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.

Where else these words appear

“Ammonitess” Hebrew H5985 · used in 4 verses

  • 1 Kings 14:31 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess. And Abijam his son reigned in his stead.
  • 2 Chronicles 12:13 So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.
  • 2 Chronicles 24:26 And these are they that conspired against him; Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith a Moabitess.

“Naamah” Hebrew H5279 · used in 5 verses

  • Genesis 4:22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.
  • Joshua 15:41 And Gederoth, Bethdagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages:
  • 1 Kings 14:31 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess. And Abijam his son reigned in his stead.

“Rehoboam” Hebrew H7346 · used in 41 verses

  • 1 Kings 11:43 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.
  • 1 Kings 14:30 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.
  • 2 Chronicles 11:3 Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

“forty” Hebrew H705 · used in 124 verses

  • Genesis 5:13 And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:
  • Deuteronomy 8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
  • 1 Chronicles 12:36 And of Asher, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, forty thousand.