2 Chronicles 11:14

2 Chronicles 11:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest’s office unto the Lord:
• New International Version (NIV)The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the Lord
• English Standard Version (ESV)For the Levites left their common lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons cast them out from serving as priests of the Lord,
• New King James Version (NKJV)For the Levites left their common-lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to the Lord.

Context of 2 Chronicles 11:14

12He supplied every city with shields and spears. He did all these things to make them very strong places. So Rehoboam kept his authority over Judah and Benjamin. 13The priests and Levites who lived everywhere in Israel agreed to serve Rehoboam. The Levites even left their lands and their houses to come to Judah and Jerusalem. They came because Jeroboam and his sons refused to let them serve the Lord as his priests. 15Jeroboam chose his own priests to offer sacrifices at the altars that he had built on the hills. They worshipped the idols of goats and young bulls that Jeroboam had made. 16But some people from every tribe in Israel still wanted to worship the Lord, Israel's God. So they came with the Levites to Jerusalem. They came to offer sacrifices to the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

2 Chronicles 11:14 word by word

כִּֽי־עָזְב֣וּ הַלְוִיִּ֗ם אֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶם֙ וַאֲחֻזָּתָ֔ם וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ לִיהוּדָ֖ה וְלִֽירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם כִּֽי־הִזְנִיחָ֤ם יָֽרָבְעָם֙ וּבָנָ֔יו מִכַּהֵ֖ן לַיהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For the Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
• leftעָזַב‛âzab · to leave: forsakeH5800
• their suburbsמִגְרָשׁmigrâsh migrâshâh · pastureH4054
• and their possessionאֲחֻזָּה'ăchûzzâh · possessionH272
• and cameיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• to Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• and Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
• for Jeroboamיָֽרָבְעָםyârob‛âm · JeroboamH3379
• and his sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• had cast them offזָנַחzânach · to rejectH2186
• from executing the priest’s officeכָּהַןkâhan · to ministerH3547
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for 2 Chronicles 11:14

• Numbers 35:2The Lord said, ‘Tell the people this. They must give some of their land to the Levites. Then the Levites can build towns to live in. They will also have the land round the towns for their animals.
• Joshua 21:20The tribe of Ephraim gave some towns to Levites from other clans of Kohath.
• 1 Chronicles 6:66Descendants of Kohath received towns in land that belonged to Ephraim's tribe. They received these towns with the fields around them:
• Leviticus 27:30One tenth of everything that comes from the land is holy to the Lord. It may be grain or fruit. It belongs to the Lord.
• Numbers 18:21The Israelites give to me one tenth of everything that they receive. I will give it to the Levites because they serve me in the Tent of Meeting.
• 2 Chronicles 13:9But you chased away the Lord's own priests, the descendants of Aaron. You chased away the Levites. Instead you chose your own priests, as the people in other nations do. Anyone can become a priest to serve your false gods. He only has to come with a sacrifice of a young bull and seven male sheep!
• 1 Kings 12:28So King Jeroboam talked to his advisors. He used gold to make images of two young cows. He said to the people, ‘It is too difficult for you to go to Jerusalem to worship the Lord, as you have done before. So I have made these gold cows for you instead. Look at them, Israelite people! These are your gods that rescued you and brought you out from Egypt.’
• 1 Kings 13:33Even after this happened, Jeroboam did not stop doing evil things. He chose ordinary people to be priests for the altars on the hills. If somebody wanted to become a priest, Jeroboam agreed to make him a priest.

Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 11:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14The Levites left their suburbs - They and the priests were expelled from their offices by Jeroboam, lest they should turn the hearts of the people to the true God, and then they would revolt to Judah, 1 Kings 12:26; and therefore he established a new worship, and made new gods.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14Jeroboam probably confiscated the Levitical lands for the benefit of this new priesthood. Under these circumstances the priests and Levites emigrated in large numbers to the southern kingdom; an act which was followed by a general emigration of the more pious Israelites 2 Chronicles 11:16.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-23Verses 13-23 When the priests and Levites came to Jerusalem, the devout, pious Israelites followed them. Such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel, left the inheritance of their fathers, and went to Jerusalem, that they might have free access to the altar of God, and be out of the temptation to worship the calves. That is best for us, which is best for our souls; in all our choices, religious advantages must be sought before all outward…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-17Jeroboam's rebellion in the north (see 1 Kings 12:26–33) caused those who truly wanted to worship the Lord to move south. Rehoboam followed the Lord faithfully for three years, but he became unfaithful in the fourth year of his reign (2 Chronicles 12:1). God then quickly punished Rehoboam by sending Shishak to invade from Egypt (2 Chronicles 12:2–5).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1713-17. the priests and the Levites ... resorted to him out of all their coasts--This was an accession of moral power, for the maintenance of the true religion is the best support and safeguard of any nation; and as it was peculiarly the grand source of the strength and prosperity of the Hebrew monarchy, the great numbers of good and pious people who sought an asylum within the territories of Judah contributed greatly to consolidate the throne of Rehoboam…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Chronicles 11:14

• Jeroboam
• Levites
• Rehoboam
• Religion
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Jeroboam
• Jerusalem
• Judah
• Judah, kingdom of Judah
• Judea, Judah
• Aholah
• Devil
• Gibbethon
• Chronicles, Books of
• Israel, Kingdom of

Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings