2 Chronicles 13:17

Then Abijah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The narrator records the immediate result of the battle between Judah and Israel, noting that Abijah and his forces routed the opposing army. This report follows the Israelites' flight and their delivery into Judah's hands as described in 2 Chronicles 13:16.

The words — The phrase מַכָּה רַבָּה (makkah rabbah) literally means "a great striking" or "mighty blow," highlighting the decisive force of the attack. The verb וַיִּפְּלוּ (va yi-pe-lu) means "they fell," combined with חֲלָלִים (challalim) for "slain" to specify the fatal outcome.

The thread — The pattern of massive Israelite casualties due to covenant unfaithfulness reappears in 2 Chronicles 28:6, where 120,000 valiant men fall in a single day. The preceding context in 2 Chronicles 13:16 establishes the same mechanism of divine delivery into enemy hands.

Why it lands — The text requires the reader to observe that battlefield outcomes in this account are determined by reliance on the LORD rather than troop numbers. It asks the reader to accept the stated causal link between covenant faithfulness and the recorded military result.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיַּכּ֥וּva/i.ya.Kuand/ they struck downבָהֶ֛םva./Hemamong/ themאֲבִיָּ֥ה'a.vi.YahAbijah וְעַמּ֖וֹve./'a.M/oand/ people/ his מַכָּ֣הma.Kaha striking רַבָּ֑הra.Bahgreat וַיִּפְּל֤וּva/i.yi.pe.Luand/ they fell חֲלָלִים֙cha.la.Limslain מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔לmi./Yis.ra.'Elof/ Israel חֲמֵשׁ־cha.mesh-five מֵא֥וֹתme.'othundred<s>אֶ֖לֶף'E.lefthousand אִ֥ישׁ'ishman בָּחֽוּר׃ba.Churchosen

King James Version

And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

Cross-references

2 Chronicles 13:3 Abijah went into battle with an army of 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in formation against him with 800,000 chosen and mighty men of valor.
2 Chronicles 13:12 Now behold, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with their trumpets sound the battle call against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”
2 Chronicles 28:6 For in one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 valiant men in Judah. This happened because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers.
Isaiah 10:16 Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts will send a wasting disease among Assyria’s stout warriors, and under his pomp will be kindled a fire like a burning flame.
Isaiah 37:36 Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies!
Nahum 1:5 The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles at His presence—the world and all its dwellers.
1 Corinthians 10:22 Are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

People named

Abijah