2 Chronicles 11:18 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;
2 Chronicles 11:18 nkjv
Then Rehoboam took for himself as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliah the son of Jesse.
2 Chronicles 11:18 niv
Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David's son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse's son Eliab.
2 Chronicles 11:18 esv
Rehoboam took as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse,
2 Chronicles 11:18 nlt
Rehoboam married his cousin Mahalath, the daughter of David's son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Eliab son of Jesse.
2 Chronicles 11 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Kings & Marriages | ||
| Deut 17:17 | Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away... | Law against kings multiplying wives, contrasting with Rehoboam's practices and Solomon's fate. |
| 1 Kgs 11:1-4 | But King Solomon loved many foreign women... and his wives turned his heart away. | Direct negative consequence of marrying many foreign wives. |
| 1 Kgs 3:1 | Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt and took Pharaoh’s daughter as his wife. | Royal marriage as political alliance. |
| 2 Chr 13:21 | But Abijah grew mighty, and took to himself fourteen wives and begot twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. | Example of another king multiplying wives for succession. |
| Gen 2:24 | Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. | Original divine intent for marriage (monogamy). |
| Prov 5:18 | Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth. | Wisdom encouraging faithfulness to one wife. |
| Davidic Line & Succession | ||
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before Me... | God's covenant with David ensuring a lasting dynasty. |
| Ps 89:3-4 | I have sworn to David My servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever and build up your throne for all generations.’ | Affirmation of the Davidic covenant and perpetual line. |
| Matt 1:6-7 | Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah. And Solomon the father of Rehoboam... | Davidic genealogy, connecting Mahalath's lineage directly. |
| Luke 1:32-33 | He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David... | Prophecy of Christ's Davidic kingship, validating the royal line. |
| 2 Chr 11:1-4 | When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he assembled 180,000 able young men... that he might fight against Israel... but the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah... | Rehoboam's initial reign and the kingdom's split, leading to focus on internal stability. |
| 2 Chr 12:13 | So King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned... His mother’s name was Naamah, the Ammonitess. | Contrast with Naamah, Rehoboam's own foreign mother, hinting at issues. |
| Importance of Offspring & Lineage | ||
| Gen 1:28 | Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth... | Command to procreate, foundational for succession. |
| Gen 12:7 | To your offspring I will give this land. | Importance of offspring for covenant fulfillment. |
| Ps 127:3 | Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. | Children seen as a divine blessing and crucial for continuity. |
| Rom 9:5 | ...from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is God over all... | Emphasis on lineage leading to Christ. |
| Phil 3:5 | ...as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. | Importance of Jewish lineage (even Paul). |
| Purity of Lineage / Avoiding Foreign Influence | ||
| Exod 34:16 | You shall not take wives from among their daughters for your sons... | Warning against intermarriage with people of the land. |
| Neh 13:23-27 | In those days also I saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab... 'Do we then rebel against our God by breaking faith and marrying foreign women?' | Post-exilic concern for avoiding foreign marriages, highlighting the Chronicler's context. |
| Ezra 9:1-2 | After these things had been completed, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands...” | Concern about mixing with foreign peoples due to intermarriage. |
2 Chronicles 11 verses
2 Chronicles 11 18 Meaning
2 Chronicles 11:18 states that Rehoboam took Mahalath as his wife. Mahalath was the daughter of Jerimoth, who was a son of David, and Mahalath's mother was Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, a son of Jesse. This verse highlights Rehoboam's strategic marriages within the Davidic and Israelite royal lineage, aimed at solidifying his rule and securing the succession after the kingdom's division.
2 Chronicles 11 18 Context
Following the division of the united kingdom of Israel after Solomon's death (chronicled in 2 Chr 10), Rehoboam solidified his rule over the southern kingdom of Judah. Chapter 11 details his defensive strategies, including fortifying cities across Judah and Benjamin. Amidst these geopolitical and military actions, the Chronicler focuses on Rehoboam's family life and his marriages. This verse, 2 Chronicles 11:18, details one such marriage, emphasizing the distinguished lineage of Rehoboam's chosen wife, Mahalath. By marrying within the Davidic royal family and established Israelite lines, Rehoboam aimed to strengthen his legitimate claim to the throne and ensure a clear line of succession, avoiding the pitfalls of his father Solomon, whose many foreign wives led to idolatry and weakened the kingdom. This act also showcased Rehoboam's attempt to secure internal stability after losing the northern tribes.
2 Chronicles 11 18 Word analysis
- Rehoboam (רְחַבְעָם, Rᵉḥavʿam): Hebrew for "he enlarges the people" or "enlarger of the people." King of Judah, son of Solomon and Naamah the Ammonitess. His reign was marked by the kingdom's split, making these internal marriages crucial for legitimacy and stability within his diminished realm.
- took (וַיִּקַּח, vayiqqaḥ): Simple past tense of laqaḥ, meaning "to take, seize, acquire, marry." In this context, it specifically refers to taking a wife, indicating a formal marriage alliance.
- Mahalath (מַחֲלַת, Maḥalaṯ): Hebrew name meaning "sickness" or "lyre, music." Her significance here lies not in her name's meaning but her pedigree, specifically linking Rehoboam's progeny to King David.
- daughter (בַּת, bat): Indicates direct paternal descent.
- Jerimoth (יְרִימוֹת, Yərīmōwṯ): Hebrew name meaning "heights" or "exaltations." Identified explicitly as a "son of David." This critical detail emphasizes Mahalath's royal Davidic lineage, providing Rehoboam with a strong dynastic link.
- and of Abihail (וַאֲבִיחַיִל, waʾavīḥayil): "And Abihail." Hebrew name meaning "my father is might" or "father of might/strength." She is Mahalath's mother, thus completing the maternal lineage.
- daughter of Eliab (בַת־אֱלִיאָב, bat-ʾĔlīʾāv): Eliab was the oldest son of Jesse, and thus David's elder brother (1 Sam 16:6). This connection establishes Abihail (and by extension, Mahalath) as a direct descendant of Jesse, further intertwining Rehoboam's marriage with the family line of King David.
- son of Jesse (בֶן־יִשַׁי, ben-Yišay): Confirms Eliab's paternal line, anchoring the entire lineage of Mahalath deeply within the most legitimate royal house of Judah. Jesse was King David's father, making Eliab David's brother and Mahalath David's grand-niece. Rehoboam marrying Mahalath, therefore, was a marriage to his own first cousin once removed (his great-uncle David's granddaughter).
Words-group analysis
- "Rehoboam took Mahalath daughter of Jerimoth": This phrase establishes the central action of marriage and introduces the main individuals involved. The act of "taking" a wife, particularly for a king, suggests a deliberate dynastic decision rather than simply personal affection.
- "Jerimoth son of David": This segment is crucial as it highlights the prestigious royal lineage of Mahalath. Marrying a daughter whose father is explicitly noted as "son of David" immediately grants her offspring (Abijah, in 2 Chr 11:20) strong credentials for the succession. It reinforces Rehoboam's position within the divinely appointed Davidic line.
- "and of Abihail daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse": This additional layer of detail about Mahalath's maternal lineage further strengthens her royal pedigree. By tracing her ancestry through Eliab, David's brother, the Chronicler emphasizes a marriage within the pure and legitimate Davidic-Jesse royal clan, distinguishing it from foreign alliances or marriages that could bring foreign worship into the court. This careful genealogy underpins the legitimacy and purity of the future line of succession. This also presents Rehoboam as making wise internal alliances to consolidate power within Judah, a contrast to the problematic foreign marriages of his father, Solomon.
2 Chronicles 11 18 Bonus section
The Chronicler, writing post-exile, placed great emphasis on the legitimacy of the Davidic dynasty and the importance of adhering to God's laws, including those concerning marriage. By detailing Rehoboam's internal, royal marriages, the narrative implicitly contrasts them with the disastrous foreign alliances of earlier kings like Solomon, whose deviations led to the kingdom's downfall. This choice of marriage shows Rehoboam, despite his general unfaithfulness and failures mentioned elsewhere, taking a pragmatic and seemingly pious step to secure his throne by uniting closely with the Davidic core. Mahalath's descendant, Abijah (Rehoboam's successor, son by Maachah, the daughter of Absalom - likely a second marriage as Mahalath is listed first and Maachah later), further underscores the interwoven nature of these royal bloodlines.
2 Chronicles 11 18 Commentary
This concise genealogical note in 2 Chronicles 11:18 offers a glimpse into Rehoboam's strategy for solidifying his fragile kingdom after the schism. Unlike his father Solomon, whose myriad foreign wives led to idolatry and eventually contributed to the kingdom's fragmentation, Rehoboam strategically married within the legitimate Davidic lineage. Mahalath, being the daughter of Jerimoth (a son of David) and Abihail (daughter of Eliab, David's brother), represents a dynastic marriage aimed at strengthening Rehoboam's ties to the foundational royal house. This decision points to an understanding (perhaps belated or counselled) of the importance of maintaining an untainted royal line and securing a clear succession in turbulent times, reinforcing his claims and attempting to restore internal unity and stability to Judah by aligning with his royal relatives. This highlights the Chronicler's recurring theme of legitimate succession and adherence to the pure worship of Yahweh.