The Fenced Cities King Rehoboam Built |
2 Chronicles 11:1-23 2 Chronicles in [Smaller Chunks] |
When [king] Rehoboam [came] to Jerusalem, he gathered 180,000 chosen men of the [families] of Judah & Benjamin [who] were warriors to fight against Israel, [so] the kingdom might [return] to [king] Rehoboam. |
But the Word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, the man of God, saying, Speak to Rehoboam, [Solomon’s] son, [Judah’s] king & to all Judah & Benjamin, saying, The Lord [says this,] You shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren. Every man return to his house: for this is done of Me [the Lord God.] |
They obeyed the words of the Lord & they returned [instead of] going against Jeroboam. [King] Rehoboam [lived] in Jerusalem & built cities [of] defense in Judah. |
[Rehoboam] even built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, BethZur, Shoco [a.k.a. Sochoh,] Abdullam, Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, Zorah, Aijalon, Hebron, which are fenced cities in Judah & Benjamin. |
He fortified the strongholds & put captains in them & [stored food,] oil & wine [in them.] In several [cities,] Rehoboam put shields & spears & made them [exceedingly] strong, having Judah & Benjamin on his side. |
The priests & the Levites, out of all the coasts [took a stand with [Jeroboam.] The Levites left their possession & suburbs & came to Judah & Jerusalem. |
[Since] Jeroboam & his sons had [kept the Levites] from [performing] the priest’s office to the Lord. Jeroboam [appointed his own] priests for the high places for the [demons] & calves [that Jeroboam] had made. |
[Psalm 106:35-38 But [they] were mingled among the heathen & learned their [behaviors.] And they served their idols: which were a snare to them. [Yet,] they sacrificed their sons & their daughters unto [demons] & shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons & daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan & the land was polluted with blood.] |
[Any of those left] of all the tribes of Israel [whose] hearts [were] set to seek the Lord God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their [forefathers.] |
So, they strengthened the kingdom of Judah & made Rehoboam, [Solomon’s] son, strong [for] 3 years. For 3 years they walked in the [paths] of David & Solomon. [King] Rehoboam [married] Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, [David’s] son, |
& [married] Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, [Jesse’s] son; [who bore] him children: Jeush, Shamariah & Zaham. After her, [Rehoboam married] Maachah, [Absalom’s] daughter, [who bore] him: Abijah, Attai, Ziza & Shelomith. |
Rehoboam loved Maachah, [Absalom’s] daughter [more than] all his wives & [mistresses.] (For [Rehoboam married] 18 wives & [had] 30 [mistresses] & [fathered] 28 sons & 30 daughters.) |
Rehoboam made Abijah, [Maachah’s] son, the [1st born,] to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king. |
[Rehoboam’ dealt wisely & [distributed] all his children throughout the countries of Judah & Benjamin [into] every fenced city. He gave them [an] abundance of [food.] And [Rehoboam] desired many wives. |