2 Chronicles 11 · Verse 21

2 Chronicles 11:21

And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.)
2 Chronicles 11:21, King James Version

2 Chronicles 11:21 in other translations

BSBRehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
WEBRehoboam loved Maacah the granddaughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines; for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and became the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
ASVAnd Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines, and begat twenty and eight sons and threescore daughters).
YLTAnd Rehoboam loveth Maachah daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines--for eighteen wives he hath taken, and sixty concubines--and he begetteth twenty and eight sons, and sixty daughters.
DARBYAnd Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines; for he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
BBEMaacah, the daughter of Absalom, was dearer to Rehoboam than all his wives and his servant-wives: (for he had eighteen wives and sixty servant-wives, and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.)
WebsterAnd Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and sixty concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and sixty daughters.)

What does 2 Chronicles 11:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
21. he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines--This royal harem, though far smaller than his father's, was equally in violation of the law, which forbade a king to "multiply wives unto himself" [De 17:17].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 Eighteen wives and threescore concubines - Bad enough, but not so abandoned as his father. Of these marriages and concubinage the issue was twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters; eighty-eight children in the whole, to the education of the whole of whom he could pay but little attention. Numerous families are often neglected; and children by different women, must be yet in a worse state.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Chronicles 11:13-23

When the priests and Levites came to Jerusalem, the devout, pious Israelites followed them. Such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel, left the inheritance of their fathers, and went to Jerusalem, that they might have free access to the altar of God, and be out of the temptation to worship the calves. That is best for us, which is best for our souls; in all our choices, religious advantages must be…

Read the full comment on 2 Chronicles 11:13-23 →

2 Chronicles 11:21 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֶּאֱהַ֨בvai.ye.'e.Havand he lovedH157
רְחַבְעָ֜םre.chav.'AmRehoboamH7346
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
מַעֲכָ֣הma.'a.KhahMaacahH4601
בַת\־vat-[the] daughter ofH1323
אַבְשָׁל֗וֹם'av.sha.LomAbsalomH53
מִכָּל\־mi.kolmore than allH3605
נָשָׁיו֙na.Shavwives hisH802
וּפִ֣ילַגְשָׁ֔יוu.Fi.lag.Shavand concubines hisH6370
כִּ֠יkiforH3588
נָשִׁ֤יםna.ShimwivesH802
שְׁמוֹנֶֽה\־she.mo.neh-eight-H8083
עֶשְׂרֵה֙'es.RehteenH6240
נָשָׂ֔אna.Sa'he had takenH5375
וּפִֽילַגְשִׁ֖יםu.fi.lag.Shimand concubinesH6370
שִׁשִּׁ֑יםshi.ShimsixtyH8346
וַיּ֗וֹלֶדvai.Yo.ledand he fatheredH3205
עֶשְׂרִ֧ים'es.RimtwentyH6242
וּשְׁמוֹנָ֛הu.she.mo.Nahand eightH8083
בָּנִ֖יםba.NimsonsH1121
וְשִׁשִּׁ֥יםve.shi.Shimand sixtyH8346
בָּנֽוֹת\׃ba.NotdaughtersH1323

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Chronicles 11:21

  • Judges 8:30

    And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.

  • Deuteronomy 17:17

    Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

  • 1 Kings 11:3

    And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

  • 2 Samuel 5:13

    And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.

  • 2 Samuel 3:2-5

    And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

  • 2 Chronicles 11:23

    And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city: and he gave them victual in abundance. And he desired many wives.

  • Song of Solomon 6:8-9

    There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

  • 1 Chronicles 3:1-9

    Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron; the firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess: The third, Absalom the son of Maachah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur: the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith: The fifth, Shephatiah of Abital: the sixth, Ithream by Eglah his wife. These six were born unto him in Hebron; and there he reigned seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
eighteen wives.
23; De 17:17; Jud 8:30; 2Sa 3:2-5; 5:13; 1Ki 11:3; 1Ch 3:1-9
So 6:8,9

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Chronicles 11:20

    And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

  • 2 Chronicles 11:21

    And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.)

  • 2 Chronicles 11:22

    And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king.

Read all of 2 Chronicles 11

2 Chronicles 11:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas Roboam amó á Maachâ hija de Absalom sobre todas sus mujeres y concubinas; porque tomó diez y ocho mujeres y sesenta concubinas, y engendró veintiocho hijos y sesenta hijas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Roboam aima Maaca, fille d’Absalom, plus que toutes ses femmes et ses concubines; car il avait pris 18 femmes et 60 concubines, et il engendra 28 fils et 60 filles.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Rehabeam liebte Maaka, die Tochter Absaloms, mehr als alle seine Weiber und seine Kebsweiber; denn er hatte achtzehn Weiber genommen und sechzig Kebsweiber; und er zeugte achtundzwanzig Söhne und sechzig Töchter.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Amavit autem Roboam Maacha filiam Absalom super omnes uxores suas et concubinas: nam uxores decem et octo duxerat, concubinas autem sexaginta: et genuit viginti octo filios, et sexaginta filias.