1And Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, and got together the men of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand of his best fighting-men, to make war against Israel and get the kingdom back for Rehoboam. 2But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, the man of God, saying, 3Say to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, 4The Lord has said, You are not to go to war against your brothers: let every man go back to his house, for this thing is my purpose. So they gave ear to the words of the Lord and were turned back from fighting against Jeroboam. 5Now Rehoboam kept in Jerusalem, building walled towns in Judah. 6He was the builder of Beth-lehem and Etam and Tekoa 7And Beth-zur and Soco and Adullam 8And Gath and Mareshah and Ziph 9And Adoraim and Lachish and Azekah 10And Zorah and Aijalon and Hebron, walled towns in Judah and Benjamin. 11And he made the walled towns strong, and he put captains in them and stores of food, oil, and wine. 12And in every town he put stores of body-covers and spears, and made them very strong. And Judah and Benjamin were his. 13And the priests and Levites who were in all Israel came together to him from every part of their country. 14For the Levites gave up their living-places and their property, and came to Judah and Jerusalem; for Jeroboam and his sons had sent them away, not letting them be priests to the Lord; 15And he himself made priests for the high places, and for the images of he-goats and oxen which he had made. 16And after them, from all the tribes of Israel, all those whose hearts were fixed and true to the Lord, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to make offerings to the Lord, the God of their fathers. 17So they went on increasing the power of the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, strong for three years; and for three years they went in the ways of David and Solomon. 18And Rehoboam took as his wife Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, the son of David and of Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, the son of Jesse; 19And she had sons by him, Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 20And after her he took Maacah, the daughter of Absalom; and she had Abijah and Attai and Ziza and Shelomith by him. 21Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, was dearer to Rehoboam than all his wives and his servant-wives: (for he had eighteen wives and sixty servant-wives, and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.) 22Rehoboam made Abijah, the son of Maacah, chief and ruler among his brothers, for it was his purpose to make him king. 23And in his wisdom he had his sons stationed in every walled town through all the lands of Judah and Benjamin; and he gave them a great store of food, and took wives for them.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
Rehoboam forbidden to war against Israel. (1-12) The priests and Levites find refuge in Judah. (13-23) 1-12 A few good words might have prevented the rebellion of Rehoboam's subjects; but all the force of his kingdom cannot bring them back. And it is in vain to contend with the purpose of God, when it is made known to us. Even those who are destitute of true faith, will at times pay some regard to the word of God, and be kept by it from wrong actions, to which they are prone by nature. 13-23 When the priests and Levites came to Jerusalem, the devout, pious Israelites followed them. Such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel, left the inheritance of their fathers, and went to Jerusalem, that they might have free access to the altar of God, and be out of the temptation to worship the calves. That is best for us, which is best for our souls; in all our choices, religious advantages must be sought before all outward conveniences. Where God's faithful priests are, his faithful people should be. And when it has been proved that we are willing to renounce our worldly interests, so far as we are called to do so for the sake of Christ and his gospel, we have good evidence that we are truly his disciples. And it is the interest of a nation to protect religion and religious people.