2 Tawarikh 11:5-12

Rehoboam’s Reign

11:5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem; ¹  he built up these fortified cities throughout Judah: 11:6 Bethlehem, ²  Etam, Tekoa, 11:7 Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam, 11:8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 11:9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 11:10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These were the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. 11:11 He fortified these cities and placed officers in them, as well as storehouses of food, olive oil, and wine. 11:12 In each city there were shields and spears; he strongly fortified them. ³  Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.

2 Tawarikh 11:18-23

11:18 Rehoboam married ⁴  Mahalath the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of ⁵  Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab. 11:19 She bore him sons named Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 11:20 He later married Maacah the daughter of Absalom. She bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 11:21 Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than his other wives and concubines. ⁶  He had eighteen wives and sixty concubines; he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

11:22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as the leader over his brothers, for he intended to name him his successor. ⁷  11:23 He wisely placed some of his many sons throughout the regions of Judah and Benjamin in the various fortified cities. ⁸  He supplied them with abundant provisions and acquired many wives for them. ⁹ 

[11:5]  ¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:6]  ² map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[11:12]  ³ tn Heb “he strengthened them greatly, very much.”

[11:18]  ⁴ tn Heb “took for himself a wife.”

[11:18]  ⁵ tn The words “and of” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[11:21]  ⁶ sn Concubines were slave women in ancient Near Eastern societies who were the legal property of their master, but who could have legitimate sexual relations with their master. A concubine’s status was more elevated than a mere servant, but she was not free and did not have the legal rights of a free wife. The children of a concubine could, in some instances, become equal heirs with the children of the free wife. After the period of the Judges concubines may have become more of a royal prerogative (2 Sam 21:10-14; 1 Kgs 11:3).

[11:22]  ⁷ tn Heb “and Rehoboam appointed for a head Abijah son of Maacah for ruler among his brothers, indeed to make him king.”

[11:23]  ⁸ tn Heb “and he was discerning and broke up from all his sons to all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to all the fortified cities.”

[11:23]  ⁹ tn “and he asked for a multitude of wives.”