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2 Chronicles 11

KJV · Chapter 11/36

1And when Rehoboam 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.

2But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

3Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

4Thus 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 Jeroboam.

5And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.

6He built even Beth–lehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

7And Beth–zur, and Shoco, and Adullam,

8And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

9And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

10And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities.

11And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.

12And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

13And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts.

14For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest’s office unto the Lord:

15And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.

16And 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.

17So 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.

18And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;

19Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.

20And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

21And 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.)

22And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king.

23And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city: and he gave them victual in abundance. And he desired many wives.

📖 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 11:2Before this war can begin, the word of the Lord comes to Shemaiah, a prophet identified as “the man of God.”
  3. 2 Chronicles 11:3Shemaiah is given the mission of speaking directly to Rehoboam and to all the people of Judah and Benjamin.
  4. 2 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 11:6The list of fortified cities begins with Bethlehem, Etam, and Tekoa, all south of Jerusalem.
  7. 2 Chronicles 11:7The list continues with Beth-zur, Soco, and Adullam, reinforcing the defenses in the interior of Judah.
  8. 2 Chronicles 11:8Gath, Mareshah, and Ziph join the list, cities positioned further west and south of the territory.
  9. 2 Chronicles 11:9Adoraim, Lachish, and Azekah round out another part of the defensive network, important cities in western Judah.
  10. 2 Chronicles 11:10Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron close the list, strong cities scattered between Judah and Benjamin.
  11. 2 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 11:19From this marriage to Mahalath are born the sons Jeush, Shamariah, and Zaham.
  20. 2 Chronicles 11:20Afterward, Rehoboam marries Maachah, Absalom’s granddaughter, who bears Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
  21. 2 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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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