2 Chronicles 11:17 kjv
So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.
2 Chronicles 11:17 nkjv
So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
2 Chronicles 11:17 niv
They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon three years, following the ways of David and Solomon during this time.
2 Chronicles 11:17 esv
They strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they made Rehoboam the son of Solomon secure, for they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon.
2 Chronicles 11:17 nlt
This strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they supported Rehoboam son of Solomon, for during those years they faithfully followed in the footsteps of David and Solomon.
2 Chronicles 11 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Obedience & Blessing | ||
| Deut 28:1 | "If you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God... all these blessings shall come..." | Obedience brings divine blessings and strength. |
| Josh 1:7-8 | "Only be strong and very courageous… that you may have good success..." | Success and prosperity found in obeying God's Law. |
| Psa 1:1-3 | "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked... but his delight is in the law of the LORD..." | Righteous living rooted in God's Law brings stability. |
| Prov 16:3 | "Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established." | Divine establishment for works committed to God. |
| Jer 7:23 | "But this command I gave them: 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God...'" | Fundamental call for obedience for true covenant relationship. |
| Matt 6:33 | "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added..." | Prioritizing God's will ensures provision and well-being. |
| Walking in God's Way | ||
| Gen 17:1 | "...Walk before me, and be blameless..." | A call to live faithfully in God's presence. |
| Psa 18:21 | "For I have kept the ways of the LORD..." | Fidelity shown through adhering to God's ways. |
| Prov 4:18 | "The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn..." | Righteousness described as a guided, illuminating path. |
| Isa 2:3 | "...that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." | Desire to learn and follow God's divine instruction. |
| Hos 14:9 | "For the ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them..." | God's paths are just and for the righteous to follow. |
| Strength & Establishment | ||
| Deut 11:8 | "So you shall keep all the commandment… that you may be strong..." | Strength granted through adherence to commandments. |
| 1 Kgs 2:12 | "Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established." | Divine establishment of the Davidic throne. |
| 2 Chron 1:1 | "Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom..." | King Solomon's foundational strength from God. |
| 2 Chron 14:6-7 | "...for the land had rest… they built and prospered, for the LORD gave them rest." | Peace and prosperity granted by the Lord. |
| 2 Chron 20:20 | "...Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be established..." | Faith in God brings stability and security. |
| Phil 4:13 | "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." | Strength and capability derived from Christ. |
| Eph 6:10 | "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might." | Spiritual strength is found in the Lord. |
| Davidic Kingship & Covenant | ||
| 2 Sam 7:16 | "And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me..." | God's eternal covenant promise to David's dynasty. |
| Psa 89:3-4 | "I have made a covenant with my chosen one... I will establish your offspring forever." | Divine commitment to David's royal lineage. |
| Jer 33:17-18 | "For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel..." | Affirmation of the perpetual Davidic kingship. |
2 Chronicles 11 verses
2 Chronicles 11 17 Meaning
2 Chronicles 11:17 describes a distinct three-year period during which the kingdom of Judah and its king, Rehoboam, experienced strength and stability. This period of robust well-being was a direct result of the collective adherence of the people and the king to the righteous path exemplified by the faithful reigns of David and Solomon, characterized by loyalty to the Lord and His established worship.
2 Chronicles 11 17 Context
2 Chronicles 11:17 is situated after the dramatic schism of the united monarchy following Solomon's death. Rehoboam's refusal to lighten the people's burden resulted in the northern ten tribes forming their own kingdom under Jeroboam (2 Chron 10). Jeroboam subsequently established idolatrous cultic sites in Dan and Bethel, deviating from true Yahwistic worship centered in Jerusalem, to consolidate his power and prevent his people from returning to Jerusalem for religious festivals (1 Kings 12). Against this backdrop, 2 Chronicles 11 highlights a period of positive developments in Judah. While Rehoboam initially contemplated military action against Israel, God forbade it (2 Chron 11:1-4). Crucially, the verse explains that faithful priests, Levites, and other devout Israelites from the northern tribes, who were alienated by Jeroboam's idolatry, migrated to Judah (2 Chron 11:13-16). This influx not only boosted Judah's population and military potential but, more significantly, fortified its spiritual core. Verse 17 then directly attributes Judah's and Rehoboam's strength during these initial three years to their collective adherence to the righteous, God-ordained path of their revered predecessors, David and Solomon. This faithfulness sharply contrasts with Rehoboam's eventual turning away from the Lord in the subsequent chapter (2 Chron 12:1).
2 Chronicles 11 17 Word analysis
- "They": Refers broadly to the faithful inhabitants of Judah and Benjamin, including the priests and Levites, along with all those from the other tribes of Israel who chose to follow the Lord and migrated to Judah to uphold proper Temple worship. This highlights a unified spiritual posture.
- "strengthened": (Hebrew: חָזַק, chazaq). This verb means to be strong, to make firm, to be bold, or to repair. Here, it denotes an act of making the kingdom robust and secure, implying both spiritual and practical fortification. This strength was not merely geopolitical but divinely endorsed and sustained through their faithfulness.
- "the kingdom of Judah": Denotes the remaining southern entity, comprising the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, which maintained loyalty to the Davidic line and the Jerusalem Temple as the central place of worship.
- "and made Rehoboam son of Solomon strong": This parallel emphasizes that the king himself, as the head of the kingdom, was also personally strengthened and his reign firmly established. It underscores the dual impact of faithfulness—on the nation and on its leader—securing dynastic stability.
- "for three years": This specific temporal marker indicates a definite, limited period during which Judah enjoyed divine favor and stability. It suggests a complete, significant phase and implies a clear cause-and-effect relationship for that duration.
- "for during these three years": A reiteration of the specific timeframe, drawing direct attention to the period of their righteous conduct and emphasizing its immediate link to the blessings of strength and stability. It stresses the direct conditionality of their prosperity.
- "they walked": (Hebrew: הָלַךְ, halak). A common biblical idiom that signifies a manner of life, one's conduct, or the course of one's journey. Here, it means that their actions and way of living were consistently in line with certain principles or a specific path.
- "in the way of David and Solomon": This phrase refers specifically to the periods of faithfulness, obedience to God, and dedication to true worship demonstrated by these revered kings. It serves as a benchmark for righteous living and national policy, particularly loyalty to the Mosaic Law and the legitimate worship at the Jerusalem Temple, standing in stark contrast to Jeroboam's innovations in the north.
Word-groups analysis
- "strengthened the kingdom of Judah and made Rehoboam son of Solomon strong": This construction emphasizes that God's blessing, manifested as strength and establishment, extended to both the entire national entity (kingdom) and its supreme leader (Rehoboam), highlighting the holistic nature of divine favor in response to obedience.
- "for three years, for during these three years": This emphatic repetition of the duration accentuates that the period of prosperity was finite and directly contingent on their actions during that precise window, making a clear connection between their obedience and its timely reward.
- "walked in the way of David and Solomon": This powerful idiom establishes a theological standard. It's not a reference to their personal flaws, but to their adherence to the covenant with Yahweh, their promotion of true worship, and their commitment to God's law. This "way" was crucial for the continuation of the Davidic dynasty's legitimacy and the kingdom's blessing.
2 Chronicles 11 17 Bonus section
The "three years" serves not only as a specific temporal reference but also implies a period of complete initial commitment. The Chronicler, writing much later, uses this verse to implicitly critique later kings who did not sustain such obedience. The verse underscores that God's conditional blessings are directly tied to human fidelity, even when leadership is imperfect, as Rehoboam's was to become. The account here showcases that a king's strength and a nation's stability flow from walking in covenant faithfulness, setting up a theological framework for understanding the success or failure of subsequent Judahite monarchs.
2 Chronicles 11 17 Commentary
2 Chronicles 11:17 articulates a profound principle: the strength and stability of a kingdom and its leader are directly correlated with their faithfulness to God. During Rehoboam's initial three years, Judah benefited significantly because its people and king embraced the spiritual path of their righteous predecessors, David and Solomon. This adherence to true worship and God's law attracted devout individuals from the seceding northern kingdom, further fortifying Judah not just militarily but, more importantly, spiritually. The verse highlights this brief, flourishing period as a demonstration of God's blessing upon obedience, a crucial but unfortunately short-lived example of divine favor before Rehoboam's later departure from the Lord's ways.