2 Chronicles 11:21
New International Version
Rehoboam loved Maakah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

New Living Translation
Rehoboam loved Maacah more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and they gave birth to twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

English Standard Version
Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and concubines (he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters).

Berean Standard Bible
Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

King James Bible
And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.)

New King James Version
Now Rehoboam loved Maachah the granddaughter of Absalom more than all his wives and his concubines; for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

New American Standard Bible
Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines. For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

NASB 1995
Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines. For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

NASB 1977
And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines. For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines. For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines and became the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

Amplified Bible
Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter (granddaughter) of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines—for he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

Christian Standard Bible
Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. He acquired eighteen wives and sixty concubines and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. He acquired 18 wives and 60 concubines and was the father of 28 sons and 60 daughters.

American Standard Version
And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines, and begat twenty and eight sons and threescore daughters.)

Contemporary English Version
Rehoboam had 18 wives, but he also married 60 other women, and he was the father of 28 sons and 60 daughters. Rehoboam loved his wife Maacah the most,

English Revised Version
And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines, and begat twenty and eight sons and threescore daughters.)

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Rehoboam loved Maacah, Absalom's granddaughter, more than all his other wives and concubines. (He had 18 wives and 60 concubines. He fathered 28 sons and 60 daughters.)

Good News Translation
In all, Rehoboam had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. Of all his wives and concubines he loved Maacah best,

International Standard Version
Rehoboam loved Absalom's daughter Maacah more than he did all of his wives and mistresses. (He married eighteen wives and 60 concubines, fathering 28 sons and 60 daughters.)

Majority Standard Bible
Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

NET Bible
Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than his other wives and concubines. He had eighteen wives and sixty concubines; he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

New Heart English Bible
Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his secondary wives: (for he took eighteen wives, and sixty secondary wives, and became the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.)

Webster's Bible Translation
And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and sixty concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and sixty daughters.)

World English Bible
Rehoboam loved Maacah the granddaughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines; for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and became the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Rehoboam loves Maachah daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines—for he has taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines—and he begets twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

Young's Literal Translation
And Rehoboam loveth Maachah daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines -- for eighteen wives he hath taken, and sixty concubines -- and he begetteth twenty and eight sons, and sixty daughters.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Rehoboam will love Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines; and he will beget twenty and eight sons, and sixty daughters.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Roboam loved Maacha the daughter of Absalom above all his wives, and concubines: for he had married eighteen wives, and threescore concubines: and he beget eight and twenty sons, and threescore daughters.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But Rehoboam loved Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, above all his wives and concubines. For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines. And he conceived twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

New American Bible
Rehoboam loved Maacah, daughter of Absalom, more than all his other wives and concubines; he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

New Revised Standard Version
Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines (he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and became the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters).
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines (for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines; and begat twenty-eight sons, and sixty daughters).
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines--for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines, and begot twenty and eight sons and threescore daughters.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Roboam loved Maacha the daughter of Abessalom more than all his wives and all his concubines: for he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines; and he begot twenty-eight sons, and sixty daughters.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Rehoboam's Family
20After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 22Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, intending to make him king.…

Cross References
1 Kings 11:3
He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines—and his wives turned his heart away.

2 Samuel 5:13
After he had arrived from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.

1 Kings 11:1-2
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. / These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love.

1 Kings 15:2
and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.

1 Kings 15:13
He also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

2 Chronicles 13:2
and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel; she was from Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

2 Chronicles 12:13
Thus King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem and reigned. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite.

Genesis 29:30
Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.

Genesis 30:26
Give me my wives and children for whom I have served you, that I may go on my way. You know how hard I have worked for you.”

Deuteronomy 17:17
He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.

Matthew 19:8
Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart. But it was not this way from the beginning.

Mark 10:5
But Jesus told them, “Moses wrote this commandment for you because of your hardness of heart.

1 Corinthians 7:2
But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.

Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her

1 Timothy 3:2
An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,


Treasury of Scripture

And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and three score concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and three score daughters.)

eighteen wives

2 Chronicles 11:23
And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city: and he gave them victual in abundance. And he desired many wives.

Deuteronomy 17:17
Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

Judges 8:30
And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.

Jump to Previous
Absalom Begat Begot Concubines Daughter Daughters Eight Eighteen Fathered Loved Maacah Maachah Rehoboam Sixty Threescore Twenty Twenty-Eight Wives
Jump to Next
Absalom Begat Begot Concubines Daughter Daughters Eight Eighteen Fathered Loved Maacah Maachah Rehoboam Sixty Threescore Twenty Twenty-Eight Wives
2 Chronicles 11
1. Rehoboam raising an army to subdue Israel, is forbidden by Shemaiah
5. He strengthens his kingdom with forts and provisions
13. The priests and Levites, and such as feared God, forsaken by Jeroboam,
17. strengthen the kingdom of Judah
18. The wives and children of Rehoboam














Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom
The phrase highlights Rehoboam's affection for Maacah, who is identified as the daughter of Absalom. The Hebrew root for "loved" (אָהַב, 'ahav) conveys a deep, personal affection and preference. This love is significant because it shows a personal choice that impacts royal decisions. Maacah's lineage, being the daughter of Absalom, ties Rehoboam to a notable family history, as Absalom was a son of King David. This connection to David's line would have been politically and socially significant, reinforcing Rehoboam's legitimacy and status.

more than all his other wives and concubines
This phrase indicates a preferential treatment that Rehoboam gave to Maacah over his other wives and concubines. The Hebrew word for "more than" (מִכָּל, mikol) suggests a comparison that elevates Maacah above others. In the context of ancient Near Eastern royal practices, kings often had multiple wives and concubines to secure alliances and produce heirs. However, Rehoboam's favoritism towards Maacah could have led to familial tensions and political implications, as favoritism often did in royal households.

In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines
The enumeration of Rehoboam's wives and concubines reflects the common practice of polygamy among ancient Near Eastern royalty. The numbers signify wealth, power, and the king's ability to maintain a large household. The Hebrew culture, while allowing polygamy, often highlighted the complications it brought, as seen in the lives of other biblical figures like Solomon and David. This practice, while culturally accepted, often led to familial discord and divided loyalties.

twenty-eight sons, and sixty daughters
The mention of Rehoboam's offspring underscores the king's role in ensuring the continuation of his lineage and the stability of his dynasty. The large number of children would have been seen as a blessing and a sign of divine favor. However, it also posed challenges in terms of succession and governance, as seen in the history of Israel and Judah, where multiple heirs often led to power struggles. The Hebrew culture placed great importance on progeny, viewing children as a heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3).

(21) Loved Maachah.--She probably inherited her mother's and grandfather's beauty.

For he took--N?s?', as in 2Chronicles 13:21; a later usage instead of l?qah.

And threescore concubines.--Josephus (l.c.) says, "thirty," and the difference in Hebrew is only of one letter. The recurrence of the same number immediately ("threescore daughters") is also suspicious.

Verse 21. - Rehoboam was clearly wrong by Deuteronomy 17:17 (note Solomon's Song of Solomon 6:8).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Rehoboam
רְחַבְעָ֜ם (rə·ḥaḇ·‘ām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7346: Rehoboam -- 'a people are enlarged', a king of Judah

loved
וַיֶּאֱהַ֨ב (way·ye·’ĕ·haḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 157: To have affection f

Maacah
מַעֲכָ֣ה (ma·‘ă·ḵāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4601: Maacah -- an Israelite name, also a non-Israelite name, also a region in Syria

daughter
בַת־ (ḇaṯ-)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1323: A daughter

of Absalom
אַבְשָׁל֗וֹם (’aḇ·šā·lō·wm)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 53: Absalom -- 'my father is peace', two Israelites

more than all
מִכָּל־ (mik·kāl)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

his wives
נָשָׁיו֙ (nā·šāw)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

and concubines.
וּפִ֣ילַגְשָׁ֔יו (ū·p̄î·laḡ·šāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6370: A concubine, a paramour

In all, he had
נָשָׂ֔א (nā·śā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

eighteen
שְׁמוֹנֶֽה־ (šə·mō·w·neh-)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 8083: A cardinal number, eight, eighth

wives
נָשִׁ֤ים (nā·šîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

and sixty
שִׁשִּׁ֑ים (šiš·šîm)
Number - common plural
Strong's 8346: Sixty

concubines,
וּפִֽילַגְשִׁ֖ים (ū·p̄î·laḡ·šîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 6370: A concubine, a paramour

and he was the father
וַיּ֗וֹלֶד (way·yō·w·leḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

of twenty-eight
עֶשְׂרִ֧ים (‘eś·rîm)
Number - common plural
Strong's 6242: Twenty, twentieth

sons
בָּנִ֖ים (bā·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1121: A son

and sixty
וְשִׁשִּׁ֥ים (wə·šiš·šîm)
Conjunctive waw | Number - common plural
Strong's 8346: Sixty

daughters.
בָּנֽוֹת׃ (bā·nō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 1323: A daughter


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OT History: 2 Chronicles 11:21 Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr)
2 Chronicles 11:20
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