דברי הימים ב, פרק י״ג, פסוק כ׳

Following a decisive military victory for the Kingdom of Judah, the balance of power between the divided kingdoms shifts dramatically. The leader of the Kingdom of Israel loses his dominance, entering a final period marked by continuous decline as Judah grows ever stronger. Jeroboam is unable to recover, hold his ground, or stand against Abijah [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This inability to mount a defense stems from the devastating loss of his mighty warriors in the recent campaign, leaving him without the military strength to continue fighting [רלב״ג].

A profound debate emerges among commentators regarding the subsequent divine punishment and death that follows this conflict, specifically whether it was Jeroboam or Abijah who was ultimately struck by God. The primary approach understands that God struck Jeroboam [רש״י, רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. However, this presents a chronological difficulty, as Jeroboam actually outlived Abijah by about two years [רלב״ג, רד״ק]. To resolve this, commentators explain that Jeroboam did not die immediately during Abijah's reign. Rather, he was afflicted with a severe illness and suffered a steady decline following his defeats. He lived out his remaining days in misery and lowliness until his premature death during the reign of Asa, Abijah's son [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רלב״ג, רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. During this same period of Jeroboam's decline, Abijah continued to grow stronger [מלבי״ם].

Conversely, a Midrashic tradition offers a completely different perspective, suggesting that the one struck and punished by God was actually the victorious king, Abijah [רש״י, רד״ק, מלבי״ם, חומת אנך]. This punishment is attributed to two distinct sins. The first was a religious failure: upon conquering the city of Bethel, Abijah discovered one of Jeroboam's golden calves but failed to destroy the idol [רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. The second was a moral failing: Abijah publicly humiliated Jeroboam by taunting him about those very golden calves. This yields a sharp moral lesson. It is forbidden to shame a person in public, even if they are guilty of a severe offense like idolatry. Even when offering necessary rebuke, one must choose their words with the utmost care [רד״ק, חומת אנך].