The Meaning of 1 Kings 14:21 Explained

1 Kings 14:21

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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: 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Kings 14:21 Mean?

Context Summary

1Kings 14:17-31 - South Rivals Worth In Sinning
Rehoboam's mother's name signifies beauty, and she may have been attractive in her person; but we are twice told that she was an Ammonitess, as if to emphasize the disastrous influence which she exercised over her son, 1 Kings 14:21; 1 Kings 14:31. In the earlier part of the chapter, there are tender reminiscences of David-that he kept God's commandments, followed Him with all his heart, did what was right in His eyes. How dear is such a life to God! How He keeps it in remembrance! How He holds it up to veneration, notwithstanding a serious lapse! But this only serves by contrast to make the corruption of later times the more terrible.
The national sins compelled God to withdraw His environing protection. He no longer went out with their armies. The deterioration in the metal from gold to brass is an apt illustration of how the fine gold of character had become dimmed, Lamentations 4:1. To what may we not come if the grace of God is withdrawn! Well may the Apostle beseech us not to receive it in vain! When corruption sets in, the best and ripest becomes the worst. Traditional goodness-that of our parents-cannot save the soul from the inevitable drift. We must have our personal anchorage in God! [source]

Chapter Summary: 1Kings 14

1  Abijah being sick,
2  Jeroboam sends his wife, disguised, with presents to the prophet Ahijah
5  Ahijah forewarned by God, denounces God's judgment
17  Abijah dies, and is buried
19  Nadab succeeds Jeroboam
21  Rehoboam's wicked reign,
25  Shishak raids Jerusalem
29  Abijam succeeds Rehoboam

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 14:21 mean?

And Rehoboam son of Solomon reigned in Judah Old forty and one years Rehoboam [was] when he became king and seven [and] ten years He reigned in Jerusalem the city which had chosen Yahweh to put - His name there From all the tribes of Israel and name [was] of His mother Naamah an Ammonitess
וּרְחַבְעָם֙ בֶּן־ שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּֽיהוּדָ֑ה בֶּן־ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים וְאַחַ֣ת שָׁנָה֩ רְחַבְעָ֨ם בְּמָלְכ֜וֹ וּֽשֲׁבַ֨ע עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה שָׁנָ֣ה ׀ מָלַ֣ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֗ם הָ֠עִיר אֲשֶׁר־ בָּחַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה לָשׂ֨וּם אֶת־ שְׁמ֥וֹ שָׁם֙ מִכֹּל֙ שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ נַעֲמָ֖ה הָעַמֹּנִֽית

וּרְחַבְעָם֙  And  Rehoboam 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: רְחַבְעָם  
Sense: son of Solomon and the st king of Judah after the split up of the kingdom of Israel.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה  of  Solomon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁלֹמֹה  
Sense: son of David by Bathsheba and 3rd king of Israel; author of Proverbs and Song of Songs.
מָלַ֖ךְ  reigned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלַךְ 
Sense: to be or become king or queen, reign.
בִּֽיהוּדָ֑ה  in  Judah 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
בֶּן־  Old 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אַרְבָּעִ֣ים  forty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: אַרְבָּעִים  
Sense: forty.
וְאַחַ֣ת  and  one 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
שָׁנָה֩  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
רְחַבְעָ֨ם  Rehoboam  [was] 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: רְחַבְעָם  
Sense: son of Solomon and the st king of Judah after the split up of the kingdom of Israel.
בְּמָלְכ֜וֹ  when  he  became  king 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלַךְ 
Sense: to be or become king or queen, reign.
וּֽשֲׁבַ֨ע  and  seven 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, feminine singular construct
Root: שֶׁבַע  
Sense: seven (cardinal number).
עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה  [and]  ten 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂר 
Sense: ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers).
שָׁנָ֣ה ׀  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
מָלַ֣ךְ  He  reigned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלַךְ 
Sense: to be or become king or queen, reign.
בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֗ם  in  Jerusalem 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
הָ֠עִיר  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
בָּחַ֨ר  had  chosen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: to choose, elect, decide for.
יְהוָ֜ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לָשׂ֨וּם  to  put 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שְׁמ֥וֹ  His  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
מִכֹּל֙  From  all 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
שִׁבְטֵ֣י  the  tribes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: שֵׁבֶט  
Sense: rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וְשֵׁ֣ם  and  name  [was] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
אִמּ֔וֹ  of  His  mother 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.
נַעֲמָ֖ה  Naamah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: נַעֲמָה 
Sense: daughter of Lamech by his wife Zillah and sister of Tubal-cain in the days before the flood.
הָעַמֹּנִֽית  an  Ammonitess 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עַמֹּונִי  
Sense: a woman of Ammon.