XI. (1) AND WHEN REHOBOAM. — _And Rehoboam came... and he gathered._ The chronicler omits 1 Kings 12:20, which relates the call of Jeroboam to the throne of Israel. The present verse is a slightly abridged form of 1 Kings 12:21. THE KINGDOM. — _Mamlâkâh._ Kings, _m’lûkâh. _... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD. — Kings has “God” twice. The chronicler does not always avoid the name _Jehovah._ SHEMAIAH. — So Kings. The chronicler writes the longer form, _Shemayâhu;_ and so _Ahiyâhu_ in 2 Chronicles 10:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
KING OF JUDAH. — By this significant expression accomplished facts receive at the outset the seal of Divine assent. ALL ISRAEL IN JUDAH AND BENJAMIN. — Kings, “all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and the remnant of the people;” where the second phrase seems to define the first, for the house of Jud... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD. — The words of the prophecy are reported as in 1 Kings 12:24, omitting “the sons of Israel” after “your brethren.” THIS THING IS DONE OF ME. — Literally, _from me became_ (_arose_)_ this matter;_ viz., of the revolt of the ten tribes. (Comp. 2 Chronicles 10:15 : “For the cause... [ Continue Reading ]
(_b_) REHOBOAM STRENGTHENS THE DEFENCES OF HIS KINGDOM (2 Chronicles 11:5). This section is peculiar to the chronicler. (5) DWELT IN JERUSALEM. — As the capital. CITIES FOR DEFENCE. — (_‘Arîm l’mâçôr_ = _‘arê mâçôr;_ 2 Chronicles 8:5),_ “_embattled cities; “LXX., πόλεις τειχήρεις. IN JUDAH. — Not... [ Continue Reading ]
HE BUILT EVEN. — _And he built_ — _i.e.,_ fortified. BETH-LEHEM. — _Beit-lahm,_ on a rocky eminence, two hours south of Jerusalem (Genesis 35:19; Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:6). The birthplace of David and of Christ. ETAM. — _Ain Attân;_ different from the place mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:32 and Judges... [ Continue Reading ]
BETH-ZUR. — _Beit-sûr;_ a ruin midway between _Urtâs_ and Hebron (Joshua 15:58). SHOCO. — Heb., _Sôcô; es Suweikeh,_ in _Wady Sumt,_ three and a-half hours south-west of Jerusalem (Joshua 15:35; 1 Samuel 17:1). ADULLAM. — Joshua 15:35. Perhaps _Aid-el-Mieh. _... [ Continue Reading ]
GATH. — Uncertain. Perhaps in the _Wady-el-Gat_ north of Ascalon. (See 1 Kings 2:39 and 1 Chronicles 18:1, from a comparison of which it appears that, under Solomon, Gath was ruled by a vassal king.) MARESHAH. — _Marash;_ a ruin two miles south of _Beit-jibrin,_ Eleutheropolis (Joshua 15:44; 2 Chro... [ Continue Reading ]
ADORAIM. — _Dûra;_ a village about seven and a-half miles south west of Hebron. Called Αδωρα 1Ma. 13:20, and often mentioned by Josephus in connection with Marissa (Mareshah). The name is not found elsewhere in the Old Testament. LACHISH. — _Um Lakis;_ a ruined city on a round hill, seven hours wes... [ Continue Reading ]
ZORAH. — _Sur’ah;_ a ruin on the ridge north of the _Wady-es-Surar._ The birthplace of Samson. AIJALON. — _Yalo,_ north of Sur’ah, four leagues west of Gibeon. Zorah and Aijalon, or Ajalon, may have become Benjamite cities at the epoch of the migration of Dan (Judges 18). (See Joshua 19:41; also Jo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE FORTIFIED. — Literally, _strengthened, i.e.,_ put them in an efficient condition for defence, by providing commandants and stores of arms and food. THE STRONG HOLDS. — _Metsûrôth;_ the word in last verse. CAPTAINS. — _Negîdîm;_ leaders, princes (1 Chronicles 9:11). Here it means _commandant... [ Continue Reading ]
SHIELDS. — The “targets” of 2 Chronicles 9:15. MADE THEM EXCEEDING STRONG. — _Strengthened them_ (the same word as “fortified” in 2 Chronicles 11:11) _very abundantly_ (_l’harbçh meôd_). A form of words only used by the chronicler. (See 2 Chronicles 16:8; and comp. Nehemiah 6:18.) HAVING JUDAH AND... [ Continue Reading ]
(_c_) THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES, AND ALL WHO ARE FAITHFUL TO THE LEGITIMATE WORSHIP, DESERT THE NORTHERN KINGDOM (2 Chronicles 11:13). This section also is peculiar to the chronicler, though indirectly confirmed by the notices in 1 Kings 12:31; 1 Kings 13:33. (13) RESORTED TO HIM. — _Presented thems... [ Continue Reading ]
THEIR SUBURBS. — _Pasture-grounds_ (_Numbers 35:1_). AND THEIR POSSESSION — i.e., the cities assigned to them among the ten tribes. JEROBOAM AND HIS SONS HAD CAST THEM OFF FROM EXECUTING THE PRIEST’S OFFICE UNTO THE LORD. — See 1 Kings 12:26. There we are told that, as a matter of policy, Jeroboam... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE ORDAINED. — _And had appointed_ (1 Chronicles 15:16; 1 Chronicles 22:2). FOR THE HIGH PLACES. — _Bâmôth._ (See Note on 1 Kings 12:31 _seqq._) Such local sanctuaries existed not only at Dan and Bethel, but also in other cities of the northern kingdom. (Comp. 2 Kings 17:9.) AND FOR THE DEVILS.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AFTER THEM — i.e., following their lead. SUCH AS SET THEIR HEARTS. — The same phrase (_nâthan lebab_) as in 1 Chronicles 22:19, and nowhere else. CAME TO JERUSALEM, TO SACRIFICE. — And to settle there, as appears from next verse. A similar migration of the faithful worshippers of Jehovah is re... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THEY STRENGTHENED... THREE YEARS — _i.e._, during the first three years of the reign. “There is no ground for suspecting the antiquity of this record. On the contrary, it is antecedently probable that the pressure from the north occasioned a proportionally greater earnestness in the religious lif... [ Continue Reading ]
PARTICULAES CONCERNING REHOBOAM’S FAMILY (2 Chronicles 11:18). This record also is wanting in the Book of Kings. It appears to have been derived from the sources designated in 2 Chronicles 12:15. (18) THE DAUGHTER. — So rightly, LXX., Vulg., and many Hebrew MSS. for the ordinary reading _son._ OF... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH BARE. — _And she_ (_i.e.,_ Mahalath) _bare._ SHAMARIAH. — _Shemariah._ These sons of Rehoboam occur here only.... [ Continue Reading ]
MAACHAH THE DAUGHTER OF ABSALOM — _i.e.,_ granddaughter, as appears from 2 Samuel 14:27, where _Tamar_ is named as the “one daughter” of Absalom Josephus says Maachah was daughter of Tamar (_Ant_ 8:10, 1). (Comp. 2 Samuel 18:18; 2 Chronicles 13:2; 1 Kings 15:10.) WHICH BARE HIM ABIJAH. — Rehoboam’s... [ Continue Reading ]
LOVED MAACHAH. — She probably inherited her mother’s and grandfather’s beauty. FOR HE TOOK — _Nâsâ’,_ as in 2 Chronicles 13:21; a later usage instead of _lâqah._ AND THREESCORE CONCUBINES. — Josephus (_l.c._) says, “thirty,” and the difference in Hebrew is only of one letter. The recurrence of the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND REHOBOAM MADE ABIJAH THE SON OF MAACHAH... BRETHREN. — Rather, _And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maachah for head_ — to wit, _for prince_ (_nagîd_) — _among his brethren._ The expression “head” is explained by the following clause. FOR HE THOUGHT TO MAKE HIM KING. — This gives the sense... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE DEALT WISELY. — Rehoboam showed his sagacity by providing each of his sons with an independent position and royal establishment in accordance with the notions of the time. In this way he secured their contentment and obviated quarrels for precedence, and intrigues against his destined success... [ Continue Reading ]