But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God:
Parallel translations
- WEB But Yahweh’s word came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
- KJV But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
- NKJV But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
- NASB But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
- NLT But the Lord said to Shemaiah, the man of God,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The word of the LORD comes to Shemaiah the man of God before the battle. God speaks to halt the impending civil war.
Overview
At the critical moment, God raises up a prophet to deliver his message. The phrase 'man of God' marks Shemaiah as a true spokesman for the LORD. God's word, not Rehoboam's army, will determine the outcome, demonstrating that the Lord governs the affairs of his people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 2 Chr 12:15Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the Prophet and of Iddo the Seer concerning the genealogies? There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout their days.
- Deut 33:1This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced upon the Israelites before his death.
- 1 Sam 2:27Then a man of God came to Eli and told him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to your father’s house when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh’s house?
- 1 Tim 6:11But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
- 2 Chr 12:5–7Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the LORD says: ‘You have forsaken Me; therefore, I have forsaken you into the hand of Shishak.’”
- 1 Kgs 12:22–24But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God:
- 2 Chr 8:14In keeping with the ordinances of his father David, Solomon appointed the divisions of the priests over their service, and the Levites for their duties to offer praise and to minister before the priests according to the daily requirement. He also appointed gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate, for this had been the command of David, the man of God.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Temple, priesthood, and the repeated need for a faithful king who seeks the LORD all point past every imperfect reign to the King and Temple who finally and fully dwell with God's people.
How 2 Chronicles 11:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.