Nevertheless, they will become his servants, so that they may learn the difference between serving Me and serving the kings of other lands.”
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
Nevertheless, they shall be his servants,.... tributaries to the king of Egypt: that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries; the difference between them, how easy the one, which they might perform without taxes and tributes, and how hard and heavy the other, through the exactions and exorbitant demands of those to whom they became subjects.
Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries. (e) He shows that God's punishments are not to utterly destroy his, but to chastise them, to bring them to the knowledge of themselves, and to know how much better it is to serve God than tyrants.