Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

JEROBOAM

Name of two kings who reigned in the northern kingdom of Israel: Jeroboam I (930–909 BC), the originator and first monarch of the 10 tribes of Israel, and Jeroboam II (793–753 BC), the 14th king of the northern kingdom.

1. Jeroboam I was the son of Nebat from Ephraim’s tribe. He also served King Solomon (1 Kgs 11:26) and his efforts had been rewarded by his placement as the supervisor of an Ephraimite work force. Jeroboam, therefore, helped rebuild an important section of the defenses of Jerusalem (vv 27-28). This efficient and energetic young man did not remain in the employ of Solomon for long, however. Jeroboam’s background, his tribe’s pride, and the oppression of Solomon had produced a young rebel. Ahijah, the prophet of Shiloh, met Jeroboam outside Jerusalem one day and did a startling thing—he tore a new garment he was wearing into 12 pieces and gave 10 of them to Jeroboam (1 Kgs 11:29-30). Ahijah had symbolically shown Jeroboam that God would give him 10 tribes and would leave the Davidic line intact (vv 31-39). Solomon’s idolatry had brought this judgment upon the Davidic line (v 33). Although precise details of a revolt are not given (v 7), Jeroboam fled to Egypt in order to save his life (v 40).

After Solomon’s death, Jeroboam returned to Palestine and approached Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, with a request that his program of oppression cease (1 Kgs 12:1-4). Rehoboam asked for three days to consult with his advisers before answering (vv 5-11). The counsel of the older advisers was toward clemency, but younger hotheads prevailed with their counsel of increased taxation and forced labor (vv 12-14).

The Israelites responded by rejecting Rehoboam. Jeroboam was quickly elected king of the northern tribes (1 Kgs 12:20), and an uneasy cease-fire temporarily stabilized relationships between the two kingdoms at their division (930 BC).

Being ambitious and skillful, Jeroboam built two capital cities, one at Shechem (cf. Gn 12:6-8; Jos 8:30-35), in the territory west of the Jordan, and one at Penuel (cf. Gn 32:30; Jgs 8:17), east of the Jordan (1 Kgs 12:25). He reinstituted the cult of the golden calves, substituting an ancient religion for the worship of Jehovah. He changed the centers of worship, the object of worship, the priesthood, and the time of worship. The new centers became Bethel and Dan (v 29); Bethel was a place of patriarchal worship (Gn 28:10-22; 31:13; 35:1-7), and Dan was the site of a renegade Levitical worship established for the tribe of Dan in the days of the judges (Jgs 18).

The object of worship became the idol calf (1 Kgs 12:28). The worship was based upon Aaron’s participation in the first instance of this idolatry in Israel. Aaron had presented the golden calf at Sinai as a visible representation of the invisible Yahweh who had brought Israel out of Egypt (Ex 32:4-5). This compromise religion would yet have an appeal to Yahweh worshipers. Aaron’s prior establishment of this worship added to the appeal for those who were reluctant to separate from Levitical methodology. The Levites in Dan would also add to the authentication of the calf worship.

Doubtless, the Egyptian sojourn of Jeroboam contributed to this turn of events. The Egyptians’ worship of Amon-Re, the sun god, included his representation as a bull. The bull in Egyptian worship was intended to visibly represent an invisible deity. This concept could have easily been transferred by the Israelites to their worship of the invisible Yahweh.

Jeroboam’s idolatry would result in the ultimate destruction of his line (1 Kgs 13:33-34). An immediate result was the death of his son Abijah (14:1-18). Jeroboam’s plan to deceive the prophet Ahijah failed and became the means of pronouncing judgment upon the house of Jeroboam and the northern kingdom (vv 7-16). One manifestation of the gradual decline of Israel was the defeat Jeroboam suffered at the hand of Abijah of Judah (2 Chr 13:1-20).

Jeroboam I died after reigning 22 years over Israel (1 Kgs 14:19-20). His remaining son, Nadab, ruled for only two years before he was assassinated by Baasha of the tribe of Issachar (1 Kgs 14:20; 15:25-31). The whole household of Jeroboam was then killed by Baasha, fulfilling the prophecy of Ahijah concerning the end of the dynasty of Jeroboam. Yet even Baasha walked in the footsteps of Jeroboam’s apostasy (1 Kgs 15:34).

2. Jeroboam II, the son of Joash (or Jehoash, 798–782 BC), reigned over Israel longer than any other northern king even though he followed the evil example of his ancestral namesake, Jeroboam I (2 Kgs 14:23-24). His reign of 41 years included an 11-year co-regency with his father. Evidently, Joash had taken steps to ensure the stability of his kingdom before meeting Amaziah of Judah in battle (2 Kgs 14:8-14; 2 Chr 25:5-24).

Jeroboam II ruled in the city of Samaria (2 Kgs 14:23). The archaeological evidence at Samaria indicates a reconstruction program in the royal palace during the prosperous reigns of Joash and Jeroboam II. In 1910 excavators found over 60 inscribed potsherds that were invoices or labels for oil and wine sent to the royal stores for use in the king’s service. The limited number of place-names (27) on the potsherds indicates that the shipments of these commodities were not a nationwide levy of taxes but were probably all from properties belonging to the royal house. These illustrate the extensive holdings and opulence of the royal house in Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II.

Large numbers of carved decorative plaques and panels of ivory were also found in the ruins of Samaria, a reminder of the wealth of the northern kingdom in its latter days. The influence of the pagan societies of Syria, Assyria, and Egypt can be seen by the various figures of deities on the ivories.

The prophet Jonah, son of Amittai, had prophesied the acquisition of power by Jeroboam II (2 Kgs 14:25). Although Jeroboam’s reign was late in the history of the northern kingdom, God still desired to exhibit his long-suffering and faithful covenant-keeping love, offering Israel repentance (vv 26-28).

The northern kingdom reached its greatest extension since the time of Solomon as the result of God’s care for Israel during Jeroboam’s reign. The boundaries stretched from Hamath on the Orontes River in the north to the Gulf of Aqaba, with its cities of Elath and Ezion-geber, in the south. Prosperity did not suffice to deliver Israel from internal and external problems, however. The extensive corruption in government and the degenerate spiritual state of the people propelled Israel into the tumultuous days that would end in the utter destruction of the northern kingdom. Jeroboam’s own life must have been in danger from conspirators. Amaziah, a priest at Bethel, even accused the prophet Amos of conspiring to assassinate Jeroboam (Am 7:8-17). Amos had actually prophesied the captivity of Israel and the fall of Jeroboam’s dynasty. The word of God had become a threat to Jeroboam because of the hardness of the hearts of all in Israel, including the king.

Economic depression, moral deterioration, political weakness, and governmental corruption served to hasten the fall of Israel. The rich landowners, including Jeroboam II, had oppressed the less wealthy citizens and had forced small landowners to migrate from their farms to the cities.

Within six months of the death of Jeroboam II, the prophecy concerning the end of the dynasty of Jehu (Jeroboam was the fourth king of that line) was fulfilled (2 Kgs 14:29; 15:8-12; cf. 10:12-31). As the son of Jeroboam I, Nadab, was assassinated, so the son of Jeroboam II, Zechariah, was assassinated. Thirty-one years after the death of Jeroboam II, the prophecies concerning the captivity of Israel were fulfilled (722 BC; 2 Kgs 17:5-41).