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Bible Dictionaries
Jeroboam
People's Dictionary of the Bible
or Jeroboam (jĕr'o-bô'am), whose people are many. There were two kings of this name: 1. The first king of the divided kingdom of Israel, b.c. 975-954, was the son of Nebat. He was made by Solomon the superintendent of the taxes exacted from the tribe of Ephraim. 1 Kings 11:28. He made the most of his position, and at last was perceived by Solomon to be aiming at the monarchy. He was leaving Jerusalem, when he was met by Ahijah the prophet, who gave him the assurance that, on condition of obedience to his laws, God would establish for him a kingdom and dynasty equal to that of David. 1 Kings 11:29-40. Solomon attempting to arrest Jeroboam, caused his night into Egypt. There he remained until Solomon's death. Jeroboam married Ano, the elder sister of the Egyptian queen Tahpenes, and returned to Shechem, where took place the conference with Rehoboam, and the final revolt which ended in the elevation of Jeroboam to the throne of the northern kingdom. Fearing that the yearly pilgrimages to Jerusalem would undo all the work which he effected, he boldly decided to rend the religious unity of the nation, which was as yet unimpaired. He caused two golden calves to be made and set up at the two extremities of his kingdom, one at Dan and the other at Bethel. It was while dedicating the altar at Bethel that a prophet from Judah suddenly appeared, who denounced the altar, and foretold its desecration by Josiah. The king, stretching out his hand to arrest the prophet, felt it withered and paralyzed, and only at the prophet's prayer saw it restored. Jeroboam was at constant war with the house of Judah, and in a battle with Abijah was defeated, and soon after died in the 22d year of his reign, 2 Chronicles 13:20, and was buried in his ancestral sepulchre. 1 Kings 14:20. 2. Jeroboam II., the son of Joash, the fourth king of the dynasty of Jehu, b.c. 825-784 He was one of the most prosperous of the kings of Israel. He repelled the Syrian invaders, took their capital city Damascus, 2 Kings 14:28, and recovered the whole of the ancient dominion from Hamath to the Dead sea. 2 Kings 14:25. Ammon and Moab were reconquered, and the trans-Jordanic tribes were restored to their territory, 2 Kings 13:5; 1 Chronicles 5:17-22; but it was merely an outward restoration.
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Rice, Edwin Wilbur, DD. Entry for 'Jeroboam'. People's Dictionary of the Bible. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/rpd/j/jeroboam.html. 1893.
