2 Chronicles 12:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Douay-RheimsHebrew (Masoretic text)

But yet they shall serve him, that they may know the difference between my service, and the service of a kingdom of the earth.
Douay-Rheims

כִּ֥י יִהְיוּ־ל֖וֹ לַעֲבָדִ֑ים וְיֵדְעוּ֙ עֲב֣וֹדָתִ֔י וַעֲבוֹדַ֖ת מַמְלְכ֥וֹת הָאֲרָצֽוֹת׃
Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

One Church Father comments on this verse

Theodoret of Cyrus

5th centuryChurch Father

It is declared, 'They shall both be servants, so that they may understand my deeds and the deeds of the kingdom of the earth.' In other words, I will instruct them through contrast regarding the goodness of my burden and the weightiness of the yoke of mankind.

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.

Deut 28:47Because thou didst not serve the Lord thy God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things:
Deut 28:48Thou shalt serve thy enemy, whom the Lord will send upon thee, in hunger, and thirst, and nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put an iron yoke upon thy neck, till he consume thee.
Isa 26:13O Lord our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us, only in thee let us remember thy name.
Jer 10:24Correct me, O Lord, but yet with judgment: and not in thy fury, lest thou bring me to nothing.
Judg 3:1These are the nations which the Lord left, that by them he might instruct Israel, and all that had not known the wars of the Chanaanites:
Hos 8:10But even though they shall have hired the nations, now will I gather them together: and they shall rest a while from the burden of the king, and the princes.
Neh 9:36Behold we ourselves this day are bondmen: and the land, which thou gavest our fathers, to eat the bread thereof, and the good things thereof, and we ourselves are servants in it.