2 Chronicles
Chapter 11
Rehoboam of Judah (931-914)
Rehoboam went to Jerusalem and called together the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand selected warriors, to fight the northern tribes of Israel and win back the kingdom to Rehoboam.
Still, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Shemaiah:
“Say this to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin, ‘The Lord says this:
Do not attack your fellow Israelites; let everyone go home, for what has happened is my doing.’” They obeyed the Lord’s command and went back, instead of fighting against Jeroboam.
Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built fortified towns in Judah.
He rebuilt Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,
Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
Zorah, Aijalon, Hebron; these were fortified towns in Judah and Benjamin.
He fortified them with walls and put commanders in them with stores of food, oil, and wine.
In each of these towns were shields and spears. He made them very strong to keep Judah and Benjamin under control.
From all the territory of Israel, priests and Levites came south to Judah.
The Levites, indeed, abandoned their pasturelands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem since Jeroboam and his sons did not recognize them as the only priests of the Lord
and had appointed priests of their own to serve at the high places to worship the goats and the bull-calves he had made.
Members of all the tribes of Israel, people who sincerely wanted to worship the Lord, the God of Israel, followed them and came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
These Israelites added strength to the kingdom of Judah and gave their support to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, for three years because for three years, he followed the example of David and Solomon.
Rehoboam took as wife Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, son of David, and Abihail, daughter of Eliab, son of Jesse.
She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
After her, he married Maacah, daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
Rehoboam loved Maacah, daughter of Absalom, more than all his other wives and concubines. He had, in fact, a total of eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
Rehoboam favored Abijah, Maacah’s son, over all his other children, choosing him to succeed him as king.
Rehoboam ruled prudently by scattering his sons throughout Judah and Benjamin in the fortified towns, where he provided them with generous provisions and many wives.
Commentaries
The Kings of Judah Until the Exile.
The final section of the Chronicler’s work focuses on the history of the kingdom of Judah, covering from Solomon to the exile, with little mention of the Northern Kingdom. For the Chronicler, the kingdom of Judah represents the entire nation of Israel. The primary standard for judging each king is their loyalty to God. Four notable figures stand out as models of this loyalty: Asa, Jehoshaphat, Josiah, and especially Hezekiah. The prophets are also depicted alongside the kings, delivering messages that include warnings and sincere calls to stay loyal to the Lord. Ultimately, the Chronicler encourages the post-exilic community to seek God and remain faithful to the One who has remained true to his people despite their difficulties.
Rehoboam of Judah – Abijah of Judah.
The reign of Rehoboam is partially covered in 1 Kings 12-14. This section can be divided into three main parts: the positive phase of Rehoboam’s reign (11), the negative phase of his reign (12), and the contrast with the faithfulness of Abijah’s reign (13).
Positive Phase.
The reign begins by presenting Rehoboam as obedient to the Word of the Lord, who instructs him not to fight against Jeroboam. The list of cities (5-12) is likely authentic, although it is probable that they were only fortified after the invasion of Shishak, Pharaoh of Egypt (12:1-12). Through the removal of priests and Levites (13-17), the author emphasizes that the center of worship is in Jerusalem and that the Levites have been loyal to the Temple from the start.