2 Chronicles 13:5
New International Version
Don’t you know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?

New Living Translation
Don’t you realize that the LORD, the God of Israel, made a lasting covenant with David, giving him and his descendants the throne of Israel forever?

English Standard Version
Ought you not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

Berean Standard Bible
Do you not know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?

King James Bible
Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

New King James Version
Should you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the dominion over Israel to David forever, to him and his sons, by a covenant of salt?

New American Standard Bible
Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

NASB 1995
“Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

NASB 1977
“Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

Legacy Standard Bible
Do you not know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

Amplified Bible
Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel, gave rule over Israel forever to David and to his sons by a covenant of salt [a permanent pact, extending to each generation of Israel]?

Christian Standard Bible
Don’t you know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Don’t you know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?

American Standard Version
Ought ye not to know that Jehovah, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Doubtless you are aware that LORD JEHOVAH God of Israel gave the Kingdom to David over Israel for eternity, to him and to his sons as a covenant of the King.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Is it not for you to know that the Lord God of Israel has given a king over Israel for ever to David, and to his sons, by a covenant of salt?

Contemporary English Version
The LORD God of Israel has made a solemn promise that every king of Israel will be from David's family.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Do you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave to David the kingdom over Israel for ever, to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

English Revised Version
Ought ye not to know that the LORD, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Don't you know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom of Israel to David and his descendants forever in a permanent promise?

Good News Translation
"Don't you know that the LORD, the God of Israel, made an unbreakable covenant with David, giving him and his descendants kingship over Israel forever?

International Standard Version
Don't you know that the LORD God of Israel assigned the kingship over Israel to David and his descendants forever by a salt covenant?

JPS Tanakh 1917
ought ye not to know that the LORD, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

Literal Standard Version
Is it not for you to know that YHWH, God of Israel, has given the kingdom over Israel to David for all time, to him and to his sons—a covenant of salt?

Majority Standard Bible
Do you not know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?

New American Bible
Do you not know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given David kingship over Israel forever, to him and to his sons, by a covenant of salt?

NET Bible
Don't you realize that the LORD God of Israel has given David and his dynasty lasting dominion over Israel by a formal agreement?

New Revised Standard Version
Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

New Heart English Bible
Ought you not to know that the LORD, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his descendants by a covenant of salt?

Webster's Bible Translation
Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

World English Bible
Ought you not to know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

Young's Literal Translation
Is it not for you to know that Jehovah, God of Israel, hath given the kingdom to David over Israel to the age, to him and to his sons -- a covenant of salt?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Civil War Against Jeroboam
4Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! 5Do you not know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt? 6Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master.…

Cross References
Leviticus 2:13
And you shall season each of your grain offerings with salt. You must not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offering; you are to add salt to each of your offerings.

Numbers 18:19
All the holy offerings that the Israelites present to the LORD I give to you and to your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. It is a permanent covenant of salt before the LORD for you and your offspring."

2 Samuel 7:12
And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.


Treasury of Scripture

Ought you not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

Ought you not

Nehemiah 5:9
Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?

Proverbs 1:29
For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

2 Peter 3:5
For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

the Lord

Judges 11:21-24
And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country…

Jeremiah 27:5-7
I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me…

Daniel 4:25-32
That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will…

to David

1 Samuel 16:1,12
And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons…

2 Samuel 7:12-16
And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom…

1 Kings 8:20
And the LORD hath performed his word that he spake, and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

a covenant of salt

Leviticus 2:13
And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

Numbers 18:19
All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee.

Ezekiel 43:24
And thou shalt offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

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2 Chronicles 13
1. Abijah succeeding makes war against Jeroboam
4. he declares the right of his cause
13. Trusting in God, he overcomes Jeroboam
21. The wives and children of Abijah














(5) Ought ye not to know.--Literally, is it not to you to know? A construction characteristic of the chronicler. Abijah contrasts the moral position of his adversaries with his own, asserting (1) that their separate political existence is itself an act of rebellion against Jehovah; (2) that they have abolished the only legitimate form of worship, and established in its place an illegal cultus and priesthood; whereas (3) he and his people have maintained the orthodox ritual and ministry, and are therefore assured of the divine support.

By a covenant of salt.--As or after the manner of a covenant of salt, i.e., a firm and unalterable compact (see Numbers 18:19). According to ancient custom, salt was indispensable at formal meals for the ratification of friendship and alliance; and only a "salt treaty "was held to be secure. Salt therefore accompanied sacrifices, as being, in fact, so many renewals of the covenant between man and God. (Leviticus 2:13; Ezekiel 43:24; Leviticus 24:7 in the LXX.)

The antique phrase, "covenant of salt," is otherwise important, as bearing on the authenticity of this speech.

Verses 5-12. - The idea of Abijah in this religious harangue, addressed or supposed to be addressed to the kingdom of the ten tribes, was good, and the execution was spirited. While, however, he preaches well to others, there are not wanting signs that he can blind himself as to some failure of practice on his own part. The points of the argument running through his harangue are correct, skilfully chosen, and well and religiously thrust home on the heart of his supposed audience. The practical trust of himself and his army are testified to in vers. 14, 15, and abundantly rewarded. This sequel-practical trust is the best credential of the sincerity of his foregoing appeal and harangue. Verse 5. - Gave the kingdom... to David for ever. With the thrice-repeated "for ever" of what we call 2 Samuel 7:13-16, and the very emphatic language of the fifteenth verse in that passage, in the memory of Abijah, no one can say he was not justified by the letter and to the letter in what he now says. At the same time, how is it that Abijah does not in all fairness quote the matter of 2 Chronicles 6:16 last clause, and of its parallel, 1 Kings 8:25 last clause, and of Psalm 89:28-37; Psalm 132:12? Covenant of salt (see Leviticus 2:13; Numbers 18:19; Ezekiel 43:24; Mark 9:49). The use of salt was ordered first for the meal offerings, which, consisting mainly of flour, did not need it as an antiseptic; afterwards it was ordered for "all" offerings, including the "burnt offering:" as surely as leaven was proscribed, salt was prescribed (Leviticus 2:11). "The covenant of salt" meant the imperish-ableness and irrevocableness of the engagement made between the two parties to the covenant The widespread and deeply significant use of it among other and heathen nations is remarkable indeed, and is attested by Pliny ('Hist. Natal 31:41) in forcible words: "Nulla (sacra) conficiuntur sine mola salsa" (Her., 2 Sat. 3:200; Virgil, 'AEn.,' 2:133; Hom., ' Iliad,' 1:449). Some think it a sufficient explanation of the text, "covenant of salt," that, especially in the East, solemn engagements and vows were often recognized and strengthened by hospitalities, as shown to guests, and of these salt was an indispensable element. It is true that some of the ancient indications and descriptions of friendship and close friendships turned on phrases (similar ones, indeed, still existing) into which the word "salt" entered, but that these phrases arose from the fact that salt was so general a constituent of human food seems insufficient explanation, where we can find one of a more direct and more directly religious, or, as the case might be (e.g. with heathen sacrifices), superstitious birth. Religion and superstition between them have been the most world-wide, incalculable, and untraceable originators and disseminators of half the possible phrases of human language!

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Do you not
הֲלֹ֤א (hă·lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

know
לָדַ֔עַת (lā·ḏa·‘aṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3045: To know

that
כִּ֞י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the LORD,
יְהוָ֣ה ׀ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

the God
אֱלֹהֵ֣י (’ĕ·lō·hê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

of Israel,
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

has given
נָתַ֨ן (nā·ṯan)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

the kingship
מַמְלָכָ֧ה (mam·lā·ḵāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4467: Kingdom, sovereignty, dominion, reign

of
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

to David
לְדָוִ֛יד (lə·ḏā·wîḏ)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

and his descendants
וּלְבָנָ֖יו (ū·lə·ḇā·nāw)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

forever
לְעוֹלָ֑ם (lə·‘ō·w·lām)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769: Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always

by a covenant
בְּרִ֥ית (bə·rîṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1285: A covenant

of salt?
מֶֽלַח׃ (me·laḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4417: Powder, salt


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OT History: 2 Chronicles 13:5 Ought you not to know that Yahweh (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr)
2 Chronicles 13:4
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