1 Kings 14:21 Study Bible: Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there: and his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess.

◄ 1 Kings 14:21 ►

Meanwhile, Rehoboam son of Solomon reigned in Judah. 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.

Study Bible

Rehoboam son of Solomon
Rehoboam, whose name means "he enlarges the people," was the son of Solomon, the wisest king of Israel. This lineage is significant as it connects Rehoboam to the Davidic line, fulfilling God's promise to David that his descendants would continue to rule. The mention of Solomon highlights the contrast between the wisdom of the father and the often unwise decisions of the son, setting the stage for the division of the kingdom.

reigned in Judah
Judah, the southern kingdom, was the portion of the united monarchy that remained under the control of David's lineage after the kingdom split. This division was a direct consequence of Solomon's idolatry and Rehoboam's harsh policies. Judah's significance is underscored by its association with the Davidic covenant and its role as the remnant of God's chosen people.

forty-one years old
Rehoboam's age at the beginning of his reign suggests a level of maturity and experience, yet his actions often reflect a lack of wisdom and discernment. This age detail provides insight into the expectations of leadership and the responsibilities that come with maturity, which Rehoboam struggled to fulfill.

when he became king
The transition of power from Solomon to Rehoboam marks a pivotal moment in Israel's history. It was a time of potential continuity and stability, yet it quickly turned into division and strife due to Rehoboam's failure to heed wise counsel. This phrase emphasizes the importance of leadership and the impact of a king's decisions on the nation's spiritual and political health.

seventeen years in Jerusalem
Rehoboam's reign in Jerusalem, the political and spiritual center of Judah, lasted seventeen years. This period was marked by challenges, including the invasion of Shishak and internal strife. Jerusalem's mention highlights its enduring significance as the city chosen by God, despite the failings of its leaders.

the city the LORD had chosen
Jerusalem's selection by the LORD as His dwelling place underscores its centrality in God's plan for His people. This divine choice reflects God's sovereignty and His desire to establish a place where His Name would dwell, symbolizing His presence and favor.

from all the tribes of Israel
This phrase highlights the unique status of Jerusalem as the spiritual heart of the entire nation, even after the division. It serves as a reminder of the unity that once existed among the tribes and the ideal of a unified worship of Yahweh.

in which to put His Name
The concept of God placing His Name in Jerusalem signifies His covenantal presence and blessing. It is a profound expression of God's commitment to His people and His desire for a relationship with them, centered in worship and obedience.

His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite
Naamah's identity as an Ammonite introduces a foreign influence into the royal lineage, reflecting the complexities of Israel's interactions with surrounding nations. Her presence in the narrative serves as a reminder of the potential for idolatry and cultural assimilation, which were ongoing challenges for Israel.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Rehoboam
The son of Solomon and king of Judah. His reign is marked by a division in the kingdom and spiritual decline.

2. Solomon
The father of Rehoboam, known for his wisdom and building the Temple in Jerusalem, but also for his later apostasy.

3. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, consisting of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with Jerusalem as its capital.

4. Jerusalem
The city chosen by God to place His Name, central to Jewish worship and identity.

5. Naamah the Ammonite
Rehoboam's mother, highlighting the influence of foreign nations and their gods on Israel.

Teaching Points

The Importance of Godly Leadership
Rehoboam's reign illustrates the impact of leadership on a nation's spiritual health. Leaders must seek God's wisdom and guidance.

Consequences of Compromise
Rehoboam's lineage and actions reflect the dangers of compromising with worldly influences, leading to spiritual decline.

God's Sovereign Choice
Despite human failures, God's choice of Jerusalem as His dwelling place remains significant, reminding us of His enduring promises.

Generational Influence
The influence of Solomon's and Naamah's decisions on Rehoboam's reign highlights the importance of godly parenting and heritage.

Repentance and Restoration
Rehoboam's account encourages us to seek repentance and restoration, knowing that God can work through our failures for His purposes.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does Rehoboam's leadership compare to that of his father Solomon, and what lessons can we learn about the importance of seeking God's wisdom?

2. In what ways did the foreign influence of Naamah the Ammonite affect Rehoboam's reign, and how can we guard against similar influences in our lives?

3. How does the choice of Jerusalem as the city for God's Name reflect His sovereignty, and what does this mean for us today in terms of God's presence in our lives?

4. What are the consequences of spiritual compromise as seen in Rehoboam's reign, and how can we apply this understanding to our personal walk with God?

5. How does Rehoboam's inclusion in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:7) demonstrate God's redemptive plan, and what hope does this offer us in our own spiritual journey?

Connections to Other Scriptures

2 Chronicles 12
Provides a parallel account of Rehoboam's reign, emphasizing his failure to seek the Lord and the resulting consequences.

Deuteronomy 12:5
Discusses God's choice of Jerusalem as the place for His Name, underscoring its spiritual significance.

1 Kings 11:1-8
Details Solomon's marriages to foreign women, including Naamah, and the resulting idolatry, setting the stage for Rehoboam's challenges.

Matthew 1:7
Mentions Rehoboam in the genealogy of Jesus, showing God's redemptive plan through flawed human leaders.

Sermons

The Sin of Judah	J.A. Macdonald	1 Kings 14:21-24
Unfaithfulness and its Rebuke	J. Urquhart	1 Kings 14:21-31

People

Abijah, Abijam, Ahijah, David, Israelites, Jeroboam, Naamah, Nadab, Rehoboam, Shishak, Sodomites, Solomon, Tirzah

Places

Bethel, Egypt, Euphrates River, Jerusalem, Shiloh, Tirzah

Topics

Ammonite, Ammonitess, Choose, Chose, Chosen, Forty, Forty-one, Jerusalem, Judah, Mother's, Naamah, Na'amah, Rehoboam, Rehobo'am, Reign, Reigned, Reigning, Seventeen, Solomon, Town, Tribes

Dictionary of Bible Themes

1 Kings 14:21

     5256   city
     5716   middle age
     6640   election, privileges
     7240   Jerusalem, history

1 Kings 14:21-24

7241 Jerusalem, significance

1 Kings 14:21-31

5366 king

Library

Synopsis. --The Gradual Narrowing of the Miraculous Element in the Bible by Recent Discovery and Discussion. --The Alarm Thereby Excited in the Church. --The Fallacy Which
It is barely forty years since that beloved and fearless Christian scholar, Dean Stanley, spoke thus of the miracles recorded of the prophet Elisha: "His works stand alone in the Bible in their likeness to the acts of mediaeval saints. There alone in the Sacred History the gulf between Biblical and Ecclesiastical miracles almost disappears."[5] It required some courage to say as much as this then, while the storm of persecution was raging against Bishop Colenso for his critical work on the Pentateuch. …
James Morris Whiton—Miracles and Supernatural Religion

Jeroboam
BY REV. ALFRED ROWLAND, D.D., LL.B. "Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin."--1 KINGS xiv. 16. Jeroboam's character is worthy of serious study, not only because it influenced the destiny of God's ancient people, but because it suggests lessons of the utmost value to His people still. He may be fairly regarded as a type of those who are successful men of the world. He was not an example of piety, for he had none--nor of lofty principle, for he was an opportunist who made expediency …
George Milligan—Men of the Bible; Some Lesser-Known

Whether Contention is a Mortal Sin?
Objection 1: It would seem that contention is not a mortal sin. For there is no mortal sin in spiritual men: and yet contention is to be found in them, according to Lk. 22:24: "And there was also a strife amongst" the disciples of Jesus, "which of them should . . . be the greatest." Therefore contention is not a mortal sin. Objection 2: Further, no well disposed man should be pleased that his neighbor commit a mortal sin. But the Apostle says (Phil. 1:17): "Some out of contention preach Christ," …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether Divination by Drawing Lots is Unlawful?
Objection 1: It would seem that divination by drawing lots is not unlawful, because a gloss of Augustine on Ps. 30:16, "My lots are in Thy hands," says: "It is not wrong to cast lots, for it is a means of ascertaining the divine will when a man is in doubt." Objection 2: There is, seemingly, nothing unlawful in the observances which the Scriptures relate as being practiced by holy men. Now both in the Old and in the New Testament we find holy men practicing the casting of lots. For it is related …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

The Whole Heart
LET me give the principal passages in which the words "the whole heart," "all the heart," are used. A careful study of them will show how wholehearted love and service is what God has always asked, because He can, in the very nature of things, ask nothing less. The prayerful and believing acceptance of the words will waken the assurance that such wholehearted love and service is exactly the blessing the New Covenant was meant to make possible. That assurance will prepare us for turning to the Omnipotence …
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants

Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Rom. 14:12). In our last chapter we considered at some length the much debated and difficult question of the human will. We have shown that the will of the natural man is neither Sovereign nor free but, instead, a servant and slave. We have argued that a right conception of the sinner's will-its servitude-is essential to a just estimate of his depravity and ruin. The utter corruption and degradation of human nature is something which …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

The Prophet Joel.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. The position which has been assigned to Joel in the collection of the Minor Prophets, furnishes an external argument for the determination of the time at which Joel wrote. There cannot be any doubt that the Collectors were guided by a consideration of the chronology. The circumstance, that they placed the prophecies of Joel just between the two prophets who, according to the inscriptions and contents of their prophecies, belonged to the time of Jeroboam and Uzziah, is …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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