REHOBOAM (re-ho-bo'am), (Heb. rekh ab-awie , he enlarges the people).
The son and successor of Solomon, born by one Naamah (B. C. about 934), an Ammonitess, about the end of David's reign. It appears, from the book of Proverbs, that his father was at no small pains to teach him wisdom : but these instructions were not blessed of God to him, nor were they duly exemplified in his father's life.
(1) Accession to the Throne. When he be gan to reign, being about forty-one years of age, he repaired to Shechem, where the Hebrews had assembled to make him king. Instigated by Jero boam, who had begun to raise sedition a little be fore Solomon's death, they offered Rehoboam sov ereignty, provided he would ease them of the hard service and expensive taxes which his father had laid upon them as he carried on his buildings. He took three days to deliberate on the proposal. His aged counsellors, who had served with his father in that station, advised him to give the people an obliging answer, and he would soon fix them in his interest. Unwilling to do so, he consulted with his young counsellors, who had been brought un with him. They advised him to tell the people that he intended to load them with far more grievous burdens, and to punish them far more severely than ever his father had done. This ad vice suiting his haughty and foolish disposition, he followed it.
(2) Revolt of the Ten Tribes. The ten tribes of Reuben, Simeon, Ephraim, Manasseh. Dan, Zebulun, Issachar, Naphtali. Gad, and Asher. pro voked herewith, cried out that they were under no obligation to, and had no interest in the familr of David, and so would go home, and let Rehoboam andthe family of David care for themselves. Upon their withdrawment in a body, Rehoboani sent Hadoram, his treasurer, after them, to persuade them to return. Perhaps supposing him the au thor of their late hardships, they stoned him to death. Rehoboam seeing this, posted off to Jeru salem in his chariot, where the tribes of Judah and Benjamin acknowledged him king. these he formed an army of 18o,000 to reduce the ten re volting tribes by force : but Shemaiah the prophet, in God's name, dissuaded him and his army from this atttempt, as it would not prosper. Rehoboam
and his people then returned to their homes.
(3) Reign. He, to strengthen his kingdom, fortified a number of cities, storing them with gar risons of men, and magazines of armor and pro vision. As Jeroboam, who had got himself made king of the ten tribes, cast off the true worship of God, many of the priests and Levites, and, no doubt, others, retired to the kingdom of Judah, and strengthened it.
For three years Rehoboam and his subjects fol lowed the Lord, and prospered exceedingly; but afterwards they abandoned themselves to every enormity. Idolatrous altars, statues, groves and high places were everywhere formed, and both men and women were appointed to be public pros titutes.
(4) Egyptian Invasion. To punish this wickedness, God brought Shishak, King of Egypt, to invade the land (B. C. 929). He ravaged the country, and carried off the treasure of the temple and palace. Shemaialt the prophet told Rehoboam and his princes that their idolatry and other wick edness had occasioned these disasters. They hum bled themselves under a sense of their guilt, and acknowledged the justice of God in their miseries. Shemaiah then assured them that God would not utterly forsake them, but would prove to them the difference between the hardships of serving the Lord and of serving Shishak. When Shishak left the country, after he had held it in subjection about three or four years. Rehoboam and his peo ple restored in some degree the worship of God, but the high places were not removed. He caused brazen shields to be made for his guard who at tended him to the temple, instead of the golden ones made by command of his father, which Shishak had carried off : these were laid up in his arsenal when they were not used.
(5) Death. After Rehoboam had reigned seventeen years, he died, and was buried in the city of David ; and left Abijah his son, whom he intended to have made his colleague on the throne, to be his successor. There were almost perpetual wars between him and Jeroboam, the history of which, and of his life, was written by the prophets Shemaiah and Iddo; but not being intended as canonical, has not reached our times. (1 Kings xii : and xiv :21-31; 2 Chron. x-xii). ( See iSRAEL;