2 Chronicles 13:9

2 Chronicles 13:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Have ye not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.
• New International Version (NIV)But didn’t you drive out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests of your own as the peoples of other lands do? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may become a priest of what are not gods.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes for ordination with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are not gods.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Have you not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests, like the peoples of other lands, so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of things that are not gods?

Context of 2 Chronicles 13:9

7Lawless good-for-nothing men gathered around him and conspired against Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was an inexperienced young man and could not resist them. 8Now you are declaring that you will resist the Lord’s rule through the Davidic dynasty. You have a huge army, and bring with you the gold calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods. But you banished the Lord’s priests, Aaron’s descendants, and the Levites, and appointed your own priests just as the surrounding nations do! Anyone who comes to consecrate himself with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of these fake gods! 10But as for us, the Lord is our God and we have not rejected him. Aaron’s descendants serve as the Lord’s priests and the Levites assist them with the work. 11They offer burnt sacrifices to the Lord every morning and every evening, along with fragrant incense. They arrange the Bread of the Presence on a ritually clean table and light the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening. Certainly we are observing the Lord our God’s regulations, but you have rejected him.

2 Chronicles 13:9 word by word

הֲלֹ֤א הִדַּחְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כֹּהֲנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י אַהֲרֹ֖ן וְהַלְוִיִּ֑ם וַתַּעֲשׂ֨וּ לָכֶ֤ם כֹּהֲנִים֙ כְּעַמֵּ֣י הָאֲרָצ֔וֹת כָּל־הַבָּ֗א לְמַלֵּ֨א יָד֜וֹ בְּפַ֤ר בֶּן־בָּקָר֙ וְאֵילִ֣ם שִׁבְעָ֔ה וְהָיָ֥ה כֹהֵ֖ן לְלֹ֥א אֱלֹהִֽים׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Have ye not cast outנָדַחnâdach · to banishH5080
• the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Aaronאַהֲרֹן'ahărôn · AaronH175
• and the Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
• and have madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• after the manner of the nationsעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• landsאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• so that whosoever comethבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to consecrateיָדyâd · hand: donateH3027
• to consecrateמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390
• himself with a youngבָּקָרbâqâr · cattleH1241
• himself with a youngבֵּןbên · son: young animalH1121
• bullockפַּרpar pâr · bullockH6499
• and sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• ramsאַ֫יִל'ayil · ramH352
• noלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for 2 Chronicles 13:9

• 2 Chronicles 11:14The Levites even left their pasturelands and their property behind and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons prohibited them from serving as the Lord’s priests.
• 1 Kings 12:31He built temples on the high places and appointed as priests people who were not Levites.
• 1 Kings 13:33After this happened, Jeroboam still did not change his evil ways; he continued to appoint common people as priests at the high places. Anyone who wanted the job he consecrated as a priest.
• Exodus 32:29Moses said, “You have been consecrated today for the Lord, for each of you was against his son or against his brother, so he has given a blessing to you today.”
• Leviticus 16:32“The priest who is anointed and ordained to act as high priest in place of his father is to make atonement. He is to put on the linen garments, the holy garments,
• 1 Chronicles 29:5for gold and silver items, and for all the work of the craftsmen. Who else wants to contribute to the Lord today?”
• Exodus 29:1“Now this is what you are to do for them to consecrate them so that they may minister as my priests. Take a young bull and two rams without blemish;
• Leviticus 8:2“Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, the anointing oil, the sin offering bull, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread,
• Deuteronomy 32:17They sacrificed to demons, not God, to gods they had not known; to new gods who had recently come along, gods your ancestors had not known about.
• 2 Kings 19:18They have burned the gods of the nations, for they are not really gods, but only the product of human hands manufactured from wood and stone. That is why the Assyrians could destroy them.
• Jeremiah 2:11Has a nation ever changed its gods (even though they are not really gods at all)? But my people have exchanged me, their glorious God, for a god that cannot help them at all!
• Hosea 8:6That idol was made by a workman – it is not God! The calf idol of Samaria will be broken to bits.
• Acts 19:26And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded and turned away a large crowd, not only in Ephesus but in practically all of the province of Asia, by saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all.
• Galatians 4:8Formerly when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods at all.

Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 13:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9A young bullock and seven rams - He who could provide these for his own consecration was received into the order of this spurious and wicked priesthood. Some think he who could give to Jeroboam a young bullock and seven rams, was thereby received into the priesthood; this being the price for which the priesthood was conferred. The former is most likely.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Seven rams - “A bullock and two rams” was the offering which God had required at the original consecration of the sons of Aaron Exodus 29:1; Leviticus 8:2. Jeroboam, for reasons of his own, enlarged the sacrifice, and required it at the consecration of every priest.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-9Abijah’s speech highlighted two main points about the northern rebellion: The north rejected: The rightful king The true place of worship The northerners' revolt, where they expelled the proper priestly order, contrasts sharply with us (2 Chronicles 13:10). The most objectionable issues were the worship of the calves and the role of unauthorized priests.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-124-12. Abijah stood up upon Mount Zemaraim--He had entered the enemy's territory and was encamped on an eminence near Beth-el (Jos 18:22). Jeroboam's army lay at the foot of the hill, and as a pitched battle was expected, Abijah, according to the singular usage of ancient times, harangued the enemy. The speakers in such circumstances, while always extolling their own merits, poured out torrents of invective and virulent abuse upon the adversary. So did…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Chronicles 13:9

• Faith
• Faithfulness
• Jeroboam
• Levites
• Rebellion
• Reproof
• War

In the dictionaries

• Aaron
• Abijah
• Earth
• Zemaraim
• Bamah
• Calf, Golden
• Chronicles, Books of
• Consecrate; Consecration
• Israel, History of
• Israel, Kingdom of

Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 13

• 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