2 Chronicles 12:13
in 2 Chronicles 12Thus King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem. 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Jehovah had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there: and his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess.
KJV
So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and forty 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 an Ammonitess.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 12
Commentary
5 notes on this verseWas one and forty years old - Houbigant thinks he was but sixteen years old when he began to reign; and brings many and forcible arguments to prove that the number forty-one must be a mistake. That he was young when he came to the throne, is evident from his consulting the young men that were brought up with him, 2Ch 10:8, 2Ch 10:10. They were young men then; and if he was brought up with them, he must have been young then also.
This site's exposition
one and forty years old
The regnal formula, seventeen years in the city which the Lord had chosen to put his name there, closes this chapter rather than opening it as it does at 1 Kings 14:21; Chronicles positions the summary after the humbling and the partial recovery of verse 12, so the numbers read as a coda to repentance rather than a frame set before the fall. Rehoboam's age drew debate among older commentators, a king one and forty years old still consulting the young men he was raised with, as chapter ten already showed him doing, reads oddly to some, though the number stands as the text gives it. His mother, Naamah an Ammonitess, is named again exactly as at 1 Kings 14:21, a detail that chapter already carries at full weight.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Israel was very much disgraced and weakened by being divided into two kingdoms; yet the kingdom of Judah, having both the temple and the royal city, both the house of David and the house of Aaron, might have done very well if they had continued in the way of their duty; but here we have all out of order there.
This intimates his honour and privilege, that he had his royal seat in the holy city, which yet was but an aggravation of his impiety--near the temple, but far from God.
So Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem,.... Fortified that yet more for the defence of himself, after Shishak departed: and reigned; twelve years more, for he reigned in all seventeen, and this was in his fifth year; of what follows in this verse; see Gill on 1Ki 14:21.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem And he explains why, because when he was first made king, he was forty-one years old; therefore, he had the strength and the power to strengthen himself.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
And when he humbled himself, the Lord’s wrath returned from him He should have stated this above immediately when he said, “And Shishak.. marched,” but he interrupted in between because he had to mention, “And..made instead of them shields of copper.”
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
32 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּתְחַזֵּ֞ק | vaiyitchazek | and he strengthened himself | H2388 → | 291 times |
| הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| רְחַבְעָ֛ם | rechavam | Rehoboam | H7346 → | 50 times |
| בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם | birushalim | in Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| וַיִּמְלֹ֑ךְ | vaiyimlokh | and he reigned | H4427 → | 348 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [was] a son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אַרְבָּעִ֣ים | ʾarbaim | forty | H705 → | 136 times |
| וְאַחַ֣ת | veachat | and one | H259 → | 971 times |
| שָׁנָה֩ | shanah | year[s] | H8141 → | 877 times |
| רְחַבְעָ֨ם | rechavam | Rehoboam | H7346 → | 50 times |
| בְּמָלְכ֜וֹ | bemalekho | when became king he | H4427 → | 348 times |
| וּֽשֲׁבַ֨ע | ushava' | and seven- | H7651 → | 394 times |
| עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה | ʾesreh | teen | H6240 → | 338 times |
| שָׁנָ֣ה׀ | shanah | year[s] | H8141 → | 877 times |
| מָלַ֣ךְ | malakh | he reigned | H4427 → | 348 times |
| בִּֽירוּשָׁלִַ֗ם | birushalim | in Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| הָ֠עִיר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בָּחַ֨ר | bachar | he had chosen | H977 → | 171 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לָשׂ֨וּם | lasum | to put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שְׁמ֥וֹ | shemo | name his | H8034 → | 864 times |
| שָׁם֙ | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| מִכֹּל֙ | mikol | from all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שִׁבְטֵ֣י | shivtei | [the] tribes of | H7626 → | 190 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְשֵׁ֣ם | veshem | and [the] name of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| אִמּ֔וֹ | ʾimo | mother his | H517 → | 220 times |
| נַעֲמָ֖ה | naamah | [was] Naamah | H5279 → | |
| הָֽעַמֹּנִֽית׃ | haamonit | the Ammonite [woman] | H5984 → | 21 times |
וַיִּתְחַזֵּ֞קand he strengthened himself
vaiyitchazekH2388 →291 times
הַמֶּ֧לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
רְחַבְעָ֛םRehoboam
rechavamH7346 →50 times
בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֖םin Jerusalem
birushalimH3389 →643 times
וַיִּמְלֹ֑ךְand he reigned
vaiyimlokhH4427 →348 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
בֶן־[was] a son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
אַרְבָּעִ֣יםforty
ʾarbaimH705 →136 times
וְאַחַ֣תand one
veachatH259 →971 times
שָׁנָה֩year[s]
shanahH8141 →877 times
רְחַבְעָ֨םRehoboam
rechavamH7346 →50 times
בְּמָלְכ֜וֹwhen became king he
bemalekhoH4427 →348 times
וּֽשֲׁבַ֨עand seven-
ushava'H7651 →394 times
עֶשְׂרֵ֥הteen
ʾesrehH6240 →338 times
שָׁנָ֣ה׀year[s]
shanahH8141 →877 times
מָלַ֣ךְhe reigned
malakhH4427 →348 times
בִּֽירוּשָׁלִַ֗םin Jerusalem
birushalimH3389 →643 times
הָ֠עִירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
אֲשֶׁר־where
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
בָּחַ֨רhe had chosen
bacharH977 →171 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לָשׂ֨וּםto put
lasumH7760 →584 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שְׁמ֥וֹname his
shemoH8034 →864 times
שָׁם֙there
shamH8033 →834 times
מִכֹּל֙from all
mikolH3605 →5413 times
שִׁבְטֵ֣י[the] tribes of
shivteiH7626 →190 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְשֵׁ֣םand [the] name of
veshemH8034 →864 times
אִמּ֔וֹmother his
ʾimoH517 →220 times
נַעֲמָ֖ה[was] Naamah
naamahH5279 →
הָֽעַמֹּנִֽית׃the Ammonite [woman]
haamonitH5984 →21 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 20:24You are to make for Me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and cattle. In every place where I cause My name…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 12:5
Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.
- Psalms 132:13–14
For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His home:
- 2 Chronicles 6:6
But now I have chosen Jerusalem for My Name to be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’
- 1 Kings 9:3
And the LORD said to him: “I have heard your prayer and petition before Me. I have consecrated this temple you have built by putting My Name there forever; My eyes and My heart…
- 2 Chronicles 7:16
For I have now chosen and consecrated this temple so that My Name may be there forever. My eyes and My heart will be there for all time.
- Deuteronomy 12:5
Through
Deuteronomy 12:5Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 12:11
then the LORD your God will choose a dwelling for His Name. And there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all…
- Deuteronomy 26:2
you are to take some of the firstfruits of all your produce from the soil of the land that the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go…
- Deuteronomy 12:11
Through
Nehemiah 13:1At that time the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people, and in it they found the passage stating that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 23:3–5
No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even to the tenth generation.
- Deuteronomy 23:3–5
About 2 Chronicles
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonDivided kingdomRehoboamSolomon's son whose refusal of the elders' counsel at Shechem — answering the people with scorpions — tore ten tribes from the hou…
- PlaceJerusalemJerusalemThe city David took from the Jebusites and made his capital, where Solomon built the temple, where Christ was crucified and rose,…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Chronicles and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.