In moments of existential crisis, humility holds the power to alter reality, shifting the balance from strict judgment to mercy. The narrative surrounding the invasion by the Egyptian King Shishak illustrates how the combination of a leader's submission and the merits of the people can halt destruction and awaken divine kindness. Chronologically, the account of God withdrawing His anger naturally follows the initial attack, but the story pauses to detail the creation of the copper shields before returning to the resolution [רש״י].
The turning point occurs when King Rehoboam humbles himself before God [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This is not a fleeting moment of regret, but a continuous, ongoing state of humility. His lowered spirit is physically represented by the carrying of the copper shields, a practice that endures until the nation is freed from Shishak's control [מלבי״ם]. On a deeper level, while wicked actions typically transform divine mercy into strict judgment, the king's genuine surrender achieves the exact opposite. His humility actively restores mercy to its natural place [חומת אנך].
Because of this profound submission, God's anger passes, and He chooses not to bring complete ruin upon the kingdom [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. At times, God may lift a punishment from a stubborn sinner simply to allow them to continue sinning until their ultimate downfall. In this case, however, the removal of divine anger is absolute and sincere, driven by a true desire to save the nation [מלבי״ם].
Yet, the kingdom's survival is not credited to the king alone. The people of Judah possess their own upright and decent deeds that serve as a shield. The primary approach among commentators highlights that the nation's merits are found in their unity, love, acts of kindness, humility, and willingness to compromise with one another [חומת אנך]. These enduring virtues prove that the spiritual foundations built by David and Solomon are not lost, showing that the kingdom has not suffered a total moral collapse [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Ultimately, it is this powerful combination of the king's humility and the people's collective goodness that completely removes the divine anger from Rehoboam and the entire nation [רלב״ג, מלבי״ם].