Abijah and his army inflicted heavy losses on them; 500,000 of Israel’s select troops were killed that day.
Parallel translations
- WEB Abijah and his people killed them with a great slaughter, so five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell down slain.
- KJV And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.
- BSB Then Abijah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain.
- NKJV Then Abijah and his people struck them with a great slaughter; so five hundred thousand choice men of Israel fell slain.
- NASB Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell slain.
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
Abijah's forces strike Israel with a great slaughter, with 500,000 chosen men of Israel falling. The defeat is devastating.
Overview
The Chronicler records an enormous loss among Israel's troops, underscoring the completeness of the God-given victory. Whether the large numbers are read as literal totals or as a Hebrew idiom for military units, the point stands: reliance on the LORD brought overwhelming triumph. The scale magnifies God's power on behalf of the faithful.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 2 Chr 13:12Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. Children of Israel, don’t fight against Yahweh, the God of your fathers; for you will not prosper.”
- Nah 1:5The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, yes, the world, and all who dwell in it.
- Isa 10:16–19Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory a burning will be kindled like the burning of fire.
- 2 Chr 28:6For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed in Judah one hundred twenty thousand in one day, all of them valiant men, because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
- 1 Cor 10:22Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
- Isa 37:36Yahweh’s angel went out and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the camp of the Assyrians. When men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.
- 2 Chr 13:3Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men; and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valor.
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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 13:17 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.