2 Crônicas 11

ARC · Chapter 11/36

1Vindo pois Roboão a Jerusalem, ajuntou da casa de Judah e Benjamin cento e oitenta mil escolhidos, dextros na guerra para pelejarem contra Israel, e para restituirem o reino a Roboão.

2Porém a palavra do Senhor veiu a Semaias, homem de Deus, dizendo:

3Falla a Roboão, filho de Salomão, rei de Judah, e a todo o Israel, em Judah e Benjamin, dizendo:

4Assim diz o Senhor: Não subireis, nem pelejareis contra os vossos irmãos, tornae cada um á sua casa; porque de mim proveiu isto. E ouviram as palavras do Senhor, e tornaram d'irem contra Jeroboão.

5E Roboão habitou em Jerusalem: e edificou cidades para fortalezas, em Judah.

6Edificou pois a Bethlehem, e a Etam, e a Tekoa,

7E a Beth-zur, e a Soco, e a Adullam,

8E a Gath, e a Maresa, e a Ziph,

9E a Adoraim, e a Lachis, e a Azeka,

10E a Zora, e a Aijalon, e a Hebron, que estavam em Judah e em Benjamin; cidades fortes.

11E fortificou estas fortalezas e poz n'ellas maioraes, e armazens de viveres, e d'azeite, e de vinho.

12E poz em cada cidade pavezes e lanças; fortificou-as em grande maneira: e Judah e Benjamin foram seus.

13Tambem os sacerdotes, e os levitas, que havia em todo o Israel, se ajuntaram a elle de todos os seus termos.

14Porque os levitas deixaram os seus arrabaldes, e a sua possessão, e vieram a Judah e a Jerusalem (porque Jeroboão e seus filhos os lançaram fóra para que não ministrassem ao Senhor.

15E elle constituiu para si sacerdotes, para os altos, e para os demonios, e para os bezerros, que fizera.)

16Depois d'esses tambem de todas as tribus d'Israel, os que deram o seu coração a buscarem ao Senhor Deus d'Israel, vieram a Jerusalem, para offerecerem sacrificios ao Senhor Deus de seus paes.

17Assim fortaleceram o reino de Judah e corroboraram a Roboão, filho de Salomão, por tres annos: porque tres annos andaram no caminho de David e Salomão.

18E Roboão tomou para si, por mulher, a Mahalat, filha de Jerimoth, filho de David; e a Abihail, filha d'Eliab, filho de Jessé.

19A qual lhe pariu filhos, a Jeus, e a Samarias, e a Zaham.

20E depois d'ella tomou a Maaca, filha d'Absalão; esta lhe pariu a Abias, e a Atthai, e a Ziza, e a Selomith.

21E amava Roboão mais a Maaca, filha d'Absalão, do que a todas as suas outras mulheres e concubinas; porque elle tinha tomado dezoito mulheres, e sessenta concubinas; e gerou vinte e oito filhos, e sessenta filhas.

22E Roboão poz por cabeça a Abias, filho de Maaca, para ser maioral entre os seus irmãos; porque o queria fazer rei.

23E usou de prudencia, e de todos os seus filhos alguns espalhou por todas as terras de Judah e Benjamin, por todas as cidades fortes; e deu-lhes viveres em abundancia: e lhes desejou uma multidão de mulheres.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Rehoboam prepares to attack the rebel tribes, but a prophet stops him, saying the division came from God. Rehoboam fortifies cities in Judah and receives priests and Levites who left the northern kingdom because of the idolatry established by Jeroboam.

Explanation

Rehoboam's obedience to the prophetic warning not to attack his fellow Israelites, even though he had an army large enough to try, shows a rare moment of humility and submission to God's will early in his reign, avoiding unnecessary bloodshed between kindred peoples. The strategic strengthening of cities around Judah reveals a legitimate concern for defense at a moment of political fragility newly created by the division of the kingdom. The migration of faithful priests and Levites from the north to the south, fleeing the idolatry institutionalized by Jeroboam (who had created golden calves as an alternative form of worship to the Jerusalem temple), spiritually strengthened the kingdom of Judah in its very first years.

Fun facts

  • The migration of loyal priests and Levites to Judah, mentioned here, helps explain why the southern kingdom generally maintained a religious practice more aligned with the Law of Moses for longer than the northern kingdom, which quickly plunged into more serious idolatry.
  • Rehoboam had 18 wives and 60 concubines, fathering 28 sons and 60 daughters, an excessive practice of polygamy that echoes the problematic pattern already set by his father Solomon.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 2 Crônicas 11:1Back in Jerusalem, Rehoboam gathers a hundred eighty thousand soldiers from Judah and Benjamin, ready for civil war against the rest of Israel, trying to win back the kingdom he has just lost.
  2. 2 Crônicas 11:2Before this war can begin, the word of the Lord comes to Shemaiah, a prophet identified as “the man of God.”
  3. 2 Crônicas 11:3Shemaiah is given the mission of speaking directly to Rehoboam and to all the people of Judah and Benjamin.
  4. 2 Crônicas 11:4God’s message is clear: do not go up to fight against their own Israelite brothers, because the kingdom’s division came from Him — and the army obeys, giving up the war against Jeroboam.
  5. 2 Crônicas 11:5Rehoboam settles in Jerusalem and sets about building fortified cities spread across Judah, reinforcing the defenses of the kingdom left to him.
  6. 2 Crônicas 11:6The list of fortified cities begins with Bethlehem, Etam, and Tekoa, all south of Jerusalem.
  7. 2 Crônicas 11:7The list continues with Beth-zur, Soco, and Adullam, reinforcing the defenses in the interior of Judah.
  8. 2 Crônicas 11:8Gath, Mareshah, and Ziph join the list, cities positioned further west and south of the territory.
  9. 2 Crônicas 11:9Adoraim, Lachish, and Azekah round out another part of the defensive network, important cities in western Judah.
  10. 2 Crônicas 11:10Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron close the list, strong cities scattered between Judah and Benjamin.
  11. 2 Crônicas 11:11Rehoboam strengthens these fortresses by putting commanders in charge of them and filling storehouses with food, oil, and wine, preparing the kingdom to withstand a possible siege.
  12. 2 Crônicas 11:12Shields and spears are distributed to every city, leaving everything well fortified — this is how Rehoboam consolidates control over Judah and Benjamin.
  13. 2 Crônicas 11:13Priests and Levites from across the whole territory of Israel, including the northern kingdom, begin joining Rehoboam, coming from their home regions.
  14. 2 Crônicas 11:14Priests and Levites from the northern kingdom move to Judah because Jeroboam sets up his own priesthood and alternative forms of worship, leaving them with no role. This movement explains why Judah’s religious life grows stronger right after the kingdom’s division — the most dedicated believers literally move there.
  15. 2 Crônicas 11:15Jeroboam, instead of keeping the Levite priests, appoints his own priests for the idolatrous altars and for the golden calves he himself made.
  16. 2 Crônicas 11:16Besides the priests and Levites, ordinary people from every tribe of Israel who genuinely wanted to seek God also migrate to Jerusalem, just so they could keep sacrificing the right way.
  17. 2 Crônicas 11:17This wave of faithful people strengthens the kingdom of Judah and gives Rehoboam security for three years, a period in which the people still followed the example of David and Solomon.
  18. 2 Crônicas 11:18Rehoboam marries Mahalath, David’s granddaughter through Jerimoth, and also Abihail, a descendant of Jesse through another line — marriages that strengthen his ties to the royal family.
  19. 2 Crônicas 11:19From this marriage to Mahalath are born the sons Jeush, Shamariah, and Zaham.
  20. 2 Crônicas 11:20Afterward, Rehoboam marries Maachah, Absalom’s granddaughter, who bears Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
  21. 2 Crônicas 11:21Among eighteen wives and sixty concubines, Rehoboam loves Maachah more than all the others — the text counts a total of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters fathered by him.
  22. 2 Crônicas 11:22Among eighteen wives, sixty concubines, and dozens of sons, Rehoboam picks Abijah as his successor because he is the son of his favorite wife, Maachah. It’s a direct picture of how royal succession depended more on personal affection than on any fixed rule of birth order.
  23. 2 Crônicas 11:23With political shrewdness, Rehoboam spreads his sons across the fortified cities of Judah and Benjamin, giving each one plenty of provisions and arranging many wives for them — a way of securing loyalty by spreading his own family across the territory.

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