Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
Rehoboam, wishing to subjugate the ten tribes by arms, is forbidden by the prophet Shemaiah. Many priests, Levites, and faithful people, leaving the idolater Jeroboam, migrate to Jerusalem. Rehoboam from many wives begets many offspring.
Vulgate Text: 2 Paralipomenon 11:1-23
1. And Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, and called together all the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight against Israel, and to restore the kingdom to himself. 2. And the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying: 3. Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel who are in Judah and Benjamin. 4. Thus says the Lord: You shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren; let every man return to his own house, for this has been done by My will. And when they had heard the word of the Lord, they returned, and did not go against Jeroboam. 5. And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built fortified cities in Judah. 6. And he built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, 7. and Beth-zur, and Soco, and Adullam, 8. and also Gath, and Maresha, and Ziph, 9. and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, 10. and Zorah also, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which were in Judah and Benjamin, very strongly fortified cities. 11. And when he had enclosed them with walls, he placed in them governors, and storehouses of provisions, that is, of oil and wine. 12. And in every city he made an armory of shields and spears; and he secured them with the utmost diligence, and ruled over Judah and Benjamin. 13. And the priests and Levites who were in all Israel came to him from all their territories, 14. leaving their suburbs and possessions, and passing over to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his posterity had cast them out, that they should not exercise the priesthood of the Lord. 15. And he appointed for himself priests of the high places, and of demons, and of the calves which he had made. 16. Moreover, from all the tribes of Israel, whoever had given their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel came to Jerusalem to offer their sacrifices before the Lord God of their fathers. 17. And they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and confirmed Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years; for they walked in the ways of David and Solomon, but only for three years. 18. And Rehoboam took as wife Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and also Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse, 19. who bore him sons: Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham. 20. And after her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith. 21. And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and concubines; for he had married eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 22. And he set at the head Abijah the son of Maacah, as chief over all his brothers; for he intended to make him king, 23. because he was wiser and mightier than all his sons, and throughout all the territories of Judah and Benjamin, and in all the walled cities; and he provided them with abundant food, and sought many wives for them.
Verse 1: Chosen and Warlike Men
1. CHOSEN AND WARLIKE MEN — that is, chosen warriors. It is a hendiadys. The Hebrew bachurim signifies both chosen and young men. For wars belong to the young, counsels to the old, as the saying goes.
Verse 11: He Placed Governors in Them
11. HE PLACED GOVERNORS IN THEM — that is, military commanders, with sufficient provisions, so that they could withstand the attacks of the neighboring enemy, namely Jeroboam his antagonist. For these were border cities, on the frontier of Judah and Israel.
Verse 14: Jeroboam Had Cast Them Out
14. BECAUSE JEROBOAM HAD CAST THEM OUT — that is, he had deprived them of their priestly and Levitical office, because they refused to serve his calves as idols, but wished to serve the true God.
Verse 17: They Walked in the Ways of David and Solomon
17. FOR THEY WALKED IN THE WAYS OF DAVID AND SOLOMON — understand, before Solomon in old age apostatized from God to idols.
Verse 22: He Set Abijah at the Head
22. HE SET ABIJAH AT THE HEAD — that is, the head and chief of the other brothers, who were 28 in number, because, although he was younger in age, he surpassed all in prudence, vigor, and industry.
Verse 23: And Mightier Than All His Sons
23. AND MIGHTIER THAN ALL HIS SONS, AND THROUGHOUT ALL THE TERRITORIES OF JUDAH AND BENJAMIN, AND IN ALL THE WALLED CITIES — repeat, Abijah was "mightier," that is to say: Abijah occupied all the borders of the kingdom, and all the walled and fortified cities, and thus made himself lord and master of all, since all the borders of the kingdom and all the fortified cities obeyed him.
AND HE PROVIDED THEM (the walled cities and borders of the kingdom) WITH ABUNDANT FOOD (lest enemies besiege them and compel them by famine to surrender), AND SOUGHT MANY WIVES — namely, Abijah for himself, so that from them he might beget many sons, by whom he might establish and strengthen his kingdom, lest it be invaded by his brothers. This sense is required by our version, as well as by the Septuagint which, instead of "mightier than all his sons," translates: he advanced above all his sons, and throughout all the territories of Judah, etc.
Moreover, from the Hebrew it can be translated differently with Pagninus, Vatablus, Marinus, and others, namely thus: He (Rehoboam) dispersed all his sons throughout all the territories of Judah and Benjamin, and through all the fortified cities; so that they would be separated from one another, and could not put their heads together; so that they might not conspire together against the younger Abijah, whom he had preferred over all, according to that political and tyrannical precept of Machiavelli: "If you wish to reign, divide." And so that they might live content with their lot and not think about the kingdom, he provided them with abundant food and gave them a multitude of wives, so that devoted to their belly and to pleasure, they might grow sluggish and grow old in luxurious idleness. The Emperor of the Turks does the same with his brothers, until he has offspring; once he has them, he kills his brothers, lest they seize the empire.