16 And when all Iſrael ſaw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people anſwered che king, ſay- ing, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the fon of Jeſle : every man to your tents,O Iſrael : and now David, ſee to thine own houſe. So all Lirael went to their tents,
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17 But as for the children of Iſrael that dwelt in the cicies of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them,
18Then king Rehoboam ſent Hadoram that was over
to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jeruſalem, 19 And Ifrael rebelled againſt the houſe of Dayid #4 hci}
unto this day, CHAP. XL
Rehoboam raiſmg an Army to [ubdue Iſrael, is forbidd:n by Shemaiah 1——4. He ftrengtheneth his Kingdom with Forts and Proviſion, 5<-=12. The Prieſts and Levites, and ſuch as feared God, forſaken by Feroboam, who turne:h Idolater, ſtrengthens the Kingdom of Judah, 13—17., The IWives and Children of Rehoboam, 18 23»
ND * when Rehoboam was come to Jeruſalem.he gathered of the houſe of Judah and Benjamin
2 an hundred and fourſcore thoufand choſen mer which
were warriours, to fight againſt Iſrael, that he might
bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.
4 _ this Verſe, and wv. 2, 3, 4. ſee the Notes on 1 Kings, 12. 21, &C.
2 But the word of the LORD came to Shemajah the man of God, ſaying,
2 Speak unto Rehoboam the ſon of Solomon king of Judah, and to all Iſrael in Judah and Benjamin, ſay-
ing,
4 Thus faith the LORD, Ye ſhall not go up, nor fight againſt your brethren : return every man to his houſe ; for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going a- gainſt Jeroboam. |
5 And Rehoboam dwelt in Jeruſalem, and builc ci- ties b for defence in Judah.
b i, e. Repaired, and enlarged, and fortified them : as building is oft uſed in Scripture, as hath been formerly proved : For theſe Ci- ties, or divers of them, were built before, as appears from 5oſ.io. 10. & 12. 15. & 15. 24, 33, 35, 58: & 19: 42.
6 He built even Beth-ichem, and Eram,and Tekoa,
7 And Beth-zur, and Shoco, and Aduliam,
8 And Gath, and Mareſha, and Ziph,
9 And Adoraim, Lachiſh, And Azekah,
io And Zorah, and Ajalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fenced cities.
11 And he fortified the ſtrong holds.a:d put captains in them, and ſtore of victuals, and oy), and wine.
12 And in every ſeveral City c he put ſhields, and ſpears, and made them exceeding ſtrong, having Ju- dah and Benjamin on this ſide.
c To wit, fo fortified, as he ſaid wv: r1.
13 And the Prieſts and the Levites that were in all Iſrael, f reforted to him our of all their coaſts.
14 ( For the. Levites left their * ſuburbs, and their ſented
roboam and his ſons had caſt them off from execuring * as che prieſts office unto the LORD 4. . FR0R
4 They would not ſuffer them to inſtru& and affiſt the Iſraelites ic in the Worſhip and Service of God, nor to go up to Jeruſalem to Worſhip in their Courſes : and thele Prieſts would not joyn with _ ” "_ bes "oa __ Faves, as eas any delired and com= manded to do ; and therefor 2Y WI r ; i and Poſleſſions WO Code Pry Y OO IO
15 And he ordained him pricſts for the high places and for the devils, and for the calves e which he had made. )
e Or, for the high places, both for the Devils (i, e. the Baals, or falſe gods, which d:vers of his People Worthipped, whom he permit= ted and encouaged to do ſo, giving them liberty to do any thin but ro ſerve God at Feruſalem ) ana for the Calves. So he ; Hove, ewo ſorts of High-places, ſome ſor Baal, and ſome for rhe True God, whom he preteaded and would be thought ro worſhip, in and by the Calves.
16 Anr:d after them out of all the Tribes of Ifrael, \uch as let their heart to ſeek the LORD God of Ifra- el f, came to Jeruſaiem, to ſacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers.
Fe f Such as loved and feared Gad in truth, and with their whole cart.
17 So they ſtrengthened the kingdom of Judah, and madeRehoboam the fon of Solomon ſtrong three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon g.
g This honourable menticn of Selomon, as a Pattern of Piety,is 2
conſiderable Evidence of his true Repentance before his death : of which ſee more on 1 Kings 11. 43.
18 And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab, .. __ the fon of Jeſle : _ F_
19 Which bare him children ; Jeuſh, and Shamari- ah, and Zaham.
20 And afcer her,he took * Maachah the daughter of Abſalom, which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Liza, and Shelomith,
15: 2»
She is cal. led M (bas iah the daughter of Uriel.
Chi13:2,
Me] 21 And
the tribute, and the chiidren of Iſrael ſtoned .:im with if | ſtones, that he died : but king Rehoboam + made ſpeed +4 xxe6: | rength {|
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+ Heb.pris |
poſleflion, and came to Judah and Jeruſalem : for * Je- t#mſclve |
2, ; h;13:9+ |
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ELIT HH Xa 0
hap. XII.
Abſalom above all his wives and his concubins: (for he cook eighteen wives,and threeſcore concubines,8 begat twenty and eight ſons and threeſcore daughters )
22 And Rehoboam made Abijah the ſon of Maachah the chief,zo be ruler among his brethren 4 : for he thought to make him king. | © |
h he declared him his Succeſſor, & gave him the Dominion over his Brethren: wherein (if he was not the Firſt-born.as it ſeems to be implyed, becauſe this is mentioned as an Effe& of his Superlative Love to his Mother) he tranſgreſſed that Law, Det. 21. 15, 16. un- leſs God was pleaſed to diſpence with it at that time. Ln
23 And he dealt wiſely,& diſperſed 3 of all his chil-
dren throughout all the countries of Judah and Benya- min, unto every fenced city &: and he gave them vict- uals in abundance : and deſired F many wives /.
7 Leſt his other Sons ſhould after his death unite their Counſels and Forces together againſt 46jah, he wiſely diſperſed them into ſeveral and diſtant Places, and under pretence of honouring them with the Government of them, he made them Priſoners in a ſort, appointing ſeveral perſons to obſerve their motions, and prevent their Combinations. & Aggreeable to their Quality, that their Re- ſtraint might be more ealie to them. 7 Either 1. for his Children: or rather, 2. for himſelf, by comparing this with v. 21e
C H A P. XI.
Rehoboam forſaking the LORD is puniſbed by Shiſhak, 1 4. Shemajah reprovech him : He with the Princes repenteth : Is preſerved in hu kingdom ; but is ſpoil:d of the treaſures of the temple, and of his royal palace, 5 12. His reign and death, and Abijah his ſon is made king,