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2
Chronicles Chapter Eleven
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 11
In
this chapter are related the preparations Rehoboam made to regain the ten
tribes that revolted from him, but was forbid making the attempt by a prophet
of the Lord, which he paid a regard unto, 2 Chronicles 11:1,
the fortification of several cities in Judah and Benjamin for his defence, 2 Chronicles 11:5,
the resort of several priests and Levites to him from Jeroboam, which served to
strengthen his kingdom, 2 Chronicles 11:13,
and an account of his wives, and of his children, and of his disposal of them, 2 Chronicles 11:18.
2 Chronicles
11:1 Now when
Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled from the house of Judah and Benjamin
one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight
against Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
YLT
1And Rehoboam cometh in to
Jerusalem, and assembleth the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty
thousand chosen warriors, to fight with Israel, to bring back the kingdom to
Rehoboam.
Verses 1-4
And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem,.... After he
had been at Shechem, and had given his answer to the request of the men of
Israel, upon which they revolted from him: this and the three following verses
are the same with 1 Kings 12:21. See
Gill on 1 Kings 12:21.
2 Chronicles 11:2 2 But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah
the man of God, saying,
YLT
2And a word of Jehovah is
unto Shemaiah, a man of God, saying,
2 Chronicles 11:3 3 “Speak to Rehoboam the son
of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,
YLT
3`Speak unto Rehoboam son of
Solomon king of Judah, and unto all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,
2 Chronicles 11:4 4 ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall
not go up or fight against your brethren! Let every man return to his house,
for this thing is from Me.”’” Therefore they obeyed the words of the Lord, and turned
back from attacking Jeroboam.
YLT
4Thus said Jehovah, Ye do
not go up nor fight with your brethren, turn back each to his house, for from
Me hath this thing been;' and they hear the words of Jehovah, and turn back
from going against Jeroboam.
2 Chronicles 11:5 5 So Rehoboam dwelt in
Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah.
YLT
5And Rehoboam dwelleth in
Jerusalem, and buildeth cities for a bulwark in Judah,
And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem,.... The metropolis of
Judah, and the capital city of his kingdom:
and built cities for defence in Judah; that is,
rebuilt, enlarged, and fortified them; for otherwise they were built before,
though neglected before the revolt of the ten tribes; but now it became necessary
to make them more capacious and strong, to protect his people, and defend
himself against Israel; for though he was forbid to act offensively, and
therefore contented himself to abide in Jerusalem, and not go forth to war; yet
he might lawfully put himself into a condition of defence.
2 Chronicles 11:6 6 And he built Bethlehem,
Etam, Tekoa,
YLT
6yea, he buildeth Beth-Lehem
and Etam, and Tekoa,
He built even Bethlehem,.... The place of our
Lord's birth, about six miles from Jerusalem:
and Etam; another city in the tribe of Judah; see 1 Chronicles 4:32,
there was a rock of this name, Judges 15:8 and a
fountain from whence waters were conveyed into the pool at Jerusalem, spoken of
in Jewish writingsF2Cippi Heb. p. 10. :
and Tekoah; of which place Amos the prophet was, and which was about twelve
miles from Jerusalem. RauwolffF3Travels, par. 3. c. 22. p. 321. Ed.
Ray. speaks of it as a fortified place now; he says it has a strong and mighty
castle, built on a great and high hill.
2 Chronicles 11:7 7 Beth Zur, Sochoh, Adullam,
YLT
7and Beth-Zur, and Shocho,
and Adullam,
And Bethzur, and Shocho, and Adullam. All in the
tribe of Judah, of which see Joshua 15:35.
2 Chronicles 11:8 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
YLT
8and Gath, and Mareshah, and
Ziph,
And Gath,.... Which cannot be that Gath which was one of the
principalities of the Philistines, but a city in the tribe of Judah; though of
it we nowhere else read; unless this is the same with Moreshethgath, Micah 1:14, which
is probable, since it follows:
and Mareshah; the birth place of Micah the prophet, Micah 1:1,
and Ziph; there were two cities of this name in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:24.
2 Chronicles 11:9 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
YLT
9and Adoraim, and Lachish,
and Azekah,
And Adoraim,.... Called by JosephusF4Antiqu. l. 13. c. 9. sect. 1.
Adora, which he mentions along with Mareshah, or Marissa:
and Lachish: a royal city in the time of the Canaanites, and which fell to
the lot of Judah, Joshua 12:11,
and Azekah; a city situated in the plain of Judah, Joshua 10:10.
2 Chronicles 11:10 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and
Hebron, which are in Judah and Benjamin, fortified cities.
YLT
10and Zorah, and Aijalon, and
Hebron, that [are] in Judah and in Benjamin, cities of bulwarks.
And Zorah,.... The same with Zoreah, Joshua 15:33,
and Aijalon; there was a city of the tribe of Dan of this name, in the valley
of which the moon stood still in the times of Joshua, Joshua 10:12, but
whether the same with this, and now belonging to Judah, or another of the same
name, is not certain:
and Hebron; a city in the mountainous part of Judah, and a city of refuge,
about twenty miles from Jerusalem, Joshua 15:54,
which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities; as they were
now made by Rehoboam.
2 Chronicles 11:11 11 And he fortified the
strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine.
YLT
11And he strengtheneth the
bulwarks, and putteth in them leaders, and treasures of food, and oil, and
wine,
And he fortified the strong holds,.... Of these and other
cities:
and put captains in them; garrisons of soldiers,
with captains over them to defend them:
and store of victual, and of oil and wine; that they
might be able to hold out a siege, should they be attacked.
2 Chronicles 11:12 12 Also in every city he
put shields and spears, and made them very strong, having Judah and
Benjamin on his side.
YLT
12and in every city and city
targets and spears, and strengtheneth them very greatly; and he hath Judah and
Benjamin.
And in every several city he put shields and spears,.... Furnished
them with these and perhaps other pieces of armour, these being put for all, to
defend themselves with against an enemy, and to annoy them:
and made them exceeding strong; so that they could not
be easily taken:
having Judah and Benjamin on his side: which tribes
cleaved to one another, and to Rehoboam, and to the kings of the house of
David, in later times, as well as to the true religion.
2 Chronicles 11:13 13 And from all their territories
the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with
him.
YLT
13And the priests, and the
Levites, that [are] in all Israel, have stationed themselves by him, out of all
their border,
And the priests and the Levites, that were in all Israel,.... In the
ten tribes, in the cities assigned to them therein:
resorted to him out of all their coasts; as to their
rightful sovereign, and chiefly for the sake of the service of the sanctuary at
Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 11:14 14 For the Levites left their
common-lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for
Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to the Lord.
YLT
14for the Levites have left
their suburbs and their possession, and they come to Judah and to Jerusalem,
for Jeroboam and his sons have cast them off from acting as priests to Jehovah,
For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession,.... The
cities and the fields adjacent to them, which were given them in the several
tribes, and were in all forty eight; see Joshua 21:1 and
came to Judah and Jerusalem; to the cities of Judah, which belonged to the
Levites; and to Jerusalem, where they exercised their functions:
for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from exercising the
priest's office unto the Lord; neither suffering them to go to Jerusalem
in their courses, as they used to do by turns, nor to perform their office in
their own dwellings, according to the law of God, in teaching and instructing
the people.
2 Chronicles 11:15 15 Then he appointed for
himself priests for the high places, for the demons, and the calf idols which
he had made.
YLT
15and he establisheth to him
priests for high places, and for goats, and for calves, that he made –
And he ordained him priests for the high places,.... Of such
who were not of the tribe of Levi, and family of Aaron; see 1 Kings 12:31.
and for the devils; demons in the shape of goats, as this word
signifies, in which form many of the Heathen deities were worshipped; idols of
whatsoever kind are so called; for whosoever worships them worships not God,
but devils, 1 Corinthians 10:21
the images which Jeroboam set up may be meant, and the next clause may be
rendered as explanative of them:
even for the calves which he had made; one of which
he set up at Dan, and the other at Bethel, 1 Kings 12:28.
2 Chronicles 11:16 16 And after the
Levites left,[a] those from
all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel,
came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers.
YLT
16and after them, out of all
the tribes of Israel, those giving their heart to seek Jehovah, God of Israel,
have come in to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Jehovah, God of their father.
And after them out of all the tribes of Israel,.... Besides
the priests and Levites, and after their example, many of the common people,
out of all the ten tribes:
such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel; to seek his
face and favour, where he was to be found; to worship him according to his
revealed will, and to receive doctrine or instruction from him, as the Targum:
came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers; to sacrifice
where only sacrifices were to be offered up, and by the priests of the Lord,
who were gone thither, and to their fathers' God, whom the ten tribes had
revolted from.
2 Chronicles 11:17 17 So they strengthened the
kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years,
because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
YLT
17And they strengthen the
kingdom of Judah, and strengthen Rehoboam son of Solomon, for three years,
because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah,.... Made it
more numerous, and in a better condition to defend itself:
and made Rehoboam son of Solomon strong three years; established
him on the throne, strengthened the government in his hands, and were the means
of preserving him in the pure worship of God for the space of time mentioned,
the reason of which follows:
for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon; in their good
ways, which were according to the rule of the divine word; and which, as they
refer to the whole of David's life and reign, some particular actions excepted,
so to the former part of Solomon's reign, before he fell into idolatry, and to
the latter part of it after his repentance; for that he did repent is by some
concluded from hence, and may be more strongly from the book of Ecclesiastes,
written by him in his old age. This is to be understood both of Rehoboam and
his people, who after three years forsook the law of the Lord, 2 Chronicles 12:1.
2 Chronicles 11:18 18 Then Rehoboam took for
himself as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of
Abihail the daughter of Eliah the son of Jesse.
YLT
18And Rehoboam taketh to him
a wife, Mahalath, child of Jerimoth son of David, [and] Abigail daughter of
Eliab, son of Jesse.
And Rehoboam took him Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, the son
of David, to wife,.... Of which son of David we nowhere else read; perhaps he might
be the son of one of his concubines, or he might have two names:
and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse; who was
David's eldest brother. 1 Samuel 17:13. She
must be a granddaughter or great-granddaughter of his.
2 Chronicles 11:19 19 And she bore him children:
Jeush, Shamariah, and Zaham.
YLT
19And she beareth to him
sons, Jeush, and Shamaria, and Zaham.
Which bare him children,.... Or, "and she
bore him"F4ותלד "peperit",
Pagninus, Montanus. ; for it is said only of one of them, the other perhaps
died without children; this may refer to the last mentioned, Abihail, whose
children were
Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham; who perhaps all died in
their father's lifetime, since the firstborn of a later wife succeeded him.
2 Chronicles 11:20 20 After her he took Maachah
the granddaughter[b] of Absalom;
and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
YLT
20And after her he hath taken
Maachah daughter of Absalom, and she beareth to him Abijah, and Attai, and
Ziza, and Shelomith.
And after he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom,.... Thought
by some to be Absalom the son of David, his father's brother, and his uncle,
and so married his cousin; but Absalom seems to have had but one daughter,
whose name was Tamar, 2 Samuel 14:27, and
the name of this man is different from his; he is called Abishalom, 1 Kings 15:2.
and Uriel of Gibeah; 2 Chronicles 13:2,
of the tribe of Benjamin, whereas Absalom was of the tribe of Judah:
which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith: Abijah the
firstborn, and who was successor in the kingdom, is the same with Abijam, 1 Kings 14:31 of
the rest we nowhere else read.
2 Chronicles 11:21 21 Now Rehoboam loved Maachah
the granddaughter of Absalom more than all his wives and his concubines; for he
took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and begot twenty-eight sons and sixty
daughters.
YLT
21And Rehoboam loveth Maachah
daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines -- for eighteen
wives he hath taken, and sixty concubines -- and he begetteth twenty and eight
sons, and sixty daughters.
And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his
wives and his concubines, &c. Who is called Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel, 2 Chronicles 13:2,
for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines; led thereunto
by the example of his father Solomon, contrary to the command of God, Deuteronomy 17:17.
and begat twenty eight sons and sixty daughters; to have many
children was reckoned a great blessing, but it was not honourable to have them
in such a way.
2 Chronicles 11:22 22 And Rehoboam appointed
Abijah the son of Maachah as chief, to be leader among his brothers; for
he intended to make him king.
YLT
22And Rehoboam appointeth for
head Abijah son of Maachah, for leader among his brethren, for to cause him to
reign.
And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maacah the chief,.... The chief
of all his sons, head over them, being the son of his most beloved wife, and
her firstborn however, and perhaps might be of a greater capacity than the rest
of his children:
to be ruler among his brethren; or over them; gave him
greater authority, and intrusted him with more power, set him above them, and
treated him as heir apparent to the crown: for he thought
to make him king; either to take him into partnership in the
throne with him in his lifetime, or to appoint and declare him to be his
successor.
2 Chronicles 11:23 23 He dealt wisely, and
dispersed some of his sons throughout all the territories of Judah and
Benjamin, to every fortified city; and he gave them provisions in abundance. He
also sought many wives for them.
YLT
23And he hath understanding,
and spreadeth out of all his sons to all lands of Judah and Benjamin, to all
cities of the bulwarks, and giveth to them provision in abundance; and he
asketh a multitude of wives.
And he dealt wisely,.... Acted a prudent
part, in order to execute his scheme, and particularly by disposing of his
other sons in different parts of his kingdom, as follows: or "he made him
his son Abijah to understand"F5ותבן
"erudire faciebat", Pagninus, Grotius; "docuit", Vatablus.
; he taught and instructed him in the art of government, took a particular care
of his education, that he might be fitted for it; and he might instruct him how
to behave towards his brethren, for the present and hereafter, as well as
towards all the people in general: or "he (Abijah) understood"F6"lntellexit",
Piscator. ; had more understanding and wisdom than all the children of
Rehoboam; though it seems best to interpret it of Rehoboam himself, since it
follows:
and disposed of all his children throughout all the countries of
Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city; to be governors thereof,
in whose hands he could better trust them than in any other; or else, by thus
separating them, they would not be able to enter into combination against
Abijah; but then he must at the same time appoint some persons to watch and
observe them; or otherwise, having such, strong places in their possession,
they might rebel against him; the Targum is,"he built and repaired the
cities, and appointed of all his children throughout all the countries of the
house of Judah, to all the fortified cities;'that is, to have the command of
them:
and he gave them victual in abundance; that they
might have no reason to complain, and might be able to hold out a siege against
an enemy, should they be attacked:
and he desired many wives; either for himself, or
rather for his son, since he himself had many; or "Abijah desired, or
askedF7ישאל "petivit", Pagninus,
Montanus, Vatablus; "postulavit", Piscator. many wives" of their
parents, or of those who had the dispose of them, in imitation of his father.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)