2 Chronicles 11:22

2Ch 11:22 And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, [to be] ruler among his brethren: for [he thought] to make him king.

Ver. 22. And Rehoboam loved Maachah.] Not for any good that was in her, {see 1Ki 15:13} but either for her beauty, or for her conformity unto him in wicked practices; for likeness maketh love, {a} 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.

{a} ομοιον ομοιου εφιεται. - Arist., Eth., lib. viii.

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.

2Ch 11:22. Rehoboam made Abijah ruler among his brethren — He declared him his successor, and gave him the dominion over his brethren.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Called also Abijam, who reigned three years, 1 Kings 15:2.

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

made Abijah . . . chief . . . ruler among his brethren--This preference seems to have been given to Abijah solely from the king's doting fondness for his mother and through her influence over him. It is plainly implied that Abijah was not the oldest of the family. In destining a younger son for the kingdom, without a divine warrant, as in Solomon's case, Rehoboam acted in violation of the law (Deu 21:15).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 22. Made Abijah - the chief] Abijah certainly was not the first-born of Rehoboam; but as he loved Maachah more than any of his wives, so he preferred her son, probably through his mother's influence. In De 21:16, this sort of preference is forbidden; but Rehoboam had a sort of precedent in the preference shown by David to Solomon.

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

(22) And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah . . . brethren.—Rather, And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maachah for head—to wit, for prince (nagîd)—among his brethren. The expression “head” is explained by the following clause.

For he thought to make him king.—This gives the sense of the brief Hebrew phrase, “for—for making him king.” In making Abijah heir to the throne, it does not appear that Rehoboam infringed the law of Deu_21:15-17, as the Speaker’s Commentary suggests. The right of the firstborn was only a double share of a man’s property. (Comp. 1Ki_1:35 for a precedent.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22. the chief, to be ruler] R.V. to be chief, even the prince. “Ruler,” Heb. nâgîd is translated “chief ruler” (“prince” R.V.) in 1Ch_5:2.

for he thought] R.V. for is was minded.

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.

Jeush was probably the oldest of Rehoboam’s sons, and should naturally and according to the provisions of the Law Deu 21:15-17 have been his heir. But Rehoboam’s affection for Maachah led him to transgress the Law.

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

Head. Septuagint, "prince." (Haydock) --- Grotius maintains that Abia was the eldest. But all others are of a contrary opinion, and believe that Roboam derogated from the law, (Deuteronomy xxi. 16.; Calmet) as David had done, unless it was left to the option of the king to appoint whom he pleased for his successor. (Haydock) --- Meant. Protestants supply, "he thought" which is found in the Septuagint.

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).

To be ruler among his brethren; he declared him his successor, and gave him the dominion over his brethren; wherein (if he was not the first-born, as it seems to be implied, because this is mentioned as an effect of his superlative love to his mother) he transgressed that law, Deu 21:15,16, unless God was pleased to dispense with it at this time.

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

22. Made Abijah… chief… to make him king — So he, like his grandfather David, did not select and nominate his oldest son and legal heir (comp. Deu_21:15-17) for the throne, but the son of his favourite wife.

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

Cancel in this verse the italics "to be." Rehoboam again offends against the "Law". (see Deu_21:15-17) He cannot justly plead as a precedent the instance of David and Solomon, as in 1Ch_23:1; for this was only justified by the express Divine ordinance, 1Ch_23:9 1Ch_29:1.

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

Ruler - He declared him his successor, and gave him the dominion over, his brethren.

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

he had the thought of making him king

"he had thought of making Abijah king"

he scattered all his sons throughout all the land of Judah and Benjamin to every fortified city

"he sent all his sons throughout all the land to every fortified city of Judah and Benjamin"

translationWords

chief

king

rule

wise

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

as a leader among his brothers in order to make him king.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.