SHEMER, Semer, or Somer. This is the Name of him that sold the Mount of Somer to Omri King of Israel, upon which he built the City of Samaria. a The Name of Semer or Somer is also given to the Mountain itself. See SAMARIA.
Shemer, or Shomeron, was a very agreeable and fruitful Mountain, and of an advantageous Situation, about twelve Miles from Dothaim, twelve from Merrom, and four from Atharoth,1 upon which King Omri built the City of Samaria. Before that Time this Mountain was famous for the Battle between Abijah King of Judah,2 Chron. xiii. and Jeroboam King of Israel. Abijah at the Head of four hundred thousand Men, encamped upon the Mountain of Shemer; Jeroboam was as strong again, having an Army of eight hundred thousand Men, all stout and chosen Soldiers. The King of Judah had a mind to harangue Jeroboam and his People, who were encamped in the Plain, to endeavour to bring them to their Duty, by representing to them the Guilt and Injustice of the Cause they were engaged in. While he was thus speaking, Jeroboam, having the superior Army, caus’d his Troops to file off, in order to surprize Abijah, and to hem him in behind. But he perceiving this, cry’d out to the Lord, and the Priests sounded the Trumpets. At the same Time the whole Army of Judah put forth loud Cries, and the Lord spread a Pannick Terror into the whole Army of Israel, who betook themselves to Flight. The Children of Judah then falling upon them, kill’d so great a Number of them, that they counted five hundred thousand of those that were routed. Abijah pursu’d his Victory, and took several Cities from the Enemy; and after this time Jeroboam was no longer in a Condition to make any Enterprizes upon Judah.
☞ Here is a famous Battle between two Observations upon the Defeat of Jeroboam by Abijah, at the Foot of Mount Shemer. 2 Chron. xiii. 3, &c.Armies, whose Numbers would be almost incredible, did we not find Armies still more numerous in Scripture.
Here are all the Subjects of two Kings, that were able to bear Arms, assembled together to decide the Fate of two Kingdoms, and to finish a War at one Stroke. The Jews were all Soldiers; for their perpetual Wars, either with neighbouring Nations, or among one another, had extreamly inured them to War. Therefore the Scriptures tell us, that they were all brave and valiant. However, if we are to believe Abijah in his Harangue, the Army of his Enemy was composed of a Multitude of worthless, wicked, and scoundrel People.
It is a Hardship upon the Subjects of two neighbouring Kingdoms, that they must be obliged to expose their Lives, to forsake their Wives, Children, and Estates, to engage in an uncertain Enterprize, only to decide the Quarrel of two wicked and passionate Princes. It is a sad thing to2 have such Governors, and that a People must hazard all that is near and dear to ‘em, to gratify the Ambition of such a King as Jeroboam was; who to his Wickedness and Impiety, had join’d Cowardice and want of Experience. For it is the Completion of Misfortune, and a certain Loss of an Army, when it is commanded by a General who has neither Courage, Honour, Conduct, nor any other Quality that makes him fit to command. Neither the Superiority nor the Valour of his Troops are of any Effect; that they know him, and despise him is enough to make them despair of a Victory.
Abijah was not the stronger; for he had but four hundred thousand Men against Jeroboam, who had an Army of eight hundred thousand. So that being no very expert Warrior, he had need of all his Rhetorick to encourage his Army. He did not fail to make use of the Topick of Religion; for that was the surest Means of raising the Courage of a People, who were full of Zeal for the Worship of the Lord, and who had not yet forgot the Miracles that had been done in their Favour, tho’ they were always ungrateful and unworthy of them, as may be observed here; especially in the Case of Jeroboam and his Subjects, who were plunged in Wickedness and Idolatry.
When two Generals have taken a Resolution to fight, they are not long without finding an Occasion. Tho’ Abijah was inferior to his Enemy, yet he did not intend to decline Battle; for he knew very well what kind of Person he had to do with. He encamped upon Mount Shemer, or Zemaraim, which is in Mount Ephraim. There these two Armies faced one another, and Abijah made an Oration to them. It is a very good one, and full of Craft. I call it crafty, because he pretends to be very devout, and delivers it like an Apostle, tho’ he was not much better than Jeroboam as to Matter of Religion. It was no hard thing to impose upon the Jews, who were generally simple and ignorant People; but to awaken them and provoke their Courage, it is enough that Religion be the Theme; they were immediately fired with Zeal for the Lord, and so he gave them the Victory. Their King had hardly any Share in it, if it is of him that the sacred Author speaks, when he says; And the Lord struck him, and he died.
2 Chron. xiii. 20.When Abijah thus turn’d Preacher, and seem’d as if he were inspired, the Audience must have been very attentive to hear him. For while he was speaking, Jeroboam endeavour’d to surprize him with an Ambush behind him, which encompass’d him before he was aware. Jeroboam had caused some Troops to file off behind the Hills, in order to surround him with the Multitude of his Army, and afterwards to attack him in Front and in Rear, and to cut off all Retreat from him. That he might have Time for such a Motion as this, Abijah’s Speech must have been longer than what is deliver’d in Holy Writ. However this be, the Troops of Jeroboam set themselves in Array; and began to extend themselves, and to get behind the Army of Abijah.
There is Nobody but will imagine, when they read this Piece of Management of Jeroboam’s, that I am not very consistent with my self, when I describe him as a meer Ignoramus in the Art of War, and that this Stratagem of his, confutes my Opinion of him; since Abijah turns Haranguer, while his Enemy lays a Snare for him, into which he was very like to have fall’n. I cannot accuse Abijah of Imprudence in this, tho’ I do not think he was very skilful in martial Affairs. But I find here a Piece of Cunning, which was not however the Result of any deep Reasoning. Perhaps he might not be the Author of this Management himself, but God thought fit to bring it about, in order to give the Victory to that smaller Number of his People who were faithful to him; and intended that the Stratagem of Jeroboam should be the Occasion of his Defeat, and of the Loss of his reprobate Army.
That this may be the better apprehended, it must be explain’d as clearly as possible, and in a few Words. Does it appear, at first Sight, that this Ambush of Jeroboam was a subtle, crafty, and profound Artifice? Not at all. For by thus dividing his Forces, to surround and encompass so large an Army on all Sides, he makes half of his Troops useless, by making a Motion that could not be done in a small Time. What he has left to oppose his Enemy in Front, is no more than what his Enemy has to oppose him. And such a Motion of a stronger Army, which is intended to encompass a weaker, serves only to make them desperate, that is, they are reduced to a Necessity either to conquer or to die.
And when Judah looked back, behold, the Battle was before and behind. When Abijah perceived that he was almost inclosed, and that his Enemy requir’d more Time to compleat his Stratagem, than was necessary for him to fall on with equal Force, he takes the Advantage of so favourable an Opportunity. And they cried unto the Lord, and the Priests sounded with the Trumpets. Then the Men of Judah gave a Shout; and as the Men of Judah shouted, it came to pass that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah; that is to say, Judah made a vigorous Assault, and pierced through every thing that durst oppose them. The Slaughter must be very dreadful, since there fell down slain of Israel, five hundred thousand chosen Men. Thus was this Kingdom almost depopulated by the Sword, in the Cause of a Prince who had neither Courage, Experience, nor Religion.
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