Rehoboam's Reign as King of Judah

Rehoboam, the son of Solomon and Naamah the Ammonitess, succeeded his father as king ^{[4, 1]}. He was 41 years old when he began his reign and ruled for 17 years in Jerusalem ^{[2, 6]}. His mother's foreign origin is noted by some as a factor contributing to Rehoboam's inclination away from the true religion ^[9].

Upon Solomon's death, Rehoboam went to Shechem for his coronation, a strategic site in the northern tribes, likely seeking their approval ^{[4, 8]}. The people requested a reduction in the heavy burdens imposed by Solomon. Rehoboam, however, rejected the counsel of his father's older advisors and instead followed the advice of his younger peers, giving an insulting response ^[4]. This decision led to a rebellion among the tribes, resulting in the division of the kingdom ^{[4, 11]}. Ten tribes broke away to form the northern kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam, while Rehoboam retained control over the tribes of Judah and Benjamin ^{[6, 11]}.

The city of Jerusalem, chosen by the Lord "to put His name there," remained the capital of Rehoboam's kingdom ^{[2, 9]}. The biblical account of Rehoboam's reign in Judah is presented as a "sad account" ^[10]. His rule is characterized by a departure from the true religion, with the introduction of idolatry and associated vices ^[9].

Rehoboam's successor was his son Abijah (also called Abijam), who reigned for three years ^{[3, 5, 7]}. Abijah began his reign in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam, indicating that Rehoboam died in the eighteenth year of his reign ^[12].

Sources

I Kings “I Kings 14:21 (BBE) — And Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, was king in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king, and he was king for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the town which the Lord had made his out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there; his mother's name was Naamah, an Ammonite woman.”
1 Kings “1 Kings 14:21 (NASB) — Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put His name there. And his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess.”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Abijah Or Abijam — (my father is Jehovah). + Son and successor of Rehoboam on the throne of Judah. (1 Kings 4:21; 2 Chronicles 12:16) He is called [22]Abia, Abiah, Or Abijah in Chronicles, [23]Abijam in Kings. He began to reign B.C. 959, and reigned three years. He endeavored to recover the kingdom of the Ten Tribes, and made war on Jeroboam. He was successful in battle, and took several of the cities of Israel. We are told that he walked in all the sins of Rehoboam. (1 Kings 14:23,24) + The second son of Samuel, called [24]Abia, Abiah, Or Abijah, [25]Abia, Course OfH”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Rehoboam — (enlarger of the people), son of Solomon by the Ammonite princess Naamah, (1 Kings 14:21,31) and his successor. (1 Kings 11:43) Rehoboam selected Shechem as the place of his coronation (B.C. 975), probably as an act of concession to the Ephraimites. The people demanded a remission of the severe burdens imposed by Solomon, and Rehoboam, rejecting the advice of his father's counsellors, followed that of his young courtiers, and returned an insulting answer, which led to an open rebellion among the tribes, and he was compelled to fly to Jerusalem, Judah and Be”
STEPBible TBESG “[H0029] H0029I = (H0029I) — A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.14.31; son of: Rehoboam (H7346) and Maacah (H4601K); brother of: Attai (H6262I), Ziza (H2124H) and Shelomith (H8019); father of: Asa (H0609); half-brother of: Jeush (H3266K), Shemariah (H8114H) and Zaham (H2093); also called Abijam (KJV: Abia) at 1Ki.14.31; 15.1,7,8; § Abia or Abiah or Abijah = "Jehovah is (my) father" 1) king of Judah, son and successor of Rehoboam 2) second son of Samuel 3) son of Jeroboam the first, king of Israel 4) so”
1 Kings (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Kings 14:20: And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah,.... Over the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, when Jeroboam reigned over the other ten: Rehoboam was forty one years old when he began to reign; being born one year before his father Solomon began to reign, and so it might have been expected he would have begun his reign more wisely than he did: and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem; not half so long as his father and grandfather, being neither so wise nor so good a prince as either of them: the city which the Lord did choose out of all the tribes of Isr”
1 Kings (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 1 Kings 15:1: We have here a short account of the short reign of Abijam the son of Rehoboam king of Judah. He makes a better figure, 2 Chr. 13, where we have an account of his war with Jeroboam, the speech which he made before the armies engaged, and the wonderful victory he obtained by the help of God. There he is called Abijah - My father is the Lord, because no wickedness is there laid to his charge. But here, where we are told of his faults, Jah, the name of God, is, in disgrace to him, taken away from his name, and he is called Abijam. See Jer 22:24. I. Few particulars ar”
1 Kings (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Kings 12:1: 12:1 Shechem, located in the heart of territory belonging to the northern tribes, had been a strategic site and religious center since the pre-Israelite occupation of Canaan (Gen 12:6-7; 33:18-20), and it became important in Israel as a Levitical city and a city of refuge (Josh 20:7; 21:20; 24:1). Rehoboam knew that if he wanted to be king over a united kingdom, he would need the approval and support of the politically and religiously strong northern tribes. Shechem later became the provisional capital of the northern kingdom (1 Kgs 12:25). • Rehoboam reigned fro”
1 Kings (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Kings 14:21: REHOBOAM'S WICKED REIGN. (Kg1 14:21-24) he reigned . . . in Jerusalem--Its particular designation as "the city which the Lord did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there," seems given here, both as a reflection on the apostasy of the ten tribes, and as a proof of the aggravated wickedness of introducing idolatry and its attendant vices there. his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess--Her heathen extraction and her influence as queen mother are stated to account for Rehoboam's tendency to depart from the true religion. Led b”
1 Kings (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 1 Kings 14:21: Judah's story and Israel's are intermixed in this book. Jeroboam out-lived Rehoboam, four or five years, yet his history is despatched first, that the account of Rehoboam's reign may be laid together; and a sad account it is. I. Here is no good said of the king. All the account we have of him here is, 1. That he was forty-one years old when he began to reign, by which reckoning he was born in the last year of David, and had his education, and the forming of his mind, in the best days of Solomon; yet he lived not up to these advantages. Solomon's defection at las”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 21.--OF THE KINGS AFTER SOLOMON,: BOTH IN JUDAH AND ISRAEL. The other kings of the Hebrews after Solomon are scarcely found to have prophesied, "through certain enigmatic words or actions of theirs, what may pertain to Christ and the Church, either in Judah or Israel; for so were the parts of that people styled, when, on account of Solomon's offence, from the time of 359 Rehoboam his son, who succeeded him in the kingdom, it was divided by God as a punishment. The ten tribes, indeed, which Jeroboam the servant of Solomon received”
1 Kings (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Kings 15:1: Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah. That is, began to reign; and by this it appears that Rehoboam was in the eighteenth year of his reign when he died, for he and Jeroboam began their reign at the same time. Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah. That is, began to reign; and by this it appears that Rehoboam was in the eighteenth year of his reign when he died, for he and Jeroboam began their reign at the same time. 1 Kings 15:2 kg1 15:2 kg1 15:2 kg1 15:2Three years”

Ask Your Own Question