Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 13:7
Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperienced, and unable to resist them.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The text describes a historical moment during Rehoboam son of Solomon’s early reign, immediately following Jeroboam’s rebellion and preceding Abijah’s address to Judah. Rehoboam is the subject, not a speaker, and the passage records the political vulnerability that accompanied his youth.
The words — The Hebrew רֵקִים (rekim) translates literally as "empty" and בְלִיַּעַל (beliya'al) as "worthlessness," characterizing the men who gathered against the king. The verb וַ/יִּֽתְאַמְּצ֖וּ (va/i.yit.'a.me.Tzu) means they "proved themselves strong" or "rallied" over him, indicating organized opposition.
The thread — The gathering of worthless men against a ruler parallels the rebellion of Jeroboam in 2 Chronicles 13:6 and the hiring of worthless men by Abimelech in Judges 9:4. It also aligns with Deuteronomy 13:13's warning that wicked men will arise to lead others astray.
Why it lands — The passage states that Rehoboam's inexperience made him unable to resist the coalition, highlighting a structural weakness rather than a moral judgment. It requires the reader to observe how leadership vulnerability invites coordinated opposition and demands reliance on established authority rather than personal capability.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.
Cross-references
- Judges 9:4 So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired some worthless and reckless men to follow him.
- 2 Chronicles 12:13 Thus King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem and reigned. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite.
- Deuteronomy 13:13 that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” (which you have not known),
- Judges 11:3 So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where worthless men gathered around him and traveled with him.
- 1 Samuel 22:2 And all who were distressed or indebted or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.
- 1 Kings 21:10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
- 1 Kings 21:13 And the two scoundrels came in and sat opposite Naboth, and these men testified against him before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.
- 2 Chronicles 10:16 When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So all the Israelites went home,
- 2 Chronicles 11:1 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the house of Judah and Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—to fight against Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
- Job 30:8 A senseless and nameless brood, they were driven off the land.