I Kings 14:21 · Bible study
1 Kings 14:21 Commentary: Rehoboam's Reign, Jerusalem's Choice, and Ammonite Influence
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explores Rehoboam's age (41 vs.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Introductory regnal formula for Rehoboam, emphasizing Jerusalem's divine election and the mother's foreign origin as a clue to Judah's later idolatry.
- Key words: *bāchar* (choose), Qal perfect, God's settled choice; *shēm* (name) with possessive suffix, His presence; *hāʿAmmōnît* (the Ammonitess), definite article marks her as known, likely a foreign queen mother.
- Main debate: Whether Rehoboam was actually 41 or 21 at accession, given his description as 'young' in 2 Chronicles 13:7.
- Theological theme: The interplay of divine election (Jerusalem) and human unfaithfulness (idolatry, compromise with surrounding nations).
- Best use: As a lens for examining how background influences and privileges can be squandered through unwise choices.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Meanwhile, Rehoboam son of Solomon reigned in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Yahweh had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess.
KJV King James Version 1769
And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Jehovah had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there: and his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And Rehoboam son of Solomon hath reigned in Judah; a son of forty and one years is Rehoboam in his reigning, and seventeen years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, the city that Jehovah chose to set His name there, out of all the tribes of Israel, and the name of his mother is Naamah the Ammonitess.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that Jehovah had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there; and his mother's name was Naamah, an Ammonitess.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And Roboam, the son of Solomon, reigned in Juda: Roboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord chose out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naama, an Ammonitess.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y Roboam hijo de Salomón reinó en Judá. De cuarenta y un años era Roboam cuando comenzó á reinar, y diecisiete años reinó en Jerusalem, ciudad que Jehová eligió de todas las tribus de Israel, para poner allí su nombre. El nombre de su madre fué Naama, Ammonita.
E Roboão filho de Salomão reinou em Judá. De quarenta e um anos era Roboão quando começou a reinar, e dezessete anos reinou em Jerusalém, cidade que o SENHOR elegeu de todas as tribos de Israel para pôr ali seu nome. O nome de sua mãe foi Naamá, amonita.
Roboam, fils de Salomon, régna sur Juda. Il avait quarante et un ans lorsqu’ il devint roi, et il régna dix-sept ans à Jérusalem, la ville que l’ Éternel avait choisie sur toutes les tribus d’ Israël pour y mettre son nom. Sa mère s’ appelait Naama, l’ Ammonite.
So war Rehabeam, der Sohn Salomos, König in Juda. Einundvierzig Jahre alt war Rehabeam, da er König ward, und regierte siebzehn Jahre zu Jerusalem, in der Stadt, die der HERR erwählt hatte aus allen Stämmen Israels, daß er seinen Namen dahin stellte. Seine Mutter hieß Naema, eine Ammonitin.
Rehabeam nu, de zoon van Salomo, regeerde in Juda; een en veertig jaren was Rehabeam oud, als hij koning werd, en regeerde zeventien jaren te Jeruzalem, in de stad, die de HEERE verkoren had uit al de stammen van Israel, om Zijn Naam daar te zetten; en de naam zijner moeder was Naama, de Ammonietische.
Roboamo, figliuolo di Salomone, regnò in Giuda. Avea quarantun anni quando cominciò a regnare, e regnò diciassette anni in Gerusalemme, nella città che l’Eterno s’era scelta fra tutte le tribù d’Israele per mettervi il suo nome. Sua madre si chiamava Naama, l’Ammonita.
Roboam też, syn Salomona, królował w Judzie. A było Roboamowi czterdzieści lat i jeden, gdy począł królować, a siedmnaście lat królował w mieście Jeruzalemie, które Pan obrał ze wszystkich pokoleń Izraelskich, aby tam przebywało imię jego. A imię matki jego było Naama, Ammonitka.
Ровоам, сын Соломонов, царствовал в Иудее. Сорок один год было Ровоаму, когда он воцарился, и семнадцать лет царствовал в Иерусалиме, в городе, который избрал Господь из всех колен Израилевых, чтобы пребывало там имя Его. Имя матери его Наама Аммонитянка.
所羅門 的兒子 羅波安 作 猶大王。他 登基 的時候年 四十 一 歲，在耶路撒冷，就是 耶和華 從以色列 眾 支派 中所選擇 立 他名 的城，作王 十 七 年。羅波安的母親 名 叫拿瑪，是亞捫人。
And Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, was king in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king, and he was king for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the town which the Lord had made his out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there; his mother's name was Naamah, an Ammonite woman.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Kings 14:21
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that this verse functions as a formal introduction to Rehoboam's reign over Judah, providing his age, reign length, capital city, and mother's name. The emphasis on Jerusalem as the city Yahweh chose to place His name (echoing Deuteronomy 12:5 and 1 Kings 8:16) highlights both the privilege and the tragedy of Judah's later apostasy. Barnes notes that the seventeen years are likely complete or slightly more. Gill observes that Rehoboam was born before Solomon ascended the throne, making his forty-one years consistent with 2 Chronicles 12:13. However, the Cambridge Bible points to a textual problem: in 2 Chronicles 13:7 Rehoboam is called 'young and tender-hearted,' and a few manuscripts read 'twenty-one' for 'forty-one.' Most commentators, including Keil and Delitzsch, accept the traditional reading but acknowledge the difficulty. The mention of Naamah as an Ammonitess is seen as significant, her foreign origin likely influenced Rehoboam's later idolatry, though Keil and Delitzsch caution against assuming she personally seduced him. Matthew Henry and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown emphasize that the choice of Jerusalem magnifies the guilt of introducing idolatry there.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal 41 years: Textus receptus, supported by 2 Chronicles 12:13, Josephus, and the majority of manuscripts. The term 'young' is taken as relative (inexperienced) not chronological.
- Emended to 21 years: A few Hebrew manuscripts; Lange argues from 1 Kings 12:8 (יְלָדִים) and the description in 2 Chronicles 13:7. This resolves the tension.
What is clear: Regardless of the exact age, Rehoboam acted unwisely, led Judah into idolatry, and the kingdom suffered judgment. Jerusalem was the city of God's choice, and his mother's foreign origin is a marker of spiritual compromise.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Rehoboam's age at accession | The traditional reading (41 years) is found in the Masoretic Text and most versions, and is accepted by the majority of commentators. | A few manuscripts read '21 years,' and some scholars (e.g., Lange) argue this resolves the difficulty with 2 Chronicles 13:7. Others (e.g., Cambridge) note the discrepancy but do not insist on emendation. |
| Significance of Naamah the Ammonitess | Her foreign origin is highlighted deliberately, and most agree that it points to the presence of forbidden worship in the royal court (cf. Deuteronomy 23:3). | Some commentators (e.g., Gill, Matthew Henry) say she actively seduced Rehoboam into idolatry; others (Keil-Delitzsch) argue that the queen mother's general influence is the focus, not personal blame. |
| Importance of Jerusalem as the chosen city | All agree the phrase underlines God's election of Jerusalem for His sanctuary, which intensifies the guilt of Judah's later idolatry. | No significant debate: the verse functions consistently with other passages (Deuteronomy 12, 1 Kings 8). |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits within the larger narrative of the divided monarchy. After Solomon's death, the ten northern tribes rebelled under Jeroboam, leaving Rehoboam ruling only Judah and Benjamin (1 Kings 12). Rehoboam's reign of seventeen years in Jerusalem is framed against earlier reports that he took foolish advice from younger counselors (1 Kings 12:8, 14). Jerusalem's designation as the city Yahweh chose 'to put his name there' ties to a central Deuteronomic theme: God selects a single sanctuary for worship (Deuteronomy 12:5, 21; also 1 Kings 8:44). This choice was meant to unify Israel's worship and prevent syncretism. That Rehoboam (and later Judah) turned to high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles (vv.23, 24) represents a direct violation of that command.
The mention of Naamah as the Ammonitess (with the definite article) suggests she was a well-known figure. Ammonites and Moabites were forbidden from entering the Lord's assembly (Deuteronomy 23:3). Solomon married many foreign women, including Ammonites (1 Kings 11:1), and Naamah was probably one of them. The queen mother held significant influence in Judah (as seen with Maacah in 1 Kings 15:13). Her presence in the royal line and her likely practice of idolatry set the stage for the religious decline that would accelerate under Rehoboam and later kings. The invasion of Shishak of Egypt (v.25) in the fifth year of Rehoboam is a direct historical consequence of this unfaithfulness, as chronicled in the monuments of the Pharaoh.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources mention a textual variant in the age of Rehoboam. The standard Masoretic Text reads 'forty and one years,' which agrees with 2 Chronicles 12:13 and the ancient versions (LXX, Vulgate). However, a few Hebrew manuscripts read 'twenty and one years.' The Cambridge Bible notes this reading has been thought more probable by some because it resolves the conflict with 2 Chronicles 13:7, where Rehoboam is called 'young.' Lange's Commentary strongly defends the reading of 'twenty-one' on the basis of the word יְלָדִים ('young men') in 1 Kings 12:8, 10. Most modern critical editions retain the traditional reading, supported by Josephus and the Chronicler.
Reception History
Early Jewish interpretation in the Talmud and midrashim focused on Rehoboam's foolishness in rejecting the elders' counsel, but the Chronicler's note of his 'youth' (2 Chronicles 13:7) led to discussion: some rabbis harmonized by suggesting he was 'young in wisdom' despite his age. Christian commentators from the patristic period through the Reformation read this verse as a sobering example of how privilege (royal birth, the chosen city) does not guarantee faithfulness. Jerome and Augustine saw Naamah's Ammonite heritage as a token of the dangers of mixed marriages with unbelievers. Later, Matthew Henry (1710) and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871) emphasized the aggravation of sin when committed in God's chosen city. The age discrepancy continued to interest textual critics; the variant reading of 21 years is cited in some editions of the Hebrew Bible but never became the standard. In modern evangelical preaching, this verse is often used to explore the influence of family background and the slow erosion of spiritual devotion.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The privilege of place: Jerusalem was chosen by God to bear His name, a gift that should have shaped worship and obedience.
- The peril of mixed loyalties: Rehoboam's mother from a forbidden nation points to how cultural and religious compromise enters even the royal line.
- The pattern of decline: A promising start (first three years following the law, 2 Chronicles 11:17) gives way to widespread idolatry and judgment.
Five-point outline
- Regnal record: The verse gives standard data, age, reign length, capital, mother, setting Rehoboam in the historical stream.
- Divine choice: God's selection of Jerusalem underscores His faithfulness even when leaders fail.
- Human failure: Rehoboam's age (41) makes his poor decisions even more blameworthy, he was no young counsel-seeker by years.
- Foreign influence: Naamah's Ammonite heritage reminds us that small compromises at the top affect the whole nation.
- Consequences: The following verses (22, 26) show that Judah's evil exceeds that of their fathers, leading directly to Shishak's invasion.
Illustration hooks
- The family tree problem: When a respected family has a member whose background is at odds with their values, like a business leader who married into a rival ideology, the tension appears, not always immediately, but later in decisions made.
- A chosen home: Think of a house you loved but then neglected, the yard grew wild, the paint peeled. The city God chose became a place of spiritual neglect.
- Mix of two metals: Like adding tarnishable metal to silver, allowing a forbidden alliance into the royal line compromised the kingdom's spiritual integrity.
Questions your congregation is asking
- „If Rehoboam was 41, why does the Bible call him „young and inexperienced“ in 2 Chronicles 13:7? Is there an error?“
- „Why does the Bible keep mentioning the mother of the king, does she really have that much influence?“
- „How does God’s choice of Jerusalem apply to us today? Does it mean some places are more holy than others?“
Leading a Discussion
This verse appears straightforward, regnal data, but it carries weighty implications about faithfulness, influence, and the cost of compromise. Notice how the narrator twice calls attention to Jerusalem as the chosen city, and twice (here and in v.31) mentions Naamah the Ammonitess. These details are clues to deeper trouble.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What facts about Rehoboam does this verse record? What stands out to you about his age, reign length, capital city, and mother?
- Interpretation: Why do you think the author adds the phrase „the city which Yahweh had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there“? How does this echo earlier passages like Deuteronomy 12:5?
- Connection: Read 2 Chronicles 13:7, where Rehoboam is called „young and tender-hearted.“ How do you reconcile that with his age here? What explanations have pastors or scholars offered?
- Interpretation: Why does the narrator mention the mother's name and her nationality? What role did the queen mother play in Judah, and how might Naamah's background be a factor in the spiritual decline?
- Application: In what ways do the influences in our lives (family background, trusted advisors, cultural pressures) shape our faithfulness to God?
- Application: Rehoboam had three good years before turning from God (2 Chronicles 11:17). What might that say about the nature of spiritual decline, is it always a slow fade?
- Reflection: The chapter later tells of Shishak’s invasion (v.25). How do the choices of leaders affect ordinary people? How should we pray for our leaders today?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 20:24 | You shall make an altar of earth for me, and shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I record my name I will come to you and I will bless you. |
| Deuteronomy 12:5 | But to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, you shall seek his habitation, and you shall come there. |
| Deuteronomy 12:21 | If the place which Yahweh your God shall choose to put his name is too far from you, then you shall kill of your herd and of your flock, which Yahweh has given you, as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates, after all the desire of your soul. |
| Deuteronomy 23:3 | An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into Yahweh’s assembly; even to the tenth generation shall no one belonging to them enter into Yahweh’s assembly forever, |
| I Kings 8:16 | ‘Since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house, that my name might be there; but I chose David to be over my people Israel.’ |
| I Kings 8:44 | “If your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to Yahweh toward the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for your name, |
| I Kings 11:32 | (but he shall have one tribe, for my servant David’s sake and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), |
| I Kings 11:36 | I will give one tribe to his son, that David my servant may have a lamp always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for myself to put my name there. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that Rehoboam's seventeen-year reign must have been complete or a little more, since his son Abijam began to reign in Jeroboam's eighteenth year. This chronological observation ties the two kingdoms' histories together precisely.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible Schools notes the apparent discrepancy between Rehoboam's age of forty-one and his being described as young and tender-hearted in another passage. The commentator suggests the compilers likely used different documentary sources and did not attempt to reconcile them, leaving the contradiction standing.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights that Rehoboam's mother Naamah was an Ammonite, a people the Law forbade Israel from marrying (Deuteronomy 23:3). This detail subtly traces the spiritual decline of the kingdom to Solomon's disobedience in taking foreign wives, showing how sin's consequences carried into the next generation.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights the aggravation of Rehoboam's sin: he reigned in Jerusalem, the very city God chose as His dwelling place, yet he turned to idolatry. He also notes that Rehoboam's mother, Naamah the Ammonitess, was likely the instrument that drew him into this sin, as she had practiced idolatry during Solomon's days.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that Jerusalem's unique status as the city God chose for His name made the introduction of idolatry there an especially grave offense. He attributes Rehoboam's turn from true religion to the influence of his Ammonite mother Naamah, whose heathen extraction and role as queen mother shaped his tendency toward apostasy.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch sees Jerusalem being called the Lord’s chosen city as a stark contrast to Rehoboam’s idolatry, not just a judgment on the ten tribes. They also note the queen-mother’s name appears because of her political influence, not because she led the king into sin.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that Rehoboam was only twenty-one years old at his accession, not forty-one, and that the repeated mention of his Ammonite mother is intentional. He sees Rehoboam as a weak king who personally worshipped Jehovah but allowed idolatry to flourish, so that the evil was chiefly the people's.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that the biblical writer finishes Jeroboam’s story first even though he outlived Rehoboam, so that Rehoboam’s entire reign can be read as one continuous, sorrowful record. He calls it a sad account of spiritual decline, robbery, and the humiliating replacement of gold shields with bronze.