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. read more
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... read more
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... read more
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... read more
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... read more
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. read more
Which bare him children ,.... Or, "and she bore him" F4 ותלד "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. read more
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... read more
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. read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 11:12
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. read more