He captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.
Israel was very much disgraced and weakened by being divided into two kingdoms; yet the kingdom of Judah, having both the temple and the royal city, both the house of David and the house of Aaron, might have done very well if they had continued in the way of their duty; but here we have all out of order there. I.
Commenting on 2 Chronicles 12:1-12
And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah,.... Which Rehoboam had lately built, and placed his sons in them, Ch2 11:5, these he took without any opposition: and came to Jerusalem; there being no army to oppose him; and so Sesostris took many countries without fighting, and among the rest Phoenicia, as Manetho (o) relates, in which Judea may be included. (o) Apud Joseph. contr. Apion. l. 1.
2Ch 12:4-7 After the capture of the fenced cities of Judah, he marched against Jerusalem. - 2Ch 12:5. Then the prophet Shemaiah announced to the king and the princes, who had retired to Jerusalem before Shishak, that the Lord had given them into the power of Shishak because they had forsaken Him. בּיד עזב, forsaken and given over into the hand of Shishak.
Commenting on 2 Chronicles 12:4-7