Naravist

Person in the Old and New Testaments

Rehoboam

Rehoboam: Solomon's son and king of Judah

Portrait of Rehoboam. An AI-generated artistic interpretation, not a historical likeness.

Portrait: an AI-generated artistic interpretation, not evidence of how Rehoboam looked.

Who Rehoboam is

Rehoboam is Solomon's son and successor. At Shechem he hears the people's request for relief from Solomon's heavy service. He rejects the older advisers' counsel to serve them and adopts the harsher answer proposed by those who grew up with him. Israel breaks with David's house and makes Jeroboam king. Rehoboam escapes to Jerusalem after Adoram is stoned. He gathers Judah and Benjamin for war but obeys the Lord's word through Shemaiah and sends them home. His reign in Judah includes the taking of temple and palace treasures by Shishak of Egypt. He replaces Solomon's gold shields with brass ones and is succeeded by Abijam.

Cited passages: 1 Kings 11:43, 1 Kings 12:1, 1 Kings 12:2, 1 Kings 12:3, 1 Kings 12:4, 1 Kings 12:5, 1 Kings 12:6, 1 Kings 12:7, 1 Kings 12:8, 1 Kings 12:9, 1 Kings 12:10, 1 Kings 12:11, 1 Kings 12:12, 1 Kings 12:13, 1 Kings 12:14, 1 Kings 12:15, 1 Kings 12:16, 1 Kings 12:17, 1 Kings 12:18, 1 Kings 12:19, 1 Kings 12:20, 1 Kings 12:21, 1 Kings 12:22, 1 Kings 12:23, 1 Kings 12:24, 1 Kings 14:21, 1 Kings 14:22, 1 Kings 14:23, 1 Kings 14:24, 1 Kings 14:25, 1 Kings 14:26, 1 Kings 14:27, 1 Kings 14:28, 1 Kings 14:29, 1 Kings 14:30, 1 Kings 14:31

Historical setting

First Kings gives Rehoboam's age at accession as forty-one and his reign in Jerusalem as seventeen years. His mother is Naamah the Ammonite. The advisers called young men are described as people who grew up with him; the text does not make the king or his contemporaries teenage rulers. The account speaks of Judah alone remaining with David's house and then explicitly includes Benjamin in the army. Shishak's invasion comes in the fifth year. The word stopping the planned civil war is not a claim that relations between Rehoboam and Jeroboam remain peaceful afterward.

Cited passages: 1 Kings 12:8, 1 Kings 12:20, 1 Kings 12:21, 1 Kings 12:22, 1 Kings 12:23, 1 Kings 12:24, 1 Kings 14:21, 1 Kings 14:25, 1 Kings 14:26, 1 Kings 14:27, 1 Kings 14:28, 1 Kings 14:29, 1 Kings 14:30, 1 Kings 14:31

How the story is told

The first crisis turns on a contrast between serving the people and threatening greater burdens. Rehoboam's refusal to listen produces a refusal of his rule. Yet the later halted muster records a moment when he does heed a prophetic word. The brass shields allow the royal procession to continue after the gold has been taken, giving the account a concrete image of diminished royal wealth. His story includes both a decisive refusal and a subsequent act of restraint.

Cited passages: 1 Kings 12:6, 1 Kings 12:7, 1 Kings 12:8, 1 Kings 12:9, 1 Kings 12:10, 1 Kings 12:11, 1 Kings 12:12, 1 Kings 12:13, 1 Kings 12:14, 1 Kings 12:15, 1 Kings 12:16, 1 Kings 12:17, 1 Kings 12:18, 1 Kings 12:19, 1 Kings 12:20, 1 Kings 12:21, 1 Kings 12:22, 1 Kings 12:23, 1 Kings 12:24, 1 Kings 14:25, 1 Kings 14:26, 1 Kings 14:27, 1 Kings 14:28

Story moments

  1. Relief requested at Shechem (1 Kings 12:4). The people offer to serve Rehoboam if he lightens the heavy burden.
  2. The older counsel rejected (1 Kings 12:8). Rehoboam turns from the older advisers to those who grew up with him.
  3. A harsh answer given (1 Kings 12:14). He threatens a heavier yoke and harsher chastisement.
  4. Escape to Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:18). After Adoram is killed, Rehoboam flees by chariot.
  5. The planned war stopped (1 Kings 12:24). Rehoboam's forces heed the Lord's word and return home.
  6. Gold replaced with brass (1 Kings 14:27). Rehoboam replaces the shields taken by Shishak.
  7. Abijam succeeds him (1 Kings 14:31). Rehoboam dies and his son Abijam reigns in his place.

Key passages

1 Kings 11:43

And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

1 Kings 12:1

And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.

1 Kings 12:3

That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,

1 Kings 12:6

And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?

1 Kings 12:12

So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.

1 Kings 12:17

But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

King James Version. 42 indexed passages in total.

For reflection

How does Rehoboam's response to Shemaiah affect your reading of his earlier refusal to listen at Shechem?

Books Rehoboam appears in

Related people

Names and references are adapted from STEPBible TIPNR. A person listed with a verse is named or indexed there; it does not mean they wrote or spoke it.