But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
Parallel translations
- WEB But Yahweh’s word came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
- BSB But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God:
- 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, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.
- Deut 33:1And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
- 1 Sam 2:27And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?
- 1 Tim 6:11But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
- 2 Chr 12:5–7Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.
- 1 Kgs 12:22–24But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
- 2 Chr 8:14And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.
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.