Shemaiah’s Prophecy
וַיָּבֹ֣א רְחַבְעָם֮ יְרוּשָׁלִַם֒ וַיַּקְהֵל֩ אֶת־בֵּ֨ית יְהוּדָ֜ה וּבִנְיָמִ֗ן מֵאָ֨ה וּשְׁמוֹנִ֥ים אֶ֛לֶף בָּח֖וּר עֹשֵׂ֣ה מִלְחָמָ֑ה לְהִלָּחֵם֙ עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה לִרְחַבְעָֽם׃ פ
When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the house of Judah and Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—to fight against Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
וַיְהִי֙ דְּבַר־יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־שְׁמַֽעְיָ֥הוּ אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים לֵאמֹֽר׃
But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God:
אֱמֹ֕ר אֶל־רְחַבְעָ֥ם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה וְאֶל֙ כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בִּיהוּדָ֥ה וּבִנְיָמִ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃
“Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin
כֹּ֣ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֡ה לֹא־תַעֲלוּ֩ וְלֹא־תִלָּ֨חֲמ֜וּ עִם־אֲחֵיכֶ֗ם שׁ֚וּבוּ אִ֣ישׁ לְבֵית֔וֹ כִּ֧י מֵֽאִתִּ֛י נִהְיָ֖ה הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ מִלֶּ֥כֶת אֶל־יָרָבְעָֽם׃ פ
that this is what the LORD says: ‘You are not to go up and fight against your brothers. Each of you must return home, for this is My doing.’” So they listened to the words of the LORD and turned back from going against Jeroboam.
Rehoboam Fortifies Judah
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב רְחַבְעָ֖ם בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וַיִּ֧בֶן עָרִ֛ים לְמָצ֖וֹר בִּיהוּדָֽה׃
Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built up cities for defense in Judah.
וְאֶת־צָרְעָה֙ וְאֶת־אַיָּל֔וֹן וְאֶת־חֶבְר֔וֹן אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּיהוּדָ֖ה וּבְבִנְיָמִ֑ן עָרֵ֖י מְצֻרֽוֹת׃
Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.
וַיְחַזֵּ֖ק אֶת־הַמְּצֻר֑וֹת וַיִּתֵּ֤ן בָּהֶם֙ נְגִידִ֔ים וְאֹצְר֥וֹת מַאֲכָ֖ל וְשֶׁ֥מֶן וָיָֽיִן׃
He strengthened their fortifications and put officers in them, with supplies of food, oil, and wine.
וּבְכָל־עִ֤יר וָעִיר֙ צִנּ֣וֹת וּרְמָחִ֔ים וַֽיְחַזְּקֵ֖ם לְהַרְבֵּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וַיְהִי־ל֖וֹ יְהוּדָ֥ה וּבִנְיָמִֽן׃ ס
He also put shields and spears in all the cities and strengthened them greatly. So Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.
Jeroboam Forsakes the Priests and Levites
וְהַכֹּהֲנִים֙ וְהַלְוִיִּ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הִֽתְיַצְּב֥וּ עָלָ֖יו מִכָּל־גְּבוּלָֽם׃
Moreover, the priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel stood with Rehoboam.
כִּֽי־עָזְב֣וּ הַלְוִיִּ֗ם אֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶם֙ וַאֲחֻזָּתָ֔ם וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ לִיהוּדָ֖ה וְלִֽירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם כִּֽי־הִזְנִיחָ֤ם יָֽרָבְעָם֙ וּבָנָ֔יו מִכַּהֵ֖ן לַיהוָֽה׃
For the Levites left their pasturelands and their possessions and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD.
וַיַּֽעֲמֶד־לוֹ֙ כֹּֽהֲנִ֔ים לַבָּמ֖וֹת וְלַשְּׂעִירִ֑ים וְלָעֲגָלִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה׃
And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made.
וְאַחֲרֵיהֶ֗ם מִכֹּל֙ שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַנֹּֽתְנִים֙ אֶת־לְבָבָ֔ם לְבַקֵּ֕שׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בָּ֚אוּ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם לִזְבּ֕וֹחַ לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃
Those from every tribe of Israel who had set their hearts to seek the LORD their God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers.
וַֽיְחַזְּקוּ֙ אֶת־מַלְכ֣וּת יְהוּדָ֔ה וַֽיְאַמְּצ֛וּ אֶת־רְחַבְעָ֥ם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לְשָׁנִ֣ים שָׁל֑וֹשׁ כִּ֣י הָֽלְכ֗וּ בְּדֶ֧רֶךְ דָּוִ֛יד וּשְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לְשָׁנִ֥ים שָׁלֽוֹשׁ׃
So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, because they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon.
Rehoboam’s Family
וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ל֤וֹ רְחַבְעָם֙ אִשָּׁ֔ה אֶת־מָ֣חֲלַ֔ת בַּת יְרִימ֖וֹת בֶּן־דָּוִ֑יד אֲבִיהַ֕יִל בַּת־אֱלִיאָ֖ב בֶּן־יִשָֽׁי׃
And Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab.
וַתֵּ֥לֶד ל֖וֹ בָּנִ֑ים אֶת־יְע֥וּשׁ וְאֶת־שְׁמַרְיָ֖ה וְאֶת־זָֽהַם׃
She bore sons to him: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
וְאַחֲרֶ֣יהָ לָקַ֔ח אֶֽת־מַעֲכָ֖ה בַּת־אַבְשָׁל֑וֹם וַתֵּ֣לֶד ל֗וֹ אֶת־אֲבִיָּה֙ וְאֶת־עַתַּ֔י וְאֶת־זִיזָ֖א וְאֶת־שְׁלֹמִֽית׃
After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
וַיֶּאֱהַ֨ב רְחַבְעָ֜ם אֶת־מַעֲכָ֣ה בַת־אַבְשָׁל֗וֹם מִכָּל־נָשָׁיו֙ וּפִ֣ילַגְשָׁ֔יו כִּ֠י נָשִׁ֤ים שְׁמוֹנֶֽה־עֶשְׂרֵה֙ נָשָׂ֔א וּפִֽילַגְשִׁ֖ים שִׁשִּׁ֑ים וַיּ֗וֹלֶד עֶשְׂרִ֧ים וּשְׁמוֹנָ֛ה בָּנִ֖ים וְשִׁשִּׁ֥ים בָּנֽוֹת׃
Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
וַיַּֽעֲמֵ֨ד לָרֹ֧אשׁ רְחַבְעָ֛ם אֶת־אֲבִיָּ֥ה בֶֽן־מַעֲכָ֖ה לְנָגִ֣יד בְּאֶחָ֑יו כִּ֖י לְהַמְלִיכֽוֹ׃
Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, intending to make him king.
וַיָּבֶן֩ וַיִּפְרֹ֨ץ מִכָּל־בָּנָ֜יו לְֽכָל־אַרְצ֧וֹת יְהוּדָ֣ה וּבִנְיָמִ֗ן לְכֹל֙ עָרֵ֣י הַמְּצֻר֔וֹת וַיִּתֵּ֥ן לָהֶ֛ם הַמָּז֖וֹן לָרֹ֑ב וַיִּשְׁאַ֖ל הֲמ֥וֹן נָשִֽׁים׃
Rehoboam also acted wisely by dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and sought many wives for them.