In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, Shishak (q.v.), one of the kings of
Egypt of the Assyrian dynasty, stirred up, no doubt, by Jeroboam his
son-in-law, made war against him. Jerusalem submitted to the invader, who
plundered the temple and virtually reduced the kingdom to the position of
a vassal of Egypt (1 Kings 14:25, 26; 2 Chronicles 12:5-9). A remarkable
memorial of this invasion has been discovered at Karnac, in Upper Egypt,
in certain sculptures on the walls of a small temple there. These sculptures
represent the king, Shishak, holding in his hand a train of prisoners and
other figures, with the names of the captured towns of Judah, the towns
which Rehoboam had fortified (2 Chronicles 11:5-12).
The kingdom of Judah, under Rehoboam, sank more and more in moral and
spiritual decay. “There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their
days.” At length, in the fifty-eighth year of his age, Rehoboam “slept with
his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David” (1 Kings
14:31). He was succeeded by his son Abijah. (See EGYPT.)
- REHOBOTH broad places. (1.) A well in Gerar dug by Isaac (Genesis
26:22), supposed to be in Wady er-Ruheibeh, about 20 miles south of
Beersheba.
(2.) An ancient city on the Euphrates (Genesis 36:37; 1 Chronicles 1:48),
“Rehoboth by the river.”
(3.) Named among the cities of Asshur (Genesis 10:11). Probably,
however, the words “rehoboth’ir” are to be translated as in the Vulgate and
the margin of A.V., “the streets of the city,” or rather “the public square of
the city”, i.e., of Nineveh.
- REHUM merciful. (1.) One of “the children of the province” who
returned from the Captivity (Ezra 2:2); the same as “Nehum” (Nehemiah
7:7).
(2.) The “chancellor” of Artaxerxes, who sought to stir him up against the
Jews (Ezra 4:8-24) and prevent the rebuilding of the walls and the temple
of Jerusalem.
(3.) A Levite (Nehemiah 3:17).
(4.) Nehemiah 10:25.
(5.) A priest (Nehemiah 12:3).