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.

1 KINGS 14:21KJV
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1 Kings 14:21 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 14:21 mean?

1 Kings 14:21 states that Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, became king over Judah at the age of forty-one and ruled for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city chosen by the LORD to bear His name. The verse also notes that Rehoboam’s mother was Naamah, who was from the people of Ammon.

This verse sets the historical scene after the division of Israel into two kingdoms, highlighting Rehoboam’s rule over Judah, not all Israel. By mentioning Jerusalem as the city chosen by the LORD (using His covenant name), the verse emphasizes the special status of Jerusalem in Israel’s history. Naming Rehoboam’s mother, Naamah the Ammonitess, draws attention to his mixed heritage, which was significant in the context of Israel’s relationship with neighboring peoples.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 14:21

  • יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם (Yerushalayim, "Jerusalem"): The verse calls Jerusalem "the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there." This highlights Jerusalem’s unique role as the spiritual and political center for Judah.
  • בָּחַר (bachar, "choose"): The word for "choose" points to God’s deliberate selection of Jerusalem, underscoring its importance as the place where God’s presence and authority were to be recognized.
  • שֵׁם (shem, "name"): The phrase "to put his name there" means that God’s presence and reputation were especially connected to Jerusalem, marking it as the central place of worship.

Why 1 Kings 14:21 matters

  • The verse clarifies that after Solomon’s reign, the kingdom split, and Rehoboam ruled only over Judah, not the entire nation of Israel.
  • By naming Rehoboam’s mother as an Ammonite, the verse hints at the influence of foreign relationships and marriages in the royal family, which becomes a theme in the surrounding chapters.
  • The emphasis on Jerusalem as the city chosen by the LORD connects this verse to the broader biblical theme of God’s covenant with David and the centrality of Jerusalem in Israel’s faith and identity.