2 Chronicles 11

This chapter begins the history of the kings of the southern kingdom of Judah in 2 Chronicles. In 2 Chronicles 10, the northern tribes broke away from Rehoboam and the kingdom was divided in two. Chapter 11 then shows how Judah established itself in the immediate aftermath of the division.

Outline

• Verses 1–4 Rehoboam musters 180,000 warriors from Judah and Benjamin to regain the kingdom. When Shemaiah the man of God delivers the word of the LORD forbidding them to fight against their brethren, he does not go up against Jeroboam.
• Verses 5–12 Rehoboam fortifies fifteen cities, from Bethlehem to Hebron, and stations commanders, provisions, and weapons in them.
• Verses 13–17 When Jeroboam appoints his own priests for the high places and for the goat and calf idols and drives out the Levites, the priests, the Levites, and those who seek the LORD come to Jerusalem. As a result, Judah grows strong for three years.
• Verses 18–23 Rehoboam's wives and children are recorded. By eighteen wives and sixty concubines he had twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. He appoints Abijah, the son of Maacah, as his successor and disperses his other sons throughout the cities.

Key Verses

• 2 Chronicles 11:4 "Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of me." The division of the kingdom is presented as the will of God.
• 2 Chronicles 11:16 "Such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem." This verse shows where the Chronicler locates true worship.
• 2 Chronicles 11:17 "For three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon." The kingdom's strength is attributed to its faithfulness.

People and Places

• Rehoboam: The son of Solomon and the first king of the southern kingdom of Judah.
• Shemaiah: The prophet who delivered God's word and averted the war.
• Jeroboam: The first king of the northern kingdom of Israel.
• Mahalath: A wife of Rehoboam and the daughter of Jerimoth, son of David. Her mother was Abihail, a granddaughter of Jesse.
• Maacah: The daughter of Absalom and Rehoboam's most beloved wife.
• Abijah: The son of Maacah, appointed to succeed Rehoboam as king.
• Lachish, Azekah, Adullam, and others: Fortified cities guarding the western and southern frontiers of Judah.
• Levites and priests: Driven out of the north, they relocate to Jerusalem.

Points for Reflection

• Verses 1–4 parallel 1 Kings 12:21–24. By contrast, the fortification of cities, the migration of the Levites, and the record of the king's family appear only in Chronicles. Here again the Chronicler's strong interest in the temple, the Levites, and Jerusalem-centered worship is evident.
• In 2 Chronicles 13:2, Maacah is also called "Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah." For this reason, the view that Maacah was Absalom's granddaughter is widely cited.
• The phrase "he dealt wisely" in verse 23 is often interpreted as a measure to prevent disputes over the throne by dispersing the princes.
• The reference to "three years" leads into 2 Chronicles 12, where Rehoboam forsakes the law and suffers the invasion of Shishak, king of Egypt.