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I. REHOBOAM'S WIVES.

1. The number of them. In all eighteen wives and sixty concubines. Solomon had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines (1 Kings 11:3). David even had more wives and concubines than was good for him (2 Samuel 3:2-5; 2 Samuel 5:13; 2 Samuel 12:8). Oriental monarchs generally had well-filled harems. Rameses II. had a hundred and nineteen children (sixty sons and fifty-nine daughters), "which gives ground for supposing a great number of concubines, besides his lawful wives" (Brugsch, vol. 2. p. 115). Poly- gamy was also permitted to, and practised by, the monarchs of Assyria, whose palaces accordingly were guarded by a whole army of eunuchs Sayce, 'Assyria, its Princes, Priests, and People,' p. 129).

2. The chief of them.

(1) "Mahalath, the daughter of David's son Jerimoth," who was probably a son of one of David's concubines, as Jerimoth is wanting in the list of David's sons (1 Chronicles 3:1-8); "Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, the son of Jesse" (1 Chronicles 2:13), is not a second wife of Rehoboam's (LXX.) as the words "which bare" (ver. 19) and "after her" (ver. 20) show, but Mahalath's mother, who was thus David's niece, as Mahalath's father was David's grandson. Mahalath was probably the first wedded of Rehoboam's spouses.

(2) "Maachah, the daughter of Absalom." Called also "Micaiah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah" (ch. 13:2), or of Abishalom (1 Kings 15:2), Maachah was probably the daughter of Tamar, whose husband was the above Uriel or Abishalom, and whose father was Absalom (2 Samuel 14:27). If Mahalath was the first of Rehoboam's wives, Maachah was the favourite, probably on account of beauty and fascinating manners inherited from her grandfather (2 Samuel 14:25; 2 Samuel 15:6).

II. REHOBOAM'S CHILDREN.

1. The number of his sons. Twenty-eight, among whom were

(1) the sons of Mahalath, nowhere else mentioned, "Jeush, Shamariah, and Zaham," men not distinguished for their own sakes, and hardly worthy of further notice for their father's sake; and

(2) the sons of Maachah, "Abijah, or Abijam (1 Kings 15:1), and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith," of whom only the first emerged from obscurity. Rehoboam's daughters are not named, but only numbered. In those days woman had not attained the place which was her due, and which has since been assigned her by Christianity.

2. The favourite amongst his sons. Abijah. Though not the firstborn, Rehoboam designated him as successor to the throne, no doubt to the injury and displeasure of the firstborn; but in doing so, if he obeyed not the Law (Deuteronomy 21:16), he at least followed the example of David, who preferred Bathsheba's son Solomon to the throne, instead of his firstborn, Amnon the son of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess. He also made Abijah ruler among his brethren, set him at their head, appointed him as governor over them in the various state offices they held, and entrusted to him the crown treasures and the strongest cities (Josephus, 'Ant.,' 8:10. 1).

3. The treatment of his other sons. He "dealt wisely" with them.

(1) He dispersed them abroad among the different garrison cities, giving them commands in these, so that by their separation from one another and their occupation with military duties they might have neither time nor opportunity to conspire with Jeroboam, or any other monarch, against Abijah or himself.

(2) He provided for them abundant maintenance, i.e. a living suitable to their princely rank, so that no temptation to discontent might assail them. Rehoboam probably knew that if his sons had their bellies well filled their souls would be at ease.

(3) He sought for them many wives. Whether these were chosen out of the different districts where the sons held commands, in order to bring his sons into closer connection with the inhabitants of the same (Ewald, 'History of Israel,' vol. 4. p. 47), the certainty is that the practice of polygamy in which he encouraged them would not tend to increase their warlike energy.

LESSONS.

1. The misery as well as sin of polygamy, leading as it does to divided affections and unjustifiable partialities.

2. The duty of dealing wisely with children, but not after the fashion of Rehoboam. - W.

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KJV: And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;

WEB: Rehoboam took him a wife, Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, [and of] Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;