But Abijah grew strong, married fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
Parallel translations
- WEB But Abijah grew mighty, and took for himself fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters.
- KJV But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.
- NKJV But Abijah grew mighty, married fourteen wives, and begot twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
- NASB But Abijah became powerful, and he took fourteen wives for himself, and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
- NLT Meanwhile, Abijah of Judah grew more and more powerful. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
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 grows mighty, takes fourteen wives, and fathers twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. His reign ends in strength but with the familiar excess of many wives.
Overview
The Chronicler closes Abijah's account on a note of growing power and a large household. The mention of fourteen wives quietly recalls the warning against kings multiplying wives (Deuteronomy 17:17), a recurring flaw even in Judah's better kings. Thus even faithful moments are shadowed by human imperfection, pointing to the need for the flawless King who would come from David's line.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- 2 Sam 5:12–13And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.
- 2 Chr 11:21Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
- Judg 9:5He went to his father’s house in Ophrah, and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid himself.
- Judg 10:4He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys. And they had thirty towns in the land of Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth-jair.
- Judg 8:30–31Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives.
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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 13:21 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
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