Rehoboam’s Family

¹⁸ Rehoboam married Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth and Abihail. Jerimoth was David’s son, and Abihail was the daughter of Eliab, Jesse’s son. ¹⁹ Mahalath ·gave [^Tbore] Rehoboam these sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. ²⁰ Then Rehoboam married Absalom’s daughter Maacah, and she ·gave [^Tbore] Rehoboam these children: Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. ²¹ Rehoboam loved Maacah more than his other wives and ·slave women [concubines; ^Csecondary wives]. Rehoboam had eighteen wives and sixty ·slave women [concubines] and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

²² Rehoboam ·chose [appointed] Abijah son of Maacah to be ·the leader [head; ^Ccrown prince] of his own brothers, because he planned to make Abijah king [^Chis successor]. ²³ Rehoboam acted wisely. He spread his sons through all the areas of Judah and Benjamin [^Cboth giving them responsibilities and dispersing/diluting their power], sending them to every ·strong, walled [fortified] city. He gave plenty of supplies to his sons, and he also ·found wives [sought/acquired many wives] for them.