King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest's office unto the LORD:
Complete Jewish Bible:
The L'vi'im left their pasture lands and property and came to Y'hudah and Yerushalayim; since Yarov'am and his sons had thrown them out, not allowing them to function as cohanim for ADONAI,
Berean Standard Bible:
For the Levites left their pasturelands and their possessions and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD.
American Standard Version:
For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, that they should not execute the priest’s office unto Jehovah;
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
For the Levites{H3881} left{H5800} their suburbs{H4054} and their possession{H272}, and came{H3212} to Judah{H3063} and Jerusalem{H3389}: for Jeroboam{H3379} and his sons{H1121} had cast them off{H2186} from executing the priest's office{H3547} unto the LORD{H3068}:
Cross-References (KJV):
2 Chronicles 13:9
- Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of [other] lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, [the same] may be a priest of [them that are] no gods.
Numbers 35:2
- Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give [also] unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.
Numbers 35:5
- And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city [shall be] in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.
1 Kings 12:28
- Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves [of] gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
1 Kings 12:33
- So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, [even] in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.
Joshua 21:20
- And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites which remained of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.
Joshua 21:42
- These cities were every one with their suburbs round about them: thus [were] all these cities.
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Commentary for 2 Chronicles 11:14
2 Chronicles 11:14 is set within the broader historical context of the division of the united kingdom of Israel into two separate kingdoms: the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah. This division occurred after the death of King Solomon, when his son Rehoboam ascended to the throne. Rehoboam's harsh policies led to a rebellion, and the northern tribes seceded under the leadership of Jeroboam, who became the first king of the northern kingdom.
The verse specifically addresses a significant religious and social consequence of this political schism. The Levites, who were one of the twelve tribes of Israel and traditionally held the priestly office, found themselves marginalized in the northern kingdom. Jeroboam, fearing that the loyalty of his people might be swayed back to the Davidic dynasty in Judah if they continued to make pilgrimages to the Temple in Jerusalem (the central place of worship for all Israelites), instituted his own religious system. He set up golden calves in Dan and Bethel and appointed non-Levitical priests to serve them, effectively casting the Levites out from their priestly duties.
In response to this religious upheaval, the Levites left their assigned territories ("suburbs") in the northern kingdom and migrated to Judah and Jerusalem, the capital of the southern kingdom. This migration underscores several key themes:
1. **Religious Reformation**: Jeroboam's actions represent a departure from the prescribed worship of Yahweh as outlined in the Torah, which stipulated that the Levites were the only tribe authorized to perform priestly duties.
2. **Loyalty to Tradition**: The Levites' decision to relocate to Judah demonstrates their commitment to the traditional Mosaic law and their refusal to participate in Jeroboam's newly established religious practices.
3. **Political and Religious Unity**: The migration of the Levites to Judah reinforces the unity of religious practice and political loyalty, as they align themselves with the Davidic kingdom that upheld the centrality of Jerusalem and its Temple in Israelite worship.
4. **Divine Legitimacy**: The verse implicitly comments on the legitimacy of the two kingdoms. By aligning the Levites with Judah, the narrative suggests that Judah, under the rule of Rehoboam and the Davidic line, is the rightful heir to the divine promises given to David, in contrast to the illegitimate religious practices instituted by Jeroboam in the north.
In summary, 2 Chronicles 11:14 captures a pivotal moment in the history of Israel, highlighting the religious and political ramifications of the kingdom's division and the redirection of priestly loyalty and practice to the Kingdom of Judah, which maintained the traditional worship of Yahweh as prescribed in the Law of Moses.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H3881
There are 258 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לֵוִיִּי
Transliteration: Lêvîyîy
Pronunciation: lay-vee-ee'
Description: or לֵוִי; patronymically from לֵוִי; a Levite or descendant of Levi; Leviite. - Strong's Number: H5800
There are 206 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָזַב
Transliteration: ʻâzab
Pronunciation: aw-zab'
Description: a primitive root; to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit, etc.; commit self, fail, forsake, fortify, help, leave (destitute, off), refuse, [idiom] surely. - Strong's Number: H4054
There are 67 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִגְרָשׁ
Transliteration: migrâsh
Pronunciation: mig-rawsh'
Description: also (in plural) feminine (Ezekiel 27:28) מִגְרָשָׁה; from גָּרַשׁ; a suburb (i.e. open country whither flocks are driven from pasture); hence, the area around abuilding, or the margin of the sea; cast out, suburb. - Strong's Number: H272
There are 190 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֲחֻזָּה
Transliteration: ʼăchuzzâh
Pronunciation: akh-ooz-zaw'
Description: feminine passive participle from אָחַז; something seized, i.e. a possession (especially of land); possession. - Strong's Number: H3212
There are 938 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָלַךְ
Transliteration: yâlak
Pronunciation: yaw-lak'
Description: a primitive root (compare הָלַךְ); to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses); [idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue, cause to run, spread, take away (-journey), vanish, (cause to) walk(-ing), wax, [idiom] be weak. - Strong's Number: H3063
There are 754 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהוּדָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhûwdâh
Pronunciation: yeh-hoo-daw'
Description: from יָדָה; celebrated; Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory; Judah. - Strong's Number: H3389
There are 600 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם
Transliteration: Yᵉrûwshâlaim
Pronunciation: yer-oo-shaw-lah'-im
Description: rarely יְרוּשָׁלַיִם; a dual (in allusion to its two main hills (the true pointing, at least of the former reading, seems to be that of יְרוּשָׁלֵם)); probably from (the passive participle of) יָרָה and שָׁלַם; founded peaceful; Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine; Jerusalem. - Strong's Number: H3379
There are 95 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָרׇבְעָם
Transliteration: Yârobʻâm
Pronunciation: yaw-rob-awm'
Description: from רִיב and עַם; (the) people will contend; Jarobam, the name of two Israelite kings; Jeroboam. - Strong's Number: H1121
There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֵּן
Transliteration: bên
Pronunciation: bane
Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth. - Strong's Number: H2186
There are 20 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: זָנַח
Transliteration: zânach
Pronunciation: zaw-nakh'
Description: a primitive root meaning to push aside, i.e.; reject, forsake, fail; cast away (off), remove far away (off). - Strong's Number: H3547
There are 23 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כָּהַן
Transliteration: kâhan
Pronunciation: kaw-han'
Description: a primitive root, apparently meaning to mediate in religious services; but used only as denominative from כֹּהֵן; to officiate as a priest; figuratively, to put on regalia; deck, be (do the office of a, execute the, minister in the) priest('s office). - Strong's Number: H3068
There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה.