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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)