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Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
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Commentary & Explanation
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Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
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CHAPTER 11
Rehoboam stregthens the kingdom of Judah but is forbidden to subdue
Israel—Jeroboam leads kingdom of Israel into idolatry—Rehoboam
takes many wives and concubines.
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Rehoboam withdraws from Mount Ephraim and begins to stregthen the kingdom
of Judah and plans to attack Israel but is forbidden to do so by God—The
anointed Jeroboam seeing danger in Israel worshipping at the temple in
Jerusalem seeks to provide places of worship in Israel, which leads Israel into
idolatry—Rehoboam, like his father Solomon takes many wives and
concubines.
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1 AND when aRehoboam was come to
Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and
fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against
Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.
2 But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
3 Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of
Judah, and to all Israel in
Judaha and Benjamin, saying,
4 Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight
against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done
of me. And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going
against Jeroboama.
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3a to all Israel in Judah In
the lands of Judah lived not only Jews, there were others of the other tribes
of Israel living there, many so associated with their positions in the
kingdoms of David and Solomon as so appointed and others who had land
inheritances such as those about Ephrath such as the House of Jesse and the
families from which Lehi and Ishmael would descend.
4a returned from going against
Jeroboam When Rehoboam returned from Shechem, having been rejected
as the King of Israel, he had determined to go up to battle and force Israel
into submission unto him as their king. The LORD forbade Rehobaom from going
against Israel and thus the 'armies' of the people he had gathered, even of
those of Israel who dwelt in his land, did return from going against Jeroboam.
And thus the LORD prevented what would have been brother against brother and
family against family.
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5 ¶ And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities
for adefence in Judah.
6 He built even
Beth-lehema, and Etam, and Tekoa,
7 And Beth-zur, and Shoco, and Adullam,
8 And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,
9 And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,
10 And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities.
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6a He built even Beth-lehem
Rehoboam must have spoken out threatenings and messages of his intent to war
against Israel and though he was prevented from going up against Israel, this
did not prevent Rehoboam from preparing for war. Either he hoped Israel would
come against him or he did so fear that they would. Significantly, of all the
defenced cities so listed that Rehoboam did build and fortify against such
eventual war with Israel, the first named is 'Beth-lehem', which he no longer
called after the name of Ephrath or Ephraim or even Zelzah. This is perhaps
historically the first time the city was called Bethlehem, though so written
in the Bible in editorial clarification that Ephrath was the same as Bethlehem.
It would seem that Rehoboam now 'hated' everything of Israel or Ephraim aside
from those of Israel who still supported him in the land of Judah. Yet to
those who would travel to the tomb of Rachel, the message was clear,
Rehoboam had renamed Ephrath by the name of Bethlehem and had prepared for
war against Ephraim/Israel.
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11 And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.
12 And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.
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13 ¶ And the priests and the Levites that were
in all Israel aresorted to him out of all their
bcoasts.
14 For the Levites left their
asuburbs and their bpossession, and came
to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had ccast
them off from executing the priest's office unto the LORD:
15 And he ordained him apriests for the
high places, and for the bdevils, and for the calves which
he had made.
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16 And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers.
17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.
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18 ¶ And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of
Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of
aEliab the son of Jesse;
19 Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.
20 And after her he took aMaachah
the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and
Shelomith.
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21 And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.)
22 And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king.
23 And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his
achildren throughout all the countries of Judah and
Benjamin, unto every fenced city: and he gave them victual in abundance. And
he bdesired many wives.
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