---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  2 Chronicles 11"
description: "CHAPTER 11   :-. REHOBOAM,
RAISING AN ARMY
TO SUBDUE ISRAEL,
IS FORBIDDEN
BY SHEMAIAH. 1-4. Rehoboam . . . gathered of the
house of Judah and Benjamin . ."
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/2-chronicles/11"
---

CHAPTER 11

. REHOBOAM,
RAISING AN ARMY
TO SUBDUE ISRAEL,
IS FORBIDDEN
BY SHEMAIAH.

**1-4. Rehoboam . . . gathered of the
house of Judah and Benjamin . . . to fight against Israel**—(See
[1 Kings 12:21-24](../../../kjv/1-kings/12/21-24)).

**5-11. built cities for defence in
Judah**—This is evidently used as the name of the southern
kingdom. Rehoboam, having now a bitter enemy in Israel, deemed it
prudent to lose no time in fortifying several cities that lay along
the frontier of his kingdom. Jeroboam, on his side, took a similar
precaution ([1 Kings 12:25](../../../kjv/1-kings/12/25)). Of the
fifteen cities named, Aijalon, now Yalo, and Zorah, now Surah,
between Jerusalem and Jabneh [ROBINSON],
lay within the province of Benjamin. Gath, though a Philistine city,
had been subject to Solomon. And Etham, which was on the border of
Simeon, now incorporated with the kingdom of Israel, was fortified to
repel danger from that quarter. These fortresses Rehoboam placed
under able commanders and stocked them with provisions and military
stores, sufficient, if necessary, to stand a siege. In the crippled
state of his kingdom, he seems to have been afraid lest it might be
made the prey of some powerful neighbors.

**13-17. the priests and the Levites .
. . resorted to him out of all their coasts**—This was an
accession of moral power, for the maintenance of the true religion is
the best support and safeguard of any nation; and as it was
peculiarly the grand source of the strength and prosperity of the
Hebrew monarchy, the great numbers of good and pious people who
sought an asylum within the territories of Judah contributed greatly
to consolidate the throne of Rehoboam. The cause of so extensive an
emigration from the kingdom of Israel was the deep and daring policy
of Jeroboam, who set himself to break the national unity by entirely
abolishing, within his dominions, the religious institutions of
Judaism. He dreaded an eventual reunion of the tribes if the people
continued to repair thrice a year to worship in Jerusalem as they
were obliged by law to do. Accordingly, on pretense that the distance
of that city was too great for multitudes of his subjects, he fixed
upon two more convenient places, where he established a new mode of
worshipping God under gross and prohibited symbols []. The priests and Levites, refusing to take part in the
idolatrous ceremonies, were ejected from their living [[2 Chronicles 11:13](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/11/13);
[2 Chronicles 11:14](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/11/14)]. Along with them a
large body of the people who faithfully adhered to the instituted
worship of God, offended and shocked by the impious innovations,
departed from the kingdom.

**15. he ordained him priests**—The
persons he appointed to the priesthood were low and worthless
creatures ([1 Kings 12:31](../../../kjv/1-kings/12/31); [1 Kings 13:33](../../../kjv/1-kings/13/33));
any were consecrated who brought a bullock and seven rams ([2 Chronicles 13:9](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/13/9);
[Exodus 29:37](../../../kjv/exodus/29/37)).
**for the high places**—Those
favorite places of religious worship were encouraged throughout the
country.
**for the devils**—a term
sometimes used for idols in general ([Exodus 29:37](../../../kjv/exodus/29/37)). But here it is applied distinctively to the goat deities,
which were probably worshipped chiefly in the northern parts of his
kingdom, where the heathen Canaanites still abounded.
**for the calves which he had
made**—figures of the ox gods Apis and Mnevis, with which
Jeroboam's residence in Egypt had familiarized him. (See on [Exodus 29:37](../../../kjv/exodus/29/37)).

**13-17. the priests and the Levites .
. . resorted to him out of all their coasts**—This was an
accession of moral power, for the maintenance of the true religion is
the best support and safeguard of any nation; and as it was
peculiarly the grand source of the strength and prosperity of the
Hebrew monarchy, the great numbers of good and pious people who
sought an asylum within the territories of Judah contributed greatly
to consolidate the throne of Rehoboam. The cause of so extensive an
emigration from the kingdom of Israel was the deep and daring policy
of Jeroboam, who set himself to break the national unity by entirely
abolishing, within his dominions, the religious institutions of
Judaism. He dreaded an eventual reunion of the tribes if the people
continued to repair thrice a year to worship in Jerusalem as they
were obliged by law to do. Accordingly, on pretense that the distance
of that city was too great for multitudes of his subjects, he fixed
upon two more convenient places, where he established a new mode of
worshipping God under gross and prohibited symbols []. The priests and Levites, refusing to take part in the
idolatrous ceremonies, were ejected from their living [[2 Chronicles 11:13](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/11/13);
[2 Chronicles 11:14](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/11/14)]. Along with them a
large body of the people who faithfully adhered to the instituted
worship of God, offended and shocked by the impious innovations,
departed from the kingdom.

**17. they strengthened the kingdom of
Judah**—The innovating measures of Jeroboam were not introduced
all at once. But as they were developed, the secession of the most
excellent of his subjects began, and continuing to increase for three
years, lowered the tone of religion in his kingdom, while it
proportionally quickened its life and extended its influence in that
of Judah.
. HIS WIVES
AND CHILDREN.

**18. Rehoboam took Mahalath**—The
names of her father and mother are given. Jerimoth, the father, must
have been the son of one of David's concubines (). Abihail was, of course, his cousin, previous to their
marriage.

**20. after her he took Maachah . . .
daughter**—that is, granddaughter () of Absalom, Tamar being, according to JOSEPHUS,
her mother. (Compare [2 Samuel 18:18](../../../kjv/2-samuel/18/18)).

**21. he took eighteen wives, and
threescore concubines**—This royal harem, though far smaller than
his father's, was equally in violation of the law, which forbade a
king to "multiply wives unto himself" [].

**22. made Abijah . . . chief . . .
ruler among his brethren**—This preference seems to have been
given to Abijah solely from the king's doting fondness for his mother
and through her influence over him. It is plainly implied that Abijah
was not the oldest of the family. In destining a younger son for the
kingdom, without a divine warrant, as in Solomon's case, Rehoboam
acted in violation of the law ().

**23. he dealt wisely**—that is,
with deep and calculating policy ().
**and dispersed of all his
children . . . unto every fenced city**—The circumstance of
twenty-eight sons of the king being made governors of fortresses
would, in our quarter of the world, produce jealousy and
dissatisfaction. But Eastern monarchs ensure peace and tranquillity
to their kingdom by bestowing government offices on their sons and
grandsons. They obtain an independent provision, and being kept
apart, are not likely to cabal in their father's lifetime. Rehoboam
acted thus, and his sagacity will appear still greater if the wives
he desired for them belonged to the cities where each son was
located. These connections would bind them more closely to their
respective places. In the modern countries of the East, particularly
Persia and Turkey, younger princes were, till very lately, shut up in
the harem during their father's lifetime; and, to prevent
competition, they were blinded or killed when their brother ascended
the throne. In the former country the old practice of dispersing them
through the country as Rehoboam did, has been again revived.

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