1 Kings 14:31

1Ki 14:31 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his mother’s name [was] Naamah an Ammonitess. And Abijam his son reigned in his stead.

Ver. 31. And Rehoboam slept.] Jeroboam lived to see three successions in the throne of Judah. Thus the ivy liveth where the oak is dead.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Whose idolatry Rehoboam her son followed.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 31. Naamah an Ammonitess.] He was born of a heathen mother, and begotten of an apostate father. From such an impure fountain could sweet water possibly spring?

Abijam his son reigned in his stead.] Though righteousness cannot be propagated, because it is supernatural, yet unrighteousness may, for that is a genuine offspring of nature. Abijam was the wicked son of an apostate father and heathenish mother. Grace may be grafted on a crab stock; but let none do evil that good may come of it. A bad stock will produce bad fruit.

Dr. Kennicott observes that the name of this king of Judah is now expressed three ways: here and in four other places it is Abijam or Abim; in two others it is Abihu, but in eleven other places it is Abiah, as it is expressed by St. Matthew, Mt 1:7, ροβοαμεγεννησετον αβια; and this is the reading of thirteen of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., and of thirteen respectable editions of the Hebrew Bible. The Syriac is the same. The Septuagint in the London Polyglot has αβιου, Abihu; but in the Complutensian and Antwerp Polyglots, it is αβια, Abiah. Though the common printed Vulgate has Abiam, yet the Editio Princeps of the Vulgate, some MSS., and the text in the Complutensian and Antwerp Polyglots, have Abia; which without doubt is the reading that should in all cases be followed.

The rabbins say, and particularly Rab. Sol. Jarchi, that the Shishak mentioned in this chapter is Pharaoh Necho, and that he invaded Israel in order to get the ivory throne of his son-in-law Solomon, which he had always coveted; and this throne he carried away. It appears however that he spoiled the temple, the king's palace, c., and in short took every thing away without resistance which he chose to carry off. It is very likely that this had a good effect on Rehoboam it probably caused him to frequent the temple, 1Kg 14:28, which it is likely he had before neglected. This history is more particularly told in 2 Chron. 12, to which the reader will do well to refer; and as to Rehoboam, though so much positive iniquity is not laid to his charge as to his father, yet little can be said for his piety; the idolatry introduced by Solomon does not appear to have been lessened in the days of Rehoboam.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

31. and his mother’s name—Ammonitess] These words, which are identical with the closing paragraph of 1Ki_14:21 are omitted, by the LXX. (Vat.). Their occurrence twice so close together seems to shew that the compiler of 1 Kings was drawing from several sources, and that he copied 1Ki_14:21-24 from one narrative just as they stood, and 1Ki_14:25-31 from another, which both contained the same piece of information about Rehoboam’s mother. Here as in 1Ki_14:21 we should render ‘the Ammonitess.’ In the long passage which the LXX. inserts after 1Ki_14:24 of chap. 12. (see additional note thereon) she is called Ναανὰν θυγάτηρ Ἄνα υἱοῦ Ναὰς βασιλέως υἱῶν Ἀμμών. The king intended by these words is probably Hanun, the son of Nahash, of whom we hear something in 2 Samuel 10. If Hanun became reconciled to David after the events there related, the marriage of Solomon with his daughter might have been one item in their treaty of friendship. But the authority of the addition in the LXX. is not very great.

Abijam his son] Called in 2Ch_12:16, and elsewhere, Abijah.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Slept with his fathers and was buried ... - Compare 1Ki 11:43. The expression is a sort of formula, and is used with respect to all the kings of Judah, except two or three. The writer probably regards the fact, which he records so carefully, as a continuation of God’s mercy to David.

His mother’s name ... - The mention of the queen-mother so regularly in the account of the kings of Judah is thought to indicate that she had an important position in the state. There are, however, only two instances where such a person seems to have exercised any power 1Ki 15:13; 2 Kings 11:1-20.

Abijam - Abijah (see the marginal reference) was probably his real name, while Abijam is a form due to the religious feeling of the Jews, who would not allow the word JAH to be retained as an element in the name of so bad a king. Instances of a similar feeling are the change of Bethel” into Beth-aven in Hosea 1Ki 4:15, and perhaps of Jehoahaz into Ahaz (2Ki 15:38 note).

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Roboam. He deserved some commendation for procuring provisions, and fortifying his dominion; (2 Paralipomenon xi. 5, 12.) but was a prince devoid of wisdom and religion. He married 18 wives and 60 concubines. The son of Maacha, his most favourite queen, succeeded him, after he had reigned seventeen years, and lived fifty-eight. (Calmet) --- Semeias and Addo wrote his history, 2 Paralipomenon xii. 15.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

His mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess; this is repeated as a thing very observable. See Poole "1Ki 14:21".

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

31. Abijam — Called Abijah in the Chronicles.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Rehoboam slept with his fathers The same formula as, 1Ki_2:10 1Ki_11:43 1Ki_15:8, 1Ki_15:24, etc. It is used of nearly all the kings of Judah and was buried with his fathers These words go to prove, against Gesenius, that the phrase "slept (lit. lay down) with his fathers" is not to be interpreted of Sheol, but of the grave; (see on 1Ki_2:10) in the city of David. And his mother"s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess. Same words as in ver. 21. The repetition can hardly be, as Bahr, Wordsworth, al., imagine, designed, in order to show that the worship of Moloch was brought by her to Jerusalem, (1Ki_11:7) and that she exercised a sinister influence upon her son. As she is twice called "the Ammonitess" it can hardly be doubted that she was one of the "Ammonitesses", (1Ki_11:1 Hebrews) who turned away Solomon"s heart; and it is also certain that Rehoboam did not inherit his folly from his father. At the same time these words are more easily accounted for on the supposition that the historian found them in this position in one or more of the documents from which he compiled his history. It is also to be remembered that some of these chronological statements are manifestly by a later hand, and have been transferred from the margin to the text. (See on 1Ki_6:1) And Abijam elsewhere called Abijah, (2Ch_12:16 2Ch_13:1) or Abijahu, (2Ch_13:21 Hebrews) Some MSS. have Abijah here. The variation is not easily accounted for except as a clerical error. The supposition of Lightfoot that the name was designedly altered by the historian to avoid the incorporation of the sacred JAH into the name of a bad man is too fanciful, the more so as Abijam was by no means an exceptionally bad king. It is, however, approved by Bahr and Rawlinson. But it is as little probable that Abijam is the original form of the name (Keil). The form Abijahu, the LXX jAbiou, and the analogy of Abiel (1Sa_9:1) all make against this idea. On the whole, it is more likely that Abijam results from an error of transcription, h and the final being easily confounded his son reigned in his stead.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

An Ammonitess - This is repeated as a thing very observable.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.