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2 Chronicles 12 · a question people ask

They humbled themselves, and the LORD said he wouldn't destroy them. So why did Shishak still take everything?

In the text

The LORD's word promised some things and not others. It promised, "I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath won’t be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak" (12:7), and it said in the same breath, "Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries" (12:8). Then Shishak "came up against Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the LORD’s house and the treasures of the king’s house" (12:9). In Hebrew, some in "some deliverance" is kim'at, from the word Brown-Driver-Briggs gives as "a little, fewness, a few" (tap deliverance). The chapter sums it up: "When he humbled himself, the LORD’s wrath turned from him, so as not to destroy him altogether" (12:12). The text gives one reason for the servitude, the one in 12:8, and these notes add no other.

The verses

“When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the LORD’s word came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath won’t be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.” So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the LORD’s house and the treasures of the king’s house. He took it all away. He also took away the shields of gold which Solomon had made.”
2 Chronicles 12:7-9 · World English Bible
“When he humbled himself, the LORD’s wrath turned from him, so as not to destroy him altogether. Moreover, there were good things found in Judah.”
2 Chronicles 12:12 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of 2 Chronicles 12

2 Chronicles 12: They have humbled themselves

In Hebrew, the verb that says Rehoboam's kingdom "was established" (12:1) is the verb of "he didn’t set his heart to seek the LORD" (12:14): the kingdom was established, the heart was not set. And the LORD's word answered Judah with its own verb: they had forsaken him, so he left them to Shishak (12:1, 12:5).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions