Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
(friend of the king). The names of Sherezer and Regem-melech occur in an obscure passage of
Zechariah. (Zechariah 7:2) They were sent on behalf of some of the captivity to make inquiries at
the temple concerning fasting (B.C. 617.)
Rehabiah
(enlarged by Jehovah), the only son of Eliezer the son of Moses. (1 Chronicles 23:17; 24:21;
26:25) (B.C. about 1455.)
Rehob
•The
father of Hadadezer king of Zobah, whom David smote at the Euphrates. (2 Samuel 8:3,12)
(B.C. before 1043.)
•A Levite or family of Levites who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 10:11) (B.C.
410.)
•The northern limit of the exploration of the spies. (Numbers 13:21) Robinson fixes the position
of Rehob as not far from Tell el-Kady and Banias .
•One of the towns allotted to Asher. (Joshua 19:28)
•Asher contained another Rehob, (Joshua 19:30) but the situation of these towns is unknown.
Rehoboam
(enlarger of the people), son of Solomon by the Ammonite princess Naamah, (1 Kings 14:21,31)
and his successor. (1 Kings 11:43) Rehoboam selected Shechem as the place of his coronation
(B.C. 975), probably as an act of concession to the Ephraimites. The people demanded a remission
of the severe burdens imposed by Solomon, and Rehoboam, rejecting the advice of his father’s
counsellors, followed that of his young courtiers, and returned an insulting answer, which led to
an open rebellion among the tribes, and he was compelled to fly to Jerusalem, Judah and Benjamin
alone remaining true to him. Jeroboam was made king of the northern tribes. [Jeroboam] An
expedition to reconquer Israel was forbidden by the prophet Shemaiah, (1 Kings 12:21) still during
Rehoboam’s lifetime peaceful relations between Israel and Judah were never restored. (2 Chronicles
12:15; 1 Kings 14:30) In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign the country was invaded by a host of
Egyptians and other African nations under Shishak. Jerusalem itself was taken and Rehoboam had
to purchase an ignominious peace by delivering up the treasures with which Solomon had adorned
the temple and palace. The rest of Rehoboam’s life was unmarked by any events of importance.
He died B.C. 958, after a reign of 17 years, having ascended the throne B.C. 975, at the age of 41.
(1 Kings 14:21; 2 Chronicles 12:13) He had 18 wives, 60 concubines, 28 sons and 60 daughters.
Rehoboth
(wide places, i.e. streets).
•The third of the series of wells dug by Isaac, (Genesis 26:22) in the Philistines’ territory, lately
identified as er-Ruheibeh, 16 miles south of Beersheba.
•One of the four cities built by Asshur, or by Nimrod in Asshur, according as this difficult passage
is translated. (Genesis 10:11) Nothing certain is known of its position.
•The city of a certain Saul or Shaul, one of the early kings of the Edomites. (Genesis 36:37; 1
Chronicles 1:48) The affix “by the river” fixes the situation of Rehoboth as on the Euphrates.
Rehum
(merciful).
•One who went up from Babylon with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:2) (B.C. 536.)
•“Rehum the chancellor.” (Ezra 4:8,9,17,23) He was perhaps a kind of lieutenant-governor of the
province under the king of Persia. (B.C. 535.)
616
William Smith