jeroboam Summary and Overview

increase of the people. (1.) The son of Nebat (1 Kings 11:26-39), "an Ephrathite," the first king of the ten tribes, over whom he reigned twenty-two years (B.C. 976-945). He was the son of a widow of Zereda, and while still young was promoted by Solomon to be chief superintendent of the "burnden", i.e., of the bands of forced labourers. Influenced by the words of the prophet Ahijah, he began to form conspiracies with the view of becoming king of the ten tribes; but these having been discovered, he fled to Egypt (1 Kings 11:29-40), where he remained for a length of time under the protection of Shishak I. On the death of Solomon, the ten tribes, having revolted, sent to invite him to become their king. The conduct of Rehoboam favoured the designs of Jeroboam, and he was accordingly proclaimed "king of Israel" (1 Kings 12: 1-20). He rebuilt and fortified Shechem as the capital of his kingdom. He at once adopted means to perpetuate the division thus made between the two parts of the kingdom, and erected at Dan and Bethel, the two extremities of his kingdom, "golden calves," which he set up as symbols of Jehovah, enjoining the people not any more to go up to worship at Jerusalem, but to bring their offerings to the shrines he had erected. Thus he became distinguished as the man "who made Israel to sin." This policy was followed by all the succeeding kings of Israel. While he was engaged in offering incense at Bethel, a prophet from Judah appeared before him with a warning message from the Lord. Attempting to arrest the prophet for his bold words of defiance, his hand was "dried up," and the altar before which he stood was rent asunder. At his urgent entreaty his "hand was restored him again" (1 Kings 13:1-6, 9; compare 2 Kings 23:15); but the miracle made no abiding impression on him. His reign was one of constant war with the house of Judah. He died soon after his son Abijah (1 Kings 14:1-18). (2.) Jeroboam II., the son and successor of Jehoash, and the fourteenth king of Israel, over which he ruled for forty-one years, B.C. 825-784 (2 Kings 14:23). He followed the example of the first Jeroboam in keeping up the worship of the golden calves (2 Kings 14:24). His reign was contemporary with those of Amaziah (2 Kings 14:23) and Uzziah (15:1), kings of Judah. He was victorious over the Syrians (13:4; 14:26, 27), and extended Israel to its former limits, from "the entering of Hamath to the sea of the plain" (14:25; Amos 6:14). His reign of forty-one years was the most prosperous that Israel had ever known as yet. With all this outward prosperity, however, iniquity widely prevailed in the land (Amos 2:6-8; 4:1; 6:6; Hos. 4:12-14). The prophets Hosea (1:1), Joel (3:16; Amos 1:1, 2), Amos (1:1), and Jonah (2 Kings 14:25) lived during his reign. He died, and was buried with his ancestors (14:29). He was succeeded by his son Zachariah (q.v.). His name occurs in Scripture only in 2 Kings 13:13; 14:16, 23, 27, 28, 29; 15:1, 8; 1 Chr. 5:17; Hos. 1:1; Amos 1:1; 7:9, 10, 11. In all other passages it is Jeroboam the son of Nebat that is meant.

(whose people are many). 1. The first king of the divided kingdom of Israel, B.C. 975-954, was the son of an Ephraimite of the name of Nebat. He was raised by Solomon to the rank of superintendent over the taxes and labors exacted from the tribe of Ephraim. #1Ki 11:28| he made the most of his position, and at last was perceived by Solomon to be aiming at the monarchy. He was leaving Jerusalem, when he was met by Ahijah the prophet, who gave him the assurance that, on condition of obedience to his laws, God would establish for him a kingdom and dynasty equal to that of David. #1Ki 11:29-40| The attempts of Solomon to cut short Jeroboam's designs occasioned his flight into Egypt. There he remained until Solomon's death. After a year's longer stay in Egypt, during which Jeroboam married Ano, the elder sister of the Egyptian queen Tahpenes, he returned to Shechem, where took place the conference with Rehoboam [REHOBOAM], and the final revolt which ended in the elevation of Jeroboam to the throne of the northern kingdom. Now occurred the fatal error of his policy. Fearing that the yearly pilgrimages to Jerusalem would undo all the work which he effected, he took the bold step of rending the religious unity of the nation, which was as yet unimpaired, asunder. He caused two golden figures of Mnevis, the sacred calf, to be made and set up at the two extremities of his kingdom, one at Dan and the other at Bethel. It was while dedicating the altar at Bethel that a prophet from Judah suddenly appeared, who denounced the altar, and foretold its desecration by Josiah, and violent overthrow. The king, stretching out his hand to arrest the prophet, felt it withered and paralyzed, and only at the prophet's prayer saw it restored, and acknowledged his divine mission. Jeroboam was at constant war with the house of Judah, but the only act distinctly recorded is a battle with Abijah, son of Rehoboam, in which he was defeated. The calamity was severely felt; he never recovered the blow, and soon after died, in the 22d year of his reign, #2Ch 13:20| and was buried in his ancestral sepulchre. #1Ki 14:20| 2. Jeroboam II., the son of Joash, the fourth of the dynasty of Jehu. (B.C. 825-784.) The most prosperous of the kings of Israel. He repelled the Syrian invaders, took their capital city Damascus, #2Ki 14:28| and recovered the whole of the ancient dominion from Hamah to the Dead Sea. ch #2Ki 14:25| Ammon and Moab were reconquered, and the transjordanic tribes were restored to their territory, #2Ki 13:5; 1Ch 5:17-22| but it was merely an outward restoration.

JER'OBOAM (whose people is many). 1. The son of Nebat, is distinguished as "the man who made Israel to sin," and was the first king of the ten tribes, b.c. 975-964. He came of the tribe of Ephraim; and distinguishing himself, he was made by Solomon the superintendent of all the workmen furnished by his tribe. While thus employed the prophet Ahijah, by a symbolical act, informed him that the kingdom of Solomon was to be divided and he was to become the head of the ten tribes. What he did on receiving this information we know not; possibly he may have endeavored to hasten matters by raising the standard of revolt; but at any rate Solomon was alarmed, and took measures to apprehend Jeroboam, who fled to Egypt and remained there till Solomon's death. 1 Kgs 11:26-40. After Solomon's death the smouldering fires of discontent burst into a flame. Rehoboam, his successor, acted foolishly, returning an insulting answer to the people's mild demands. Accordingly, the ten tribes threw off the yoke and elected Jeroboam, who had returned, as the one best qualified to be their king. Thus was prophecy fulfilled. He fixed his residence at Shechem, which, with other cities, he fortified for the furtherance of his plans. Fearing that if the revolted tribes should go up to the solemn national feasts at Jerusalem they would be persuaded to return to their allegiance, and forgetting his obligations to God and his dependence on him, he caused two golden calves to be erected, one at Dan and the other at Bethel, the extremities of his dominions, and caused a proclamation to be made, requiring the worship of these idols. 1 Kgs 12:26-33. Jeroboam, having set up the idols, assembled the people at the latter place, to engage in the solemn worship of them; and to show his zeal for the service he officiated at the altar himself. But while he was thus occupied a prophet from the land of Judah appeared in the midst of the assembly, and in the hearing of all the people uttered a prediction that a man by the name of Josiah should arise and destroy that altar, and should burn upon it the bones of the priests; and to confirm his authority he gave this sign, that the altar should immediately be broken in pieces and the ashes upon it be poured out; and it was so. Jeroboam, greatly provoked by this bold interference, put forth his hand to seize the prophet; but in a moment it was stiffened, so that he could not draw it in. Intimidated by this miraculous judgment, and convinced that the man was indeed a prophet of the Lord, he begged that he would intercede for him that his arm might be restored, which was done accordingly. Jeroboam, however, was not reformed by this divine message and double miracle, but continued to cause Israel to sin in worshipping the calves which he had set up. His son was taken sick, and he instructed his wife to disguise herself and go to Ahijah, who was now blind with age, and consult with him as to the result of the disease. The prophet was forewarned of her approach; and as soon as he heard her footsteps he called her by name, and after recounting the sins of Jeroboam he predicted the disgrace and ruin and utter extirpation of his whole family, and also the captivity and dispersion of the people of Israel. He also told her that the child should die, and that the nation should mourn for him as the only individual of the house of their king who should come to a peaceful end, and also as one who in the midst of all the idolatry and wickedness of the times had some pious emotions, even in the house of Jeroboam. As she entered the door of her house the child died. 1 Kgs 14:17. Jeroboam reigned in Israel 22 years, and was succeeded by his son Nadab. During his life there were almost unceasing wars between him and the house of David. 1. The son of Joash, and the great grandson of Jehu, reigned 41 years, b.c. 825-784, and followed the former Jeroboam in his idolatrous worship. 2 Kgs 14:23-29. The Lord, however, by him, according to the predictions of the prophet Jonah, raised the kingdom of the ten tribes to its greatest splendor. All the countries on the east of the Jordan he reduced. "The full extent of ancient sovereignty was recovered, no king of the northern state having ever been so victorious as he." It appears from the writings of Hosea and Amos that idleness, effeminacy, pride, oppression, injustice, idolatry, and luxury greatly prevailed in his reign. Am 2:6-16; Jud 5:6. Nor was it long after his death before the Lord, according to the predictions of Amos, cut off his family with the sword. 2 Kgs 15:10; Hos 1:1, etc.

="whose people is many." "Rehoboam," meaning "enlarger of the people", is much the same. Both names appear first in Solomon's time, when Israel's numbers were vastly increased. 1. Founder of the northern kingdom of Israel. Son of Nebat and Zeruah of Zereda or Zarthan in the Jordan valley (1 Kings 7:46); of Ephraim (so "Ephrathite" means, 1 Kings 11:26; 1 Samuel 1:1). His mother is called a "widow woman." When Solomon was building Millo, and was closing the gap (not "the breaches," for no hostile attack had been made since David had fortified the city, 2 Samuel 5:9), long afterwards called Tyropreon, separating Zion from Moriah and Ophel, so as to bring the temple mount within the city wall, and so complete the fortification of the city of David, he found Jeroboam able and energetic in "doing the work"(margin, 1 Kings 11:28), so he made him overseer over all "the hoary work" of the house of Joseph. In this post Jereboam attempted a rebellion, the Ephraimites being impatient because of the heavy taxes and works imposed, and so having their old jealousy of Judah awakened afresh. Events moved on, in God's providence, steadily toward the appointed end: Jeroboam of Ephraim over an army of Ephraimite work. men, employed for 20 years in works for the glory of Judah, and for palaces and idol temples (besides Jehovah's temple transferred from Shiloh in northern Israel to Judah's capital), all for a prince no longer of their own line. Naturally, Jeroboam became their king, and they wreaked their vengeance onAdoniram the collector in chief of taxes for those hated works. Solomon suppressed the rebellion, and Jeroboam fled to Egypt. Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh had previously met Jeroboam by the way, and drawn him aside into the field, and in Jehovah's name intimated that Jeroboam should have ten tribes, and the house of David one, for the apostasy of Solomon and the people, vividly symbolizing the fact as already accomplished in God's counsel by tearing His new (answering to the youthful vigour of the kingdom) four grainered garment into twelve pieces, and giving him ten. As two, not merely one, remained, the numbers are symbolical not arithmetical (see ISRAEL ), ten expressing completeness and totality (1 Kings 12:20), "they made Jeroboam king over all Israel." Ahijah's words, "thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth," imply Jeroboam already in heart aspired to the throne before his overt rebellion. God gave no promise of permanence to Jeroboam as He did to the house of David, simply "if thou wilt walk in My ways I will build thee a sure house."Jeroboam fulfilled not the condition, and so his house was extirpated at his son's death (1 Kings 15:25-31). David's seed was to be afflicted, but "not for ever." The tribes shall be united again in Messiah the Son of David (Ezekiel 37:16-22). Ahijah's prophecy did not justify Jeroboam's attempt. Samuel anointed David in Saul's reign; yet David, even when God had put Saul his deadly foe in his power, would not lay violent hands on the Lord's anointed, but waited patiently God's way and time for raising him to the throne. God had expressly said, "I will make Solomon prince all the days of his life"; so that Jeroboam had no pretext from Ahijah for rebellion, and Solomon would have justly slain him had he not escaped to Shishak or Sheshonk of Egypt. Sheshonk having dethroned the Pharaoh whose daughter Solomon had married, had naturally espoused Jeroboam's cause. At Solomon's death the Israelites called Jeroboam out of Egypt, for they had been longing for a less theocratic and more worldly kingdom, impatient already of submission to the royal house appointed by Jehovah (2 Samuel 20). Israel, having the right of making king whomsoever God chose (2 Samuel 2:4; 5:3; 1 Chronicles 29:22), assembled to Shechem (Nablus now) for that purpose, the ancient place of national assembly in Ephraim (Joshua 24:1), and more suited than Jerusalem to their design of transferring the government to Jeroboam. Jeroboam, having formerly superintended Ephraim in the works of Solomon at Jerusalem in building Mille and repairing the city of David (1 Kings 11:27), could readily suggest calumnies from his own professed experience. Jeroboam as their spokesman, begged of Rehoboam a reductionof their tribute and heavy service, due no doubt to Solomon's maintaining such splendour and erecting magnificent buildings. They forgot the blessings of his reign, the peace, wealth, and trade which they enjoyed. Rehoboam, following the young men's counsel rather than the old and experienced counselors of his father (Proverbs 27:10), answered harshly (1 Kings 15:1): "My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins .... my father chastised you with whips, but I ... with scorpions," i.e. scourges with barbed points like a scorpion's sting. Had he "served them," they would have been "his servants for ever." By acting the tyrant he precipitated the secession. Adopting the watchword of Sheba's rebellion they cried "what portion have we in David? to your tents, O Israel; now see to thine own house (to Judah, of which David's representative was head), David." Then they "made Jeroboam king over all Israel."His first care was to fortify (so "build" means, for the two cities existed long before) Shechem his first residence (Tirzah was his subsequent abode, 1 Kings 14:17). (It was to Shechem Rehoboam had hastened to meet Israel, to secure Ephraim's allegiance, as he knew he was sure of Judah's allegiance; Shechem had been burnt down by Abimelech). Also Penuel, to secure Gilead against enemies from the E. and N.E. Next, adopting carnal policy instead of God's will, which assured him the kingdom on condition of obedience, and which designs ultimately to reunite Israel to Judah after Judah's temporary chastisement for sin, he set up two golden calves (see CALF WORSHIP ), one at Dan the other at Bethel, to obviate the apprehended return of Israel to Rehoboam through going up to the great feasts at Jerusalem. He thus violated God's command that there should be only one altar, namely, that at Jerusalem; still worse, he violated the second commandment by worshipping Jehovah, who is a spirit, under the form of images somewhat like the two cherubim. Rome compared the Protestant reformation to Jeroboam's secession; but it is she who breaks the unity of the faith by representing the one God underimages, in violation of the second commandment; paving the way to violating the first, as Jeroboam's sin prepared the way for Baal worship. Borrowing Aaron's words concerning his calf, Jeroboam insinuated that his calf worship was no new religion, but a revival of their fathers'primitive one in the desert, sanctioned by the first high priest: "Behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of Egypt" (Exodus 32:4,8). The places were hallowed by ancient tradition: Bethel on the S. of his kingdom, the scene of Jehovah's revelation to the patriarch Jacob (Genesis 28:11,19; 35:7); and Dan, at the sources of the Jordan (now Tell el Kadi) in the far N., consecrated by the Danites' image worship, at which Moses' descendant see JONATHAN officiated; so that no part of his kingdom was beyond easy reach of one or other of the two sanctuaries. (But Condor presents various reasons for supposing, with the older writers except Josephus, that Dan and Bethel were two heights W. and S. of Shechem: Israel Exploration Quarterly Statement, Jan. 1878. (See SHECHEM )) He made priests of the people indiscriminately, not of Levi; any who "came to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams" (<141309> 2 Chronicles 13:9). Thus one sin entailed many others, and brought its own punishment; for the Levites, refusing to be priests of the calves, and the godly were alienated from him, and most emigrated to Judah (<141113> 2 Chronicles 11:13,14,16), strengthening Rehoboam. Jeroboam transferred the feast of tabernacles from the legal seventh to the eighth month ("the month which he had devised of his own heart," 1 Kings 11:33; see Colossians 2:23, "will worship"), his pretext being the later ripening of the vintage in the N. than in the S., but his real reason being to separate Israel from Judah religiously, the legal 15th day being still retained. While Jeroboam stood in person to burn incense, or rather to burn the sacrificial portions of the flesh, upon the altar of Bethel, usurping the priest's office, a man of God out of Judah, impelled by (1 Kings 13:2; Hebrews in; Haggai 1:13) the word of Jehovah, Iddo according to Josephus (Ant. 8:8, section 5), cried against the altar: "behold, a child born unto the house of David, Josiah, upon thee shall offer the priests of the high places that burn incense (burn sacrifices) upon thee (retribution in kind), and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee," to defile thee. He gave also a sign of the future fulfillment of his prophecy; "the altar shall be rent, and the ashes ... poured out" (implying the altar's destruction and the desecration of the sacrificial service). Josiah's name, as Cyrus', in Isaiah 44:28, 45:1, is specified as a concrete description of what God would do by him = "he whom Jehovah will support," to execute His judgment on Bethel and its priests: fulfilled 2 Kings 23:15-20. Jeroboam attempting to seize the prophet had his hand dried up, and was only restored upon the prophet's intercession. Failing by violence, Jeroboam tried to win the prophet by favors; asking him home to refresh himself with food and offering him a present. This only elicited a stronger rejection of him on the part of God. Not for half his house would the prophet go in with him, or eat or drink in theplace, or return by the way he came. God would have His people to hold no communion with the apostates of Bethel, or to have any renewed communication with any on the way, which might ensue from meeting the same persons on the same road again. Contrast Balaam's tempting God (through desire of reward) by asking again, as if God would change His once for all declared will (Numbers 22-24; 1 Peter 5:2). An old prophet at Bethel, where, Lot like, he dwelt, risking the corrupting influences of bad association (1 Corinthians 15:33; <470614> 2 Corinthians 6:14-18), jealous that any should be faithful where he himself was not, and desiring to drag down the man of God to his own low level (Psalm 62:4), overtook him, and by a lie, saying "an angel of God spoke unto me, Bring him back that he may eat," overcame his constancy. He ought to have remembered God cannot contradict Himself (Numbers 23:19; Galatians 1:8,9). The prophet, the instrument of his sin (according to God's righteous law: Proverbs 1:31; Jeremiah 2:19), became the instrument of his punishment; his tempter became his accuser: "forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of Jehovah ... thy carcass shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers." So a lion slew him, yet ate not his body, nor tore the ass, but stood passively, an emblem of mercy amidst judgment; also to mark it was no mere chance, but the visitation of Jehovah, a warning to Bethel; "if judgment begin (thus immediately) at the house of God, what shall the end be of them that obey not ... God; and if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?"(1 Peter 4:17,18). God chastises His children immediately, so that they may not be condemned with the world; He is slower in punishing the worldly, that His longsuffering may lead them to repentance (1 Corinthians 11:30,32; Romans 2:4). The worldly prophet showed much sentimentality at his death, laying his carcass in his own grave, and exclaiming "Alas! my brother." Balaam like (Numbers 23:10), desiring at death to lie with the man of God, he utters no self reproach, though having caused his death. Jeroboam unwarned by his visitation "returned not from his evil way," "ordaining whosoever would (1 Kings 13:33,34; 2 Chronicles 11:15) priests, for the high places, the devils, and the calves" (the gods worshipped in these houses in the high places being called "demons" or devils (literally, goats, from the Egyptian goat-shaped god Mendes or Pan) from their nature,and calves from their form; Leviticus 17:7, "evil spirits of the desert" (Speaker's Commentary, seiriym : 1 Corinthians 10:20,21). So it "became sin unto his house, to cut it off." (See ABIJAH and see AHIJAH , on the death of the former, Jeroboam's son, and the prophecy of the latter against Jeroboam). Rehoboam's son see ABIJAH defeated Jeroboam, and gained for a time Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephraim. "Because the children of Judah relied upon the Lord God of their fathers,""God delivered (2 Chronicles 13) the Israelites into their hand."Jeroboam never recovered strength again; and the Lord struck him (by a special visitation, 1 Samuel 25:38), and he died after a 22 years' reign, and "slept with his fathers," i.e. was buried in his ancestral tomb. Nadab, or Nebat from his grandfather's name, succeeded. Jeroboam's master stroke of policy recoiled on himself. The brand rests eternally on him that he "sinned and made Israel to sin." Rejecting Jehovah's will, he was no longer king by the will of God, but a successful usurper, whose example others followed. The son whose throne Jeroboam was at such pains to secure permanently fell with all Jeroboam's house before Baasha. 2. Jeroboam II, Joash's son, fourth of Jehu's dynasty. In see JEHOAHAZ ' reign Jehovah gave Israel promise of a "saviour"from Syria who "had made Israel like the dust by threshing"(2 Kings 13:4,5). Jeroboam was that saviour, fulfilling the further prophecy of see JONAH that Jeroboam should "restore the coast of Israel from the entering in of Hamath unto the sea of the plain" (2 Kings 14:23-29). Jeroboam took Syria's capital, Damascus (Amos 1:3-5; 6:14; where Amos warns Israel not to exult in having just taken Hamath, for that shall be the foe's starting point to afflict you: contrast 1 Kings 8:65), and Hamath, and restored the tribes E. of Jordan (1 Chronicles 5:17-22; 2 Kings 13:5). Assyria's depression from 800 to 750 B.C., according to their inscriptions, harmonizes with Scripture that then Jeroboam II. in Israel, and Uzziah in Judah, were able to enlarge their borders. The long period of prosperity thus given was a respite which should have led Israel to repentance. When they repented not, speedy and final judgment followed. The calf worship, as an engine of state policy, still remained at Bethel. The priest there, see AMAZIAH , alleged before Jeroboam (Amos 7:9-13), "Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel," exaggerating Amos' prophecy, "I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword," as if he had said, "Jeroboam shall die by the sword." Jeroboam seems not to have heeded Amaziah through awe of Jehovah'sprophet. In all ages the ungodly have accused witnesses against the national sin as guilty of treason: as Elijah and Jeremiah 1 Kings 18:17; Jeremiah 37:13,14; John 19:12 the Antitype, 11:48-50 political expediency being the plea for persecution; Acts 17:6,7; 24:5, Paul. After reigning 41 years he was buried in state and entombed with the kings of Israel. Amaziah's expression, "the land is not able to bear all Amos'words," implies a critical state of the country, which eventuated in actual anarchy for some time after Jeroboam's death. 1 Chronicles 6:27,34; 1 Samuel 1:1. 2. Head of a family dwelling in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 8:27), as distinguished from the Benjamites dwelling in Gibeon (1 Chronicles 8:28,29), probably the J. father (forefather) of Ibneiah (1 Chronicles 9:3,8,9).