Idiom)

his word that Ahijah the Shilonite had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat

This refers to the message that God gave Ahijah to tell Jeroboam.

Ahijah the Shilonite ... Jeroboam son of Nebat

See how you translated these names in 2 Chronicles 9:29. (See: How to Translate Names)

translationWords

God

Yahweh

word

Ahijah

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

because it was brought about, etc. so that the Lord God might establish His word as is delineated in I Kings (11:31–37), to remove from him the ten tribes and to give them to Jeroboam, and this is the meaning of (Gen. 49:10): “The scepter will not depart from Judah” [meaning that] he will not be banished from his kingdom, “until he comes to Shiloh,” meaning until Judah comes to Shiloh to crown Rehoboam there, and there “peoples will gather to him” to crown him, and there the kingdom was divided, and the reign over the ten tribes was lost. Now Shechem is a small city adjacent to Shiloh, as it is written at the end of Judges (21:19): “Behold, there is a sacrifice before the Lord in Shiloh from time to time, etc. on the east side of the highway that goes up from Beth-El to Shechem,” and it is written in Jeremiah (41:5): “from Shechem (and) from Shiloh,” and in honor of the Tabernacle of Shiloh, they would gather in Shechem, which was fit for the people to assemble in, and it adjoined Shiloh. And when they would assemble in Shechem, the scepter would depart from Judah, for there the kingdom was divided.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.