Jeroboam

Biblical Account

The main account appears in 1 Kings 11–14, and he also appears in 2 Chronicles 10–13. He was the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zereda, and his mother was Zeruah, a widow (1 Kings 11:26). Solomon, recognizing his ability, put him in charge of the forced labor of the house of Joseph.

The prophet Ahijah of Shiloh tore a new garment into twelve pieces and gave ten of them to Jeroboam, prophesying that God would give him ten tribes (1 Kings 11:29-39). When Solomon sought to kill him, Jeroboam fled to Shishak, king of Egypt.

After Solomon's death, the people asked Rehoboam to lighten their labor. When Rehoboam refused, the ten northern tribes made Jeroboam their king (1 Kings 12). This event is known as the division of the kingdom.

Jeroboam feared that if the people went up to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, their hearts would turn back to Rehoboam. He therefore made two golden calves, placed them at Bethel and Dan, and declared, "behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt" (1 Kings 12:28). He also appointed priests who were not Levites and instituted a separate feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month.

The major subsequent events are as follows:

• A man of God from Judah prophesied against the altar at Bethel that a king named Josiah would be born. Jeroboam's hand, stretched out to order the man's arrest, withered and was then restored (1 Kings 13).
• When his son Abijah fell ill, Jeroboam sent his wife in disguise to Ahijah, but she received a prophecy of the son's death and the destruction of Jeroboam's house (1 Kings 14).
• 2 Chronicles 13 records his defeat in battle against Abijah, king of Judah.

Jeroboam reigned twenty-two years. His son Nadab succeeded him, but Baasha killed Nadab and destroyed the house of Jeroboam (1 Kings 15:25-30).

A different man of the same name, Jeroboam the son of Joash, is commonly called Jeroboam II. He reigned forty-one years and restored Israel's territory in accordance with the prophecy of Jonah (2 Kings 14:23-29). Amos and Hosea were active during his reign (Amos 1:1; Hosea 1:1).

Significance Within Scripture

In evaluating the later kings of northern Israel, the Books of Kings repeatedly say that a king "walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin" (1 Kings 15:34; 16:26; and elsewhere). 2 Kings 17:21-23 traces the cause of the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel to the sin of Jeroboam. 2 Kings 23:15-16 records that Josiah tore down the altar at Bethel, fulfilling the prophecy of 1 Kings 13. Jeroboam's name does not appear in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Issues

• The nature of the golden calves: Jeroboam's proclamation is nearly identical to the words spoken at the time of Aaron's golden calf incident (Exodus 32:4). Many interpreters therefore hold that the text deliberately presents the two events as parallels. Some scholars suggest that the calves may originally have been intended as pedestals on which the invisible Lord stood, comparing them with the cherubim (images of winged heavenly beings) above the Ark of the Covenant. Whichever view is taken, the text condemns the act as idolatry.
• Divine sovereignty and human responsibility: The text states that the division was from the Lord: "for this thing is from me" (1 Kings 12:24). At the same time, Ahijah's promise was conditioned on obedience (1 Kings 11:38). The emphasis differs depending on whether one reads the account primarily in terms of God's providence or in terms of Jeroboam's choices and responsibility.
• A common confusion: The claim that Jeroboam initiated the worship of Baal does not match the text. The Books of Kings place the rise of Baal worship in the time of Ahab and describe it as worse than the sin of Jeroboam (1 Kings 16:31; see Ahab and Jezebel).
• Differences in textual tradition: The Septuagint is known to contain an additional account of Jeroboam that differs from the Masoretic Text in order and content.

In the Korean Church

In preaching, Jeroboam is usually presented as an example of a leader who put political calculation ahead of faith. He is also cited as an example of altering worship for the sake of convenience, and the expression "the way of Jeroboam" is used in this sense. In Sunday school, he is introduced alongside Rehoboam in lessons on the division of the kingdom after Solomon.