Abijam, apparently going to considerable lengths to bring the fledgling Kingdom of Israel back under his control, had waged a major battle against the northern king in the Mountains of Ephraim; the sizes of the two armies are given by II Chronicles as being four hundred thousand and eight hundred thousand respectively.

Abijam had addressed the armies of Israel, telling them to return to his control, but his plea had fallen on deaf ears.

Abijam's elite warriors had fended off a pincer movement to rout Jeroboam, killing over half of his troops.

Thus crippled by this severe defeat at the hands of his southern rival, Jeoboam would not be much of a threat to the Kingdom of Judah for the rest of his reign.

Abijah has had fourteen wives who have borne him thirty-six children; he is succeeded in 913 or 911 by his son Asa.