1 Kings 14:21

EXPOSITION

THE REIGN OF REHOBOAM .—

And Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty [or twenty. See on 1 Kings 12:1 ] and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned [this reign is related at greater length in 2 Chronicles 11:1-23 ; 2 Chronicles 12:1-16 .] seventeen years [cf. 1 Kings 15:1 ] in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord did choose [cf. 1 Kings 11:36 ; Psalms 78:68 ; Nehemiah 1:9 ] out of all the tribes of Israel [cf. 2 Chronicles 6:6 ; 2 Kings 21:7 ] to put his name there. The historian reminds us that Jerusalem was by God's appointment the religious centre of the land; that Bethel and Dan were no sanctuaries of His choosing; and that, however much the realm of Rehoboam was restricted, he still reigned in the capital of God's choice. It is possible the words have some reference to the next verse, and imply that, though it was the holy city, yet even there they fell away from God (Bähr). And his mother's name was Naamah [or, according to the LXX ; Naanan. See on 1 Kings 12:24 ], an [Heb. the, i.e; the well-known] Ammonitess . [The name of the mother is given with every king of Judah, principally because of the position of influence she occupied in the kingdom. See on 1 Kings 2:13 , and 1 Kings 2:31 below.]