1 Kings 11:26

26 Another man who turned against King Solomon was one of his officials, Jeroboam son of Nebat, from Zeredah in Ephraim. His mother was a widow named Zeruah.

1 Kings 11:26 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 11:26

And Jeroboam the son of Nebat
According to some Jewish writers ^F18, this was Sheba the son of Bichri; but, as Kimchi observes, he was of the tribe of Benjamin, this of Ephraim; and besides, his head was cut off, and thrown over the wall to Joab, ( 2 Samuel 20:1 2 Samuel 20:22 ) ,

an Ephrathite of Zereda;
some where in the tribe of Ephraim, but nowhere else mentioned. There was a famous Jewish doctor, before the times of Christ, of this place, as it seems, who was called Jose ben Joezer, a man of Zereda ^F19:

Solomon's servant;
not only his subject, but one that had been advanced by him to an office, and served under him, ( 1 Kings 11:28 ) ,

whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman;
who very probably was supported by this her son, an industrious and ingenious man:

even he lifted up his hand against the king;
either against Solomon, by reproaching and reproving him for some things he did; or rather against Rehoboam his son, which was very ungrateful.

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 Shalshalet Hakabala, p. 11.
F19 Pirke Abot, c. 1. sect. 4.

1 Kings 11:26 In-Context

24 and had become the leader of a gang of outlaws. (This happened after David had defeated Hadadezer and had slaughtered his Syrian allies.) Rezon and his gang went and lived in Damascus, where his followers made him king of Syria.

25 He was an enemy of Israel during the lifetime of Solomon.

26 Another man who turned against King Solomon was one of his officials, Jeroboam son of Nebat, from Zeredah in Ephraim. His mother was a widow named Zeruah.

27 This is the story of the revolt. Solomon was filling in the land on the east side of Jerusalem and repairing the city walls.

28 Jeroboam was an able young man, and when Solomon noticed how hard he worked, he put him in charge of all the forced labor in the territory of the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim.