2-Chronicles - 11:18



18 Rehoboam took him a wife, Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, (and of) Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of 2-Chronicles 11:18.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;
And Roboam took to wife Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David: and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Isai.
And Rehoboam took to himself Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David for a wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;
And Rehoboam taketh to him a wife, Mahalath, child of Jerimoth son of David, and Abigail daughter of Eliab, son of Jesse.
And Rehoboam took as his wife Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, the son of David and of Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, the son of Jesse;
Then Rehoboam took as wife Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, son of David, and also Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, son of Jesse.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

This is probably an extract from the "genealogies" of Iddo 2-Chronicles 12:15.
As Jerimoth is not mentioned among the legitimate sons of David 1-Chronicles 3:1-8; 1-Chronicles 14:4-7, he must have been the child of a concubine.
Abihail was probably the "grand-daughter," not "daughter," of Eliab 1-Samuel 16:6; 1-Samuel 17:13; 1-Chronicles 2:13.

Took him Mahalath - By marrying thus in the family of David, he strengthened his right to the Jewish throne.

And Rehoboam took him Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, the son of David, to wife,.... Of which son of David we nowhere else read; perhaps he might be the son of one of his concubines, or he might have two names:
and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse; who was David's eldest brother. 1-Samuel 17:13. She must be a granddaughter or great-granddaughter of his.

HIS WIVES AND CHILDREN. (2-Chronicles 11:18-23)
Rehoboam took Mahalath--The names of her father and mother are given. Jerimoth, the father, must have been the son of one of David's concubines (1-Chronicles 3:9). Abihail was, of course, his cousin, previous to their marriage.

2-Chronicles 11:18-23, information as to Rehoboam's family relationships. - 2-Chronicles 11:18. Instead of בּן we must read, with the Keri, many MSS, lxx, and Vulg., בּת: Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth, the son of David. Among the sons of David (1-Chronicles 3:1-8) no Jerimoth is found. If this name be not another form of יתרעם, 1-Chronicles 3:3, Jerimoth must have been a son of one of David's concubines. Before the name אביחיל, ו must have been dropped out, and is to be supplied; so that Mahalath's father and mother are both named: the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse, i.e., David's eldest brother (1-Chronicles 2:13; 1-Samuel 17:13). For Abihail cannot be held to be a second wife of Rehoboam, because 2-Chronicles 11:19, "and she bore," and 2-Chronicles 11:20, "and after her," show that in 2-Chronicles 11:18 only one wife is named. She bare him three sons, whose names occur only here (2-Chronicles 11:19).

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