Ver. 1-4. See on 1 Kings 12:21-24.
Ver. 5. And Rehoboam dwelt, &c.] See 1 Kings 12:18.
Ver. 11. And put captains in them.] Who were his own sons likely, (2 Chronicles 11:23) in whom he might best confide, though our Henry II found it otherwise.
Ver. 12. And made them exceeding strong.] But sin was at the bottom, and blew them up: their iniquity was their ruin, as Ezekiel 18:30.
Ver. 13. And the priests and the Levites.] This was to be like their worthy predecessors. (Exodus 32:26) For Jeroboam and his sons.] Who were as active against the truth as their father. See 1 Kings 12:28. One main reason might be, to possess their cities and lands. The church bread is sweet bread, said William Rufus.
Ver. 15. And he ordained him priests.] See 1 Kings 12:31. And for the devils.] Heb., Hairy horrid things, boegy men. See Revelation 9:11,20. The devil is ειδωλοχαρης, saith Synesius; and hereby it appeareth that Jeroboam set up more idols than the two golden calves.
Ver. 16. And after them.] See the force of good example; and that there were not a few of these that thus fled, though Jeroboam way laid them. (Hosea 5:1) [See Trapp on “Ho 5:1”] Augustine gathereth from hence, that in those most corrupt times of king Ahab there were found seven thousand that had not bowed their knees to Baal. Such as set their hearts.] Qui tradiderunt cor suum, who delivered up their hearts to seek the Lord; to run any hazard rather than to violate their consciences. Such were the English exiles in Queen Mary’s days, from whom Stephen Gardiner vowed so to stop the sending of all supplies, that for very hunger they should eat their own nails, and then feed on their fingers’ ends: but ‘threatened folk live long’; and before these banished men were brought to that short bill of fare, the bishop was first all eaten up of worms himself. These exiles of Israel had harbour and maintenance from Rehoboam, whose kingdom was not a little strengthened and settled by the coming of these good men. Fuller’s Church Hist.
Ver. 17. For three years they walked in the ways of David and Solomon,] viz., Before his fall, and after his repentance: for this passage charitably implieth the repentance of Solomon in his last days, though haply he could not reform all idolatries; as neither could Manasseh: (2 Chronicles 33:18) for it is not likely, saith a good expositor, that the beginning of Rehoboam’s reign would have been David-like, if Solomon had died, and left the kingdom in so corrupt a condition. Yet some conceive that Solomon is here joined with David, because himself continued incorrupt from idolatry, though he suffered high places to be set up for his wives. Mr Jackson.
Ver. 18. The daughter of Jerimoth the son of David.] By some concubine likely. See 1 Chronicles 3:9. The daughter of Eliab.] All his three wives here mentioned were of David’s family, and of his own kindred.
Ver. 21. He took Maachah, the daughter of Absalom,] i.e., His niece by his sister, or his daughter Tamar, whose husband haply was called Uriel. See 1 Kings 15:2.
Ver. 22. And Rehoboam loved Maachah.] Not for any good that was in her, [see 1 Kings 15:13] but either for her beauty, or for her conformity unto him in wicked practices; for likeness maketh love, saith the philosopher, in married couples especially. “ Uxor pessima, pessimus maritus: Miror non bene convenire vobis.’’—Martial. For he thought to make him king.] Maachah would have it so, belike, whether it were right or wrong. Occidar, modo imperet, said Nero’s mother, Let him be king, whatever come of it. ομοιον ομοιου εφιεται.— Arist., Eth., lib. viii.
Ver. 23. And he dealt wisely,] i.e., Politicly, as did after him Jehoshaphat, (2 Chronicles 21:3) for he dispersed his other sons, that they might not conspire against his successor: and he gave them both victuals in abundance, and a multitude of wives, as some understand those words—he asked for a multitude of wives— ut ventri et veneri vacantes, that drowned in sensual delights, they might not aspire to the kingdom.