2 Chronicles 11:15

2Ch 11:15 And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.

Ver. 15. And he ordained him priests.] See 1Ki 12:31.

And for the devils.] Heb., Hairy horrid things, boegy men. See Rev 9:11; Rev 9:20. The devil is ειδωλοχαρης, saith Synesius; and hereby it appeareth that Jeroboam set up more idols than the two golden calves.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ch 11:15. For the high places, and for devils — Or, for the high places, both for devils, (the Baals, or false gods, which divers of his people worshipped, whom he encouraged to do so, giving them liberty to do any thing but to serve God at Jerusalem,) and for the calves — So he erected two sorts of high places, some for Baal, and some for the true God, whom he pretended to worship in and by the calves.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11:15 Some scholars believe that Jeroboam set up the goat and calf idols as pedestals for the Lord, noting that the Canaanites believed that their gods stood on the backs of animals (cp. Exod 32:5, where the gold calf was used in “a festival to the Lord”). However, Jeroboam never specifically credited the Lord with rescuing Israel (1 Kgs 12:28), so others think he might have meant that other gods stood on the animals. Still others think Jeroboam might have adopted the practice of the Egyptians, portraying actual pagan deities in animal form (cp. Exod 32:4).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Meaning, idols, read Isa. 44:15.

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

he ordained him priests--The persons he appointed to the priesthood were low and worthless creatures (Kg1 12:31; Kg1 13:33); any were consecrated who brought a bullock and seven rams (Ch2 13:9; Exo 29:37).

for the high places--Those favorite places of religious worship were encouraged throughout the country.

for the devils--a term sometimes used for idols in general (Lev 17:7). But here it is applied distinctively to the goat deities, which were probably worshipped chiefly in the northern parts of his kingdom, where the heathen Canaanites still abounded.

for the calves which he had made--figures of the ox gods Apis and Mnevis, with which Jeroboam's residence in Egypt had familiarized him. (See on Kg1 12:26).

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. And he ordained him priests - for the devils] שעירים seirim, the hairy ones; probably goats: for as the golden calves, or oxen, were in imitation of the Egyptian ox-god, Apis; so they no doubt paid Divine honours to the goat, which we know was an object of religious veneration in Egypt.

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

(15) And he ordained.—And had appointed (1Ch_15:16-17; 1Ch_22:2).

For the high places.—Bâmôth. (See Note on 1Ki_12:31 seqq.) Such local sanctuaries existed not only at Dan and Bethel, but also in other cities of the northern kingdom. (Comp. 2Ki_17:9.)

And for the devils.—Sĕ‘îrîm, “satyrs” (Isa_13:21). Literally, goats. (See Note on Lev_17:7.) The phrase indicates a prevalence of debasing idolatry in the time of Jeroboam.

And for the calves.—See Note on 1Ki_12:28. The “calves” represented the God of Israel. It appears therefore that Jeroboam encouraged a system of syncretism, or mixture of worships.

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

15. the devils] R.V. the he-goats (Lev_17:7 R.V.). The heathen Arabs believed in the existence of demons (called jinn) having various animal forms and inhabiting deserted places, and this belief was probably shared by the Hebrews. In this verse and in Lev_17:7, the writers seem to identify the gods worshipped by the heathen with these jinn. (Cp. W. R. Smith, Religion of the Semites, pp. 120 ff.).

the calves] Not previously mentioned in Chron.; 1Ki_12:28.

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.

So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah,.... Made it more numerous, and in a better condition to defend itself:

and made Rehoboam son of Solomon strong three years; established him on the throne, strengthened the government in his hands, and were the means of preserving him in the pure worship of God for the space of time mentioned, the reason of which follows:

for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon; in their good ways, which were according to the rule of the divine word; and which, as they refer to the whole of David's life and reign, some particular actions excepted, so to the former part of Solomon's reign, before he fell into idolatry, and to the latter part of it after his repentance; for that he did repent is by some concluded from hence, and may be more strongly from the book of Ecclesiastes, written by him in his old age. This is to be understood both of Rehoboam and his people, who after three years forsook the law of the Lord, Ch2 12:1.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The high places - i. e., the two sanctuaries at Dan and Bethel.

For the devils - literally, “for the goats:” probably the word is used (as in Lev 17:7) for objects of idolatrous worship generally.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Devils. Hebrew, "goats." (Calmet) --- Septuagint express this by two names, "for the idols, and for the fools." (Haydock) --- The Mendesians of Egypt, solemnly worshipped the goat; and Pan was represented nearly in the same form. Yet it is probable that the Hebrews style the idols by this name out of derision, 3 Kings xv. 2. (Calmet)

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).

Or,

for the high places, both for the devils (i.e. the Baals, or false gods, which divers of his people worshipped, whom he permitted and encouraged to do so, giving them liberty to do any thing but to serve God at Jerusalem)

and for the calves. So he erected two sorts of high places, some for Baal, and some for the true God, whom he pretended and would be thought to worship in and by the calves.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

15. Ordained him priests — See on 1Ki_12:31.

For the devils —לשׂעירים, for the goats. The word is translated satyrs in Isa_13:21; Isa_34:14, and is supposed to have been a goat-shaped deity, a wood-demon, that dwelt in desert places, and was to be appeased by Divine worship. “This superstition,” says Furst, “was probably derived from Egypt, where a goat, (Josephus, Apion, 2:7,) or Pan, who was depicted with a goat’s head and feet, (Herod., 2:46, 145,) was worshipped.” The word is used in Lev_4:24; Lev_16:9; Num_7:16; Num_15:24, for the he goat that was sacrificed as a sin offering; but Jeroboam probably meant to recognize and introduce the superstitions of Egypt, and set up images of Pan as well as the calves, though probably not until after his people had become familiar with the calf worship. Comp. note on 1Ki_12:28.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The high places; i.e. Dan and Bethel. (1Ki_12:28-33) For the devils; i.e. for the "hairy ones" ( Reference is intended to the idolatrous wore ship of the "he-goats" by the Hebrews, after the example of Egypt, and the reference here is either literal or derived. (Lev_17:7) For the calves. (see 1Ki_12:28)

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

High places - Or, for the high places, both for the devils (the Baals, or false gods, which divers of his people worshipped, whom he encouraged to do so, giving them liberty to do anything but to serve God at Jerusalem) and for the calves. So he erected two sorts of high places, some for Baal, and some for the true God, whom be pretended to worship, in and by the calves.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

devils

Lit. "hairy ones," i.e. satyrs, Isa 13:21.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

priests for the high places i.e., Why did Jeroboam coerce them to abandon [their positions]? Because he stationed pagan priests for the satyrs.

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.