1 AND 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.
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 Judah 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 Jeroboam.
5 And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.
6 He built even Beth-lehem, 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.
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.
13 And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts.
14 For 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:
15 And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.
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.
18 And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;
19 Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.
20 And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.
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 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.

1And when Rehoboam was come to Ierusalem, he gathered of the house of Iudah and Beniamin, an hundred and fourescore thousand chosen men, which were warriers, to fight against Israel, that hee might bring the kingdome againe to Rehoboam.

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

3Speake vnto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Iudah, and to all Israel in Iudah & Beniamin, saying,

4Thus saith the Lord; Ye shall not goe vp, nor fight against your brethren: returne euery man to his house, for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the Lord, and returned from going against Ieroboam.

5 And Rehoboam dwelt in Ierusalem, and built cities for defence in Iudah.

6He built euen Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

7And Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam,

8And Gath, and Maresha, and Ziph,

9And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

10And Zorah, and Aialon, and Hebron, which are in Iudah and in Beniamin, fenced cities.

11And he fortified the strong holds, and put captaines in them, and store of vitaile, and of oyle and wine.

12And in euery seuerall citie he put shields and speares, and made them exceeding strong, hauing Iudah and Beniamin on his side.

13 And the Priests and the Leuites that were in all Israel, resorted to him out of all their coasts.

14For the Leuites left their suburbs, and their possession, and came to Iudah and Ierusalem: for Ieroboam and his sonnes had cast them off from executing the Priests office vnto the Lord.

15And hee ordeined him priests for the high places, and for the deuils, and for the calues which he had made.

16And after them out of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seeke the Lord God of Israel, came to Ierusalem, to sacrifice vnto the Lord God of their fathers.

17So they strengthened the kingdome of Iudah, and made Rehoboam the sonne of Solomon strong, three yeeres: for three yeeres they walked in the way of Dauid and Solomon.

18 And Rehoboam tooke him Mahalath the daughter of Ierimoth the sonne of Dauid to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Iesse:

19Which bare him children, Ieush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.

20And after her, hee tooke Maacah the daughter of Absalom, which bare him Abiiah, and Atthai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

21And Rehoboam loued Maacah the daughter of Absalom, aboue all his wiues and his concubines: for he tooke eighteene wiues, and threescore concubines, and begate twentie and eight sonnes, and threescore daughters.

22And Rehoboam made Abiiah the sonne of Maacah the chiefe, 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 Iudah and Beniamin, vnto euery fenced citie: and he gaue them vitaile in abundance: and hee desired many wiues.

I == 1st Kings 12:19

 

 

II == 2nd Chr 12:15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIV == Num 35:2 ; 2nd chr 13:9

 

 

XV == Lev 17:7 ; 1st Kings 12:28 , 31 ; 13:33 ; 14:9 ; Hos 13:2 ; 1st Cor 10:20

XVI == 2nd Chr 15:9 ; 30:11 , 18

XVII == 2nd Chr 12:1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XX == 1st Kings 15:2 ; 2nd Chr 13:2

 

 

 

 

 

XXII == Deut 21:15-17

 

 

 

 

 

1 On his arrival in Jerusalem Rehoboam gathered together the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand seasoned warriors, to have them fight against Israel and restore the kingdom to him.

2 However, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, a man of God:

3 "Say to Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin:

4 'Thus says the LORD: You must not march out to fight against your brothers. Let every man return home, for what has occurred I have brought about.'" They obeyed this message of the LORD and gave up the expedition against Jeroboam.

5 Rehoboam took up residence in Jerusalem and built fortified cities in Judah.

6 He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

7 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,

8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,

9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron; these were fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.

11 Then he strengthened the fortifications and put commanders in them, with supplies of food, oil and wine.

12 In every city were shields and spears, and he made them very strong. Thus Judah and Benjamin remained his.

13 Now the priests and Levites throughout Israel presented themselves to him from all parts of their land,

14 for the Levites left their assigned pasture lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons repudiated them as priests of the LORD.

15 In their place, he himself appointed priests for the high places and satyrs and calves he had made.

16 After them, all those of the Israelite tribes who firmly desired to seek the LORD, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers.

17 Thus they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and made Rehoboam, son of Solomon, prevail for three years; for they walked in the way of David and Solomon three years.

18 Rehoboam took to himself as wife Mahalath, daughter of Jerimoth, son of David and of Abihail, daughter of Eliab, son of Jesse.

19 She bore him sons: Jehush, Shemariah and Zaham.

20 After her, he married Maacah, daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith.

21 Rehoboam loved Maacah, daughter of Absalom, more than all his other wives and concubines; he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

22 Rehoboam constituted Abijah, son of Maacah, commander among his brothers, for he intended to make him king.

23 He acted prudently, distributing various of his sons throughout all the districts of Judah and Benjamin, in all the fortified cities; and he furnished them with copious provisions and sought an abundance of wives for them.

V 1-12 The people had wearied of Solomon’s taxation and conscriptions for his building programs, so predictably, they angrily rejected Rehoboam and used the same defiant words as Sheba did, 2 Sam. 20:1, “To your tents O Israel”. Rehoboam sent his taskmaster Adoram to persuade the rebels, but they stoned him. Rehoboam realized the people meant business, so fled for his life to Jerusalem. Only Judah and those close by remained faithful to Rehoboam. The rest of Israel promptly installed Jeroboam king, which seems like they had already plotted to do if they didn’t get their way.
Rehoboam assembled 180,000 good soldiers to regain the kingdom, but the Lord sent Shemiah, a man of God, to tell them not to go, because this was of the Lord and they obeyed God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 13-17. Levites and priests migrated to Judah from all Israel, 2 Chr. 11:13,14, and Jeroboam set up common people to serve in houses built on high places. He set up idols of goats and calves. (Many other people moved back in the days of Asa, because God was with him, 2 Chr. 11:16; 15:9.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

V 18-23 Jeroboam reigned over Israel 18 years when Abijah followed Rehoboam over Judah. For family information read 2 Chr. 11:18-23. Maacah, the granddaughter of David’s son Absalom, was Rehoboam’s favorite among 18 wives and 60 concubines, so he prepared her son, Abijah to be king. Rehoboam had 28 sons and 60 daughters and  provided for all his sons as leaders in fortified cities and sought wives for them. Abijah sinned like Rehoboam had done much of the time, but God set up his son after him and established Jerusalem for David’s sake, in spite of David’s sin regarding Uriah, 2 Sam. 11.