2 Chronicles 13:7

2Ch 13:7 And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.

Ver. 7. And there are gathered unto him vain men.] Rachas brainless fellows, light and empty; yokeless also and masterless; men of no piety or common honesty. Such also were Catiline’s comrades among the Romans.

When Rehoboam was young.] Not in age, but in experience, policy, and valour; he was imbellis et metculosus, hen-hearted, as we say, and - as a young plant, not yet rooted - easily shaken and swayed by the insolencies of his rebellious subjects.

And could not withstand them.] Thus he layeth the fault - like a good child - wholly upon his father; with whom, it is like, he was displeased for obeying the prophet Shemaiah, {2Ch 11:4} and not reducing his rebels at first, as he might have done, but for his folly and faint-heartedness, saith Abijah.

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 13:7. Vain men, children of Belial — Such as have cast off the yoke and the obedience which they owed both to God and to their king. When Rehoboam was young — Not in age, for he was then forty-one years old, but in his kingdom, which he had but newly obtained, and in experience in politics, and especially in military affairs, to which he was, indeed, wholly a stranger, having been born and brought up in a time of great peace and security.

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

This word in the Chaldean tongue is Raca, which our Savior useth, Matt. 5:22.

Hebrew, children of Belial.

Meaning, in heart and courage.

Or, faint hearted.

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

Verse 7. When Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted] Therefore he could not be forty-one when he came to the throne; 2Ch 13:3. Children of Belial here signifies men of the most abandoned principles and characters; or men without consideration, education, or brains.

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

(7) And there are gathered.—Omit are.

Vain men (rĕqîm, Jdg_9:4; Jdg_11:3).—Said of the followers of Abimelech and the freebooter Jephthah. Neither this nor the following phrase, “the children of Belial” (literally, sons of worthlessness, i.e., men of low character and estimation) occurs again in the Chronicles. (See Jdg_19:22; Jdg_20:13; 1Ki_21:10; 1Ki_21:13, for the latter.)

Have strengthened.—Omit have.

Young and tender-hearted.—Rather, a youth and soft of heart, faint-hearted. A similar phrase occurred 1Ch_29:1. The expression is somewhat inexact, as Rehoboam was forty-one when he ascended the throne (2Ch_12:13). But Abijah is naturally anxious to put the case as strongly as possible against Jeroboam, and to avoid all blame of his own father. In 2 Chronicles 10 Rehoboam appears as haughty and imperious, rather than timid and soft-hearted.

Could not withstand them.—Did not show himself strong or firm (2Ch_12:13).

Against them.—Before them. (Comp. 1Ch_12:17; a usage of the chronicler’s.)

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

7. are gathered] R.V. were gathered.

children of Belial] R.V. sons of Belial (mg. sons of worthlessness). The general sense “worthless persons” is clear, but the precise meaning of Belial, and whether the word be a proper name or a common noun, cannot be decided at present.

young] Lit. a child. If this word is to be literally understood, the statement made is erroneous, for Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign (2Ch_12:13). It is probable, however, that the word is used metaphorically to describe one who was young (as indeed his conduct shewed) in experience of government; so Solomon (1Ki_3:7) calls himself a little child, by which he simply meant to express his consciousness of the smallness of his own ability when compared with the greatness of the task which lay before him. Cp. 1Ch_29:1.

tender hearted] i.e., according to Heb. phraseology, weak in understanding, the heart being considered to be the seat of the mind. Or we may translate the Heb. phrase as in Deu_20:8, fainthearted.

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.

And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David,.... To oppose them, prevail over them, and get it out of their hands, which is delivered to them by the Lord, as the Targum:

and ye be a great multitude; of which they boasted, and in which they trusted, being ten tribes to two, and in this army two to one:

and there are with you golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods; or, "but (r) there are with you", &c. which Abijah suggests would be so far from helping them, that they would be their ruin, they having, by the worship of them, provoked the Lord against them.

(r) So Grotious, Schnidt, and others.

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

Vain. The saem term is used as in Matthew v. 22. (Calmet) --- Rekim, "stupid men." (Haydock) --- Septuagint, "pestiferous." Syriac, "impious." --- Heart. Protestants, "young and tender-hearted." (Haydock) --- But Roboam was not very young; (3 Kings xiv. 21.) and we may adhere to the Vulgate. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "he was a youth, and timid." (Haydock) --- Abia speaks of his father with little respect, and seems to have forgotten that he had laid down his arms in obedience to God’s order. (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).

The children of Belial; such as have cast off the yoke and obedience which they owed both to God and to their king.

When Rehoboam was young; not in age, for he was then forty-one years old, but in his kingdom, which he had but newly obtained, and in experience in politic, and especially in military, affairs, to which he was wholly a stranger, as having been born and bred up in a time of great peace and security.

Tender-hearted, i.e. cowardly and fearful, who durst not adventure to chastise the rebels as he should have done. But therein Abijah forgets his duty, both to his father, whom he falsely traduceth; and to God, by whose express command Rehoboam was restrained from the war against Israel, which otherwise he had both courage and resolution to prosecute, as appears from the history, 1Ki 12:21.

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

Are gathered have strengthened themselves. The aorist tense is needed for the rendering in both these cases; e.g. "And vain men gathered to him, and strengthened themselves against him." Vain men; Hebrew, This word, and one very slightly different in form, and their adverb, occur in all forty-one times; rendered in the Authorized Version "empty" nineteen times, "vain" eighteen times, and "without cause," "to no purpose," and "void" the remaining four times. It is the word that is used of the "empty" pit of Joseph; (Gen_37:24) of the "empty ears" of corn; (Gen_41:27) of "empty" pitchers and other vessels (Jud_1:7:16; 2Ki_4:3; Jer_14:3 Jer_51:34; Eze_24:11) And in all the other cases expresses metaphorically the emptiness of head, of heart, or of reason, with the same simple force of language appropriate, it appears, then as now. Children of Belial ; Hebrew, lYlib. This word is found twenty-seven times, and, including seven marginal options, is rendered in the Authorized Version "Belial" twenty-three times; the four exceptions being "wicked" three times, and "naughty" once. The derivation of it marks the one expressive meaning of "without profit." Young and tender-hearted. Hard as it is to put these objections to the credit of a man forty-one years of age (see our note, (2Ch_10:8 2Ch_12:13) at all, yet, if so, they can only be explained as some do explain them, of a blamable ignorance, inexperience, and instability.

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

And there gathered to him worthless wicked.

and they overwhelmed Rehoboam the son of Solomon and Rehoboam was young and soft-hearted and since they found in him humility and soft- heartedness, they overwhelmed him.

young - Heb. נַעַר. Although he was forty-one years old when he reigned, he is called a youth (נַעַר), as I explained above (I Chron. 22:5) in regards to Solomon.

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.