Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

REHOBOAM

King (930–913 BC) especially remembered for his part in perpetuating the split of the Hebrew kingdom and for being the first king of the separate kingdom of Judah.

Split of the Kingdom

When Solomon died (930 BC), his son Rehoboam ascended to the throne. Perhaps as a concession to the Ephraimites, who often seemed to have been piqued at their inferior status, Rehoboam agreed to hold his coronation in their town of Shechem instead of in Jerusalem, a traditional place of meeting on which “all Israel” could agree (1 Kgs 12:1).

At the conclave, leaders of the northern tribes, accompanied by Jeroboam, approached the new king for concessions. Jeroboam—an official under Solomon’s administration who had fled to Egypt when Solomon suspected him of treason—had returned to Israel to assume a position of leadership. Jeroboam was destined to be the ruler of Israel because of Solomon’s apostasy (1 Kgs 11). Solomon’s numerous building projects and his ostentation seem to have bankrupted the kingdom, resulting in an intolerable tax burden. Especially objectionable was forced labor on various projects (see 1 Kgs 12:4; 2 Chr 10:4). The populace sought relief from high taxes.

The new king asked for a three-day grace period in which to study the request. Advisers from Solomon’s administration counseled concessions; the younger men urged no moderation but an even greater tax burden. Following the advice of his peers, Rehoboam arrogantly threatened even higher taxes. The restless northern tribes broke away to establish a separate kingdom under the leadership of Jeroboam. Judah and Benjamin were the only tribes loyal to Rehoboam.

The separate existence of the northern kingdom was not a new development. After Saul’s death, the north had gone its own way while David ruled in Hebron. Some 30 years later, it had briefly supported Sheba in a revolt against David. Now under the leadership of Jeroboam, the rupture was to become permanent.

Not accepting the apparent success of the secession, Rehoboam sent his tribute master or treasurer, Adoram (Adoniram), to try to heal the division. North Israelite partisans stoned him to death, and Rehoboam and his party fled to Jerusalem. Rehoboam immediately tried to subjugate the rebellious tribes. Raising a force of 180,000 men from Judah and Benjamin, he prepared to march north, but the prophet Shemaiah brought word from God to abandon the project since the breakup of the kingdom was part of the judgment of God on Israel for the sinfulness of the nation during Solomon’s reign. Rehoboam promptly abandoned his military efforts, but intermittent military skirmishes plagued the relations of Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout their reigns.

Reign of Rehoboam

In the face of constant threat of attack, Rehoboam set about to fortify his kingdom. He built extensive fortifications with adequate supplies of weapons and food at Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, Gath, Maresha, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron.

Military preparedness was supplemented by spiritual underpinning. As a result of the establishment of a new apostate religion in the northern kingdom, priests and Levites streamed to the south, where they greatly strengthened the spiritual fiber of the realm. Apparently, they helped to maintain the stability of Judah for three years.

However, the people built high places and pagan sanctuaries throughout the land. They began to engage in the corrupt religious practices of the heathen nations around them, including homosexuality (1 Kgs 14:22-24).

Soon Rehoboam forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel followed him (2 Chr 12:1). Rehoboam was the son of Solomon, a preoccupied father who himself grew increasingly lax about spiritual things. Rehoboam’s mother was Naamah, a pagan Ammonite princess who presumably lacked any spiritual perception (1 Kgs 14:21). His father’s example of keeping a harem and having numerous children likewise had an impact on him. Rehoboam had 18 wives, 60 concubines, 28 sons, and 60 daughters. He spent a considerable amount of time providing living arrangements for them in the fortified cities of Judah (2 Chr 11:21-23).

At length, the apostasy of Judah became so great that God brought judgment on the nation in the form of a foreign invasion. In the fifth year of Rehoboam (c. 926 BC), Shishak I (Sheshonk I) of Egypt invaded Palestine with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 men (1 Kgs 14:25; 2 Chr 12:2-3).

After Shishak’s initial successes, the prophet Shemaiah made it clear to the king and the nobility that the invasion was direct punishment for their sinful ways. When they repented of their waywardness, God promised to moderate their punishment. They were subjected to either heavy tribute or a plundering of their cities. The national treasury and the temple treasury were emptied to satisfy the demands of the Egyptians.

Shishak’s invasion continued into the northern kingdom, for his inscription in the temple of Karnak at Luxor tells of his conquest of 156 towns in the two kingdoms. Only a fraction of the names listed can be identified.

Rehoboam’s repentance was only temporary. Scripture indicates that his latter years were characterized by evil (2 Chr 12:14), and that his son and successor, Abijam, “walked in all the sins which his father did before him” (1 Kgs 15:3). Probably the sins of his father would not have been condemned if Rehoboam’s last 12 years had been a good example to his maturing son.

Rehoboam was 41 when he ascended the throne, and he reigned for 17 years.