Bible Commentaries
2 Chronicles 11

Verse 1

And 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.

Ver. 1-4. See on 1 Kings 12:21-24 .

Verse 5

And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.

And Rehoboam dwelt, … — See 1 Kings 12:18 .

Verse 11

And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.

And put captains in them. — Who were his own sons likely, 2 Chronicles 11:23 in whom he might best confide, though our Henry II found it otherwise.

Verse 12

And in every several city [he put] shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

And made them exceeding strong. — But sin was at the bottom, and blew them up: their iniquity was their ruin, as Ezekiel 18:30 .

Verse 13

And the priests and the Levites that [were] in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts.

And the priests and the Levites. — This was to be like their worthy predecessors. Exodus 32:26

For Jeroboam and his sons. — Who were as active against the truth as their father. See 1 Kings 12:28 . One main reason might be, to possess their cities and lands. The church bread is sweet bread, said William Rufus.

Verse 15

And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.

And he ordained him priests. — See 1 Kings 12:31 .

And for the devils. — Heb., Hairy horrid things, boegy men. See Revelation 9:11 ; Revelation 9:20 . The devil is ειδωλοχαρης , saith Synesius; and hereby it appeareth that Jeroboam set up more idols than the two golden calves.

Verse 16

And 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.

And after them. — See the force of good example; and that there were not a few of these that thus fled, though Jeroboam way laid them. Hosea 5:1 See Trapp on " Hosea 5:1 " Augustine gathereth from hence, that in those most corrupt times of king Ahab there were found seven thousand that had not bowed their knees to Baal.

Such as set their hearts. — Qui tradiderunt cor suum, who delivered up their hearts to seek the Lord; to run any hazard rather than to violate their consciences. Such were the English exiles in Queen Mary’s days, from whom Stephen Gardiner vowed so to stop the sending of all supplies, that for very hunger they should eat their own nails, and then feed on their fingers’ ends: but ‘threatened folk live long’; and before these banished men were brought to that short bill of fare, the bishop was first all eaten up of worms himself. Fuller’s Church Hist. These exiles of Israel had harbour and maintenance from Rehoboam, whose kingdom was not a little strengthened and settled by the coming of these good men.

Verse 17

So 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.

For three years they walked in the ways of David and Solomon, — viz., Before his fall, and after his repentance: for this passage charitably implieth the repentance of Solomon in his last days, though haply he could not reform all idolatries; as neither could Manasseh: 2 Chronicles 33:18 for it is not likely, saith a good expositor, Mr Jackson. that the beginning of Rehoboam’s reign would have been David-like, if Solomon had died, and left the kingdom in so corrupt a condition. Yet some conceive that Solomon is here joined with David, because himself continued incorrupt from idolatry, though he suffered high places to be set up for his wives.

Verse 18

And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, [and] Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;

The daughter of Jerimoth the son of David. — By some concubine likely. See 1 Chronicles 3:9 .

The daughter of Eliab. — All his three wives here mentioned were of David’s family, and of his own kindred.

Verse 21

And 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.)

He took Maachah, the daughter of Absalom, — i.e., His niece by his sister, or his daughter Tamar, whose husband haply was called Uriel. See 1 Kings 15:2 .

Verse 22

And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, [to be] ruler among his brethren: for [he thought] to make him king.

And Rehoboam loved Maachah. — Not for any good that was in her, see 1 Kings 15:13 but either for her beauty, or for her conformity unto him in wicked practices; for likeness maketh love, ομοιον ομοιου εφιεται . - Arist., Eth., lib. viii. saith the philosopher, in married couples especially.

“ Uxor pessima, pessimus maritus:

Miror non bene convenire vobis. ” - Martial.

For he thought to make him king. — Maachah would have it so, belike, whether it were right or wrong. Occidar, modo imperet, said Nero’s mother, Let him be king, whatever come of it.

Verse 23

And 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.

And he dealt wisely, — i.e., Politicly, as did after him Jehoshaphat, 2 Chronicles 21:3 for he dispersed his other sons, that they might not conspire against his successor: and he gave them both victuals in abundance, and a multitude of wives, as some understand those words - he asked for a multitude of wives - ut ventri et veneri vacantes, that drowned in sensual delights, they might not aspire to the kingdom.