What stopped Roboam’s army from fighting Israel, and how was his kingdom strengthened?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The Lord’s word through Semeias told them not to fight their brethren, and they returned home. Roboam fortified cities, while priests, Levites and people seeking the Lord came to Juda and Jerusalem; the account says they strengthened the kingdom for three years.

Chapter breakdown

The heading introduces Roboam’s reign and the strengthening of his kingdom.

Roboam came to Jerusalem and gathered all the house of Juda and Benjamin: 180,000 chosen men and warriors, to fight Israel and bring his kingdom back to him. The Lord’s word came to Semeias, the man of God. He was to speak to Roboam son of Solomon, king of Juda, and all Israel in Juda and Benjamin. They must not go up or fight their brethren; every man must return to his own house, because this thing had been done by the Lord’s will. On hearing the word, they returned and did not go against Jeroboam.

Roboam dwelt in Jerusalem and built walled cities in Juda: Bethlehem, Etam, Thecue, Bethsur, Socho, Odollam, Geth, Maresa, Ziph, Aduram, Lachis, Azecha, Saraa, Aialon and Hebron, well-fenced cities in Juda and Benjamin. After enclosing them with walls, he put governors and storehouses of provisions, oil and wine, in them. In every city he made an armoury of shields and spears. He fortified them with great diligence and reigned over Juda and Benjamin.

Priests and Levites throughout Israel came to Roboam from all their seats. They left their suburbs and possessions and passed to Juda and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from carrying out the priestly office to the Lord. Jeroboam made himself priests for the high places, devils and calves he had made.

From all Israel’s tribes, those who gave their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came to Jerusalem to sacrifice their victims before the Lord God of their fathers. They strengthened Juda’s kingdom and established Roboam son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in David’s and Solomon’s ways only three years.

Roboam married Mahalath, daughter of Jerimoth son of David, and Abihail, daughter of Eliab son of Isai. They bore him Jehus, Somorias and Zoom. After her he married Maacha, daughter of Absalom, who bore Abia, Ethai, Ziza and Salomith. He loved Maacha above all his wives and concubines. He had married eighteen wives and sixty concubines and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

He put Abia son of Maacha at the head, as chief ruler over all his brothers, because he meant to make him king. The next verse says, “Because he was wiser and mightier than all his sons, and in all the countries of Juda, and of Benjamin, and in all the walled cities: and he gave them provisions in abundance, and he sought many wives.” This reading’s sentence is awkward; its wording is retained without turning it into a definite statement that Abia was the wisest son or adding a dispersal of the other sons.

The story inside

Roboam first gathers an army to recover his kingdom. The command through Semeias changes that action: the men hear it and return instead of going against Jeroboam. The account next names the cities Roboam walls and equips, including governors, oil, wine, shields and spears. It gives a separate reason for the priests and Levites coming to him: Jeroboam and his sons have excluded them from the Lord’s priestly office. Other Israelites come to sacrifice because they give their hearts to seek the Lord. Their strengthening of Juda is expressly limited to three years of walking in David’s and Solomon’s ways. The family record then names wives, ancestors, children and totals, followed by Roboam’s intention to make Abia king and the source’s final wording about wisdom, strength, provisions and many wives.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The army’s purpose and the reason it returns are both explicit. The 180,000 chosen men are gathered to fight Israel and recover Roboam’s kingdom. Semeias conveys a command addressed to Roboam and Israel in Juda and Benjamin, forbidding combat against their brethren because this thing was done by the Lord’s will. Their return follows hearing that word; no imagined battle outcome is needed.
2
Fortification and worship are separately documented. The fifteen cities receive walls, governors, oil and wine stores, and shields and spears. Priests and Levites leave because they have been excluded from their office, while others come to sacrifice as seekers of the Lord. The account says these people strengthen Juda; it does not compare their effect numerically or claim they are more effective than the cities. The repeated three-year limit matters.
3
Abia’s appointment is linked expressly to Roboam’s intention to make him king. The family list preserves Mahalath’s, Abihail’s and Maacha’s different ancestors, their named children and the overall totals. The awkward final verse should not be silently rewritten as an unambiguous claim about Abia’s superior wisdom or a detailed plan for sending other sons to cities.

Test your recall

Roboam wants his kingdom back → he gathers 180,000 warriors. They hear the Lord’s prohibition through Semeias → they return and do not go against Jeroboam. Jeroboam and his sons exclude priests and Levites from the Lord’s office → they leave possessions and come to Juda and Jerusalem. Israelites set their hearts to seek the Lord → they come to Jerusalem to sacrifice. Roboam intends Abia to become king → he makes him chief ruler over his brothers.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 45306–45308
2 Paralipomenon Chapter 11 Roboam’s reign. His kingdom is strengthened.
Lines 45310–45323
11:1. And Roboam came to Jerusalem, and called together all the house of Juda and of Benjamin, a hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men and warriors, to fight against Israel, and to bring back his kingdom to him. 11:2. And the word of the Lord came to Semeias the man of God, saying: 11:3. Speak to Roboam the son of Solomon the king of Juda, and to all Israel, in Juda and Benjamin: 11:4. Thus saith the Lord: You shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: let every man return to his own house, for by my will this thing has been done. And when they heard the word of the Lord, they returned, and did not go against Jeroboam,
Lines 45325–45343
11:5. And Roboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built walled cities in Juda. 11:6. And he built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Thecue, 11:7. And Bethsur, and Socho, and Odollam, 11:8. And Geth, and Maresa, and Ziph, 11:9. And Aduram, and Lachis, and Azecha, 11:10. Saraa also, and Aialon, and Hebron, which are in Juda and Benjamin, well fenced cities. 11:11. And when he had enclosed them with walls, he put in them governors and storehouses of provisions, that is, of oil and of wine. 11:12. Moreover in every city he made an armoury of shields and spears, and he fortified them with great diligence, and he reigned over Juda, and Benjamin,
Lines 45345–45353
11:13. And the priests and Levites, that were in all Israel, came to him out of all their seats, 11:14. Leaving their suburbs, and their possessions, and passing over to Juda, and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off, from executing the priestly office to the Lord. 11:15. And he made to himself priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.
Lines 45355–45361
11:16. Moreover out of all the tribes of Israel, whosoever gave their heart to seek the Lord the God of Israel, came into Jerusalem to sacrifice their victims before the Lord the God of their fathers. 11:17. And they strengthened the kingdom of Juda, and established Roboam the son of Solomon for three years: for they walked in the ways of David and of Solomon, only three years.
Lines 45363–45374
11:18. And Roboam took to wife Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David: and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Isai. 11:19. And they bore him sons Jehus, and Somorias, and Zoom. 11:20. And after her he married Maacha the daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abia, and Ethai, and Ziza, and Salomith. 11:21. And Roboam loved Maacha the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and concubines: for he had married eighteen wives, and threescore concubines: and he begot eight and twenty sons, and threescore daughters.
Lines 45376–45381
11:22. But he put at the head of them Abia the son of Maacha to be the chief ruler over all his brethren: for he meant to make him king, 11:23. Because he was wiser and mightier than all his sons, and in all the countries of Juda, and of Benjamin, and in all the walled cities: and he gave them provisions in abundance, and he sought many wives.