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The Histories · Old Testament

2 Chronicles 11

2 Chronicles 11: Shemaiah stops the war and Rehoboam fortifies Judah

General context

Back in Jerusalem, Rehoboam gathers a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors from Judah and Benjamin to fight Israel and recover the kingdom. The word of the Lord comes to Shemaiah the man of God for Rehoboam and all Israel in Judah and Benjamin: they are not to go up or fight against their brethren, for this thing is done of the Lord. They obey and turn back. Rehoboam builds cities for defence in Judah, fifteen of them named from Beth-lehem to Hebron, fortifies them with captains, food, oil, wine, shields and spears, and has Judah and Benjamin on his side. The priests and Levites from all Israel resort to him, because Jeroboam and his sons have cast them off from the priest's office and Jeroboam has ordained his own priests for the high places, for devils and for the calves he made. After them come people from every tribe who set their hearts to seek the Lord, to sacrifice at Jerusalem. They strengthen Judah and make Rehoboam strong for three years, walking in the way of David and Solomon. The chapter then lists his family: Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse, with sons Jeush, Shamariah and Zaham; then Maachah the daughter of Absalom, mother of Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. He loves Maachah above his eighteen wives and sixty concubines, who bear him twenty eight sons and sixty daughters. He makes Abijah chief among his brothers, meaning to make him king, disperses his sons through the fenced cities with food in abundance, and, the narrator adds, desires many wives.

Cited passages: 2 Chronicles 11:1, 2 Chronicles 11:2, 2 Chronicles 11:3, 2 Chronicles 11:4, 2 Chronicles 11:5, 2 Chronicles 11:6, 2 Chronicles 11:10, 2 Chronicles 11:11, 2 Chronicles 11:12, 2 Chronicles 11:13, 2 Chronicles 11:14, 2 Chronicles 11:15, 2 Chronicles 11:16, 2 Chronicles 11:17, 2 Chronicles 11:18, 2 Chronicles 11:19, 2 Chronicles 11:20, 2 Chronicles 11:21, 2 Chronicles 11:22, 2 Chronicles 11:23

2 Chronicles 11 (KJV)

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.

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Historical context

The Lord's message comes through Shemaiah, called the man of God, and its phrase this thing is done of me matches the narrator's earlier statement that the cause was of God. The text calls Rehoboam king of Judah while addressing his subjects as all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, and calls the northern people their brethren, so the name Israel is used for both sides. Fifteen cities are listed, and the narrator locates them in Judah and in Benjamin. Jeroboam's acts, casting off the Levites and ordaining priests for high places, devils and calves, are stated by the narrator in summary, not narrated as scenes, and the calves are mentioned only as ones which he had made. The three years of walking in the way of David and Solomon are a limited span; the next chapter records that Rehoboam later forsook the law. The wording about Mahalath and Abihail can be read as naming two wives or as naming one wife and both her parents; the singular after her in the next sentence leaves the question open, and the chapter does not settle it. Maachah is called the daughter of Absalom with no further identification. The totals are eighteen wives, sixty concubines, twenty eight sons and sixty daughters. The narrator states Rehoboam's motive for advancing Abijah outright: he thought to make him king.

Cited passages: 2 Chronicles 11:2, 2 Chronicles 11:4, 2 Chronicles 10:15, 2 Chronicles 11:3, 2 Chronicles 11:10, 2 Chronicles 11:14, 2 Chronicles 11:15, 2 Chronicles 11:17, 2 Chronicles 12:1, 2 Chronicles 11:18, 2 Chronicles 11:20, 2 Chronicles 11:21, 2 Chronicles 11:22

Literary context

The chapter has four movements: a war prevented, cities built, a migration of priests and seekers, and a family list. One short prophetic word turns back a hundred and eighty thousand men, and the word brethren in it names the northern kingdom as kin at the moment war is stopped. Two inventories follow, cities and then wives and sons, and both are given as forms of strength, with the sons dispersed to the very fenced cities just listed. Jeroboam is characterised only through what the Levites flee from, so his kingdom appears in this chapter as a place people leave. The phrase three years limits the good that is reported and sets up the reversal at the start of the next chapter. The last two sentences sit in tension: he dealt wisely, and he desired many wives, with no comment joining them. The Lord's this thing is done of me ties the chapter back to the narrator's the cause was of God, so that the split is twice attributed to God and yet obedience is still asked of Rehoboam.

Cited passages: 2 Chronicles 11:1, 2 Chronicles 11:4, 2 Chronicles 11:5, 2 Chronicles 11:23, 2 Chronicles 11:14, 2 Chronicles 11:16, 2 Chronicles 11:17, 2 Chronicles 10:15

Key moments

  1. An army to retake the kingdom (2 Chronicles 11:1). Rehoboam gathers a hundred and eighty thousand warriors to fight Israel.
  2. Ye shall not go up (2 Chronicles 11:4). Shemaiah delivers the Lord's word against fighting their brethren, and they obey.
  3. Cities for defence (2 Chronicles 11:5). Rehoboam builds and fortifies cities in Judah and Benjamin.
  4. The Levites leave Jeroboam (2 Chronicles 11:14). Levites come to Judah because Jeroboam has cast them out of the priest's office.
  5. Seekers come to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 11:16). People from every tribe who seek the Lord come to sacrifice at Jerusalem.
  6. Three years in David's way (2 Chronicles 11:17). Judah is strengthened and walks in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
  7. Abijah made chief (2 Chronicles 11:22). Rehoboam sets Abijah over his brothers, intending to make him king.

For reflection

The narrator says Rehoboam dealt wisely in placing his sons through the fenced cities, and then adds that he desired many wives. What is a reader to make of a chapter that ends on those two sentences side by side?

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