Jeroboam in Smiths Bible Dictionary
(whose people are many).
1. The first king of the divided kingdom of Israel,
B.C. 975-954, was the son of an Ephraimite of the name of
Nebat. He was raised by Solomon to the rank of
superintendent over the taxes and labors exacted from the
tribe of Ephraim. 1Ki 11:28 he made the most of his
position, and at last was perceived by Solomon to be aiming
at the monarchy. He was leaving Jerusalem, when he was met
by Ahijah the prophet, who gave him the assurance that, on
condition of obedience to his laws, God would establish for
him a kingdom and dynasty equal to that of David. 1Ki 11:29-
40 The attempts of Solomon to cut short Jeroboam's designs
occasioned his flight into Egypt. There he remained until
Solomon's death. After a year's longer stay in Egypt, during
which Jeroboam married Ano, the elder sister of the Egyptian
queen Tahpenes, he returned to Shechem, where took place the
conference with Rehoboam [REHOBOAM], and the final revolt
which ended in the elevation of Jeroboam to the throne of
the northern kingdom. Now occurred the fatal error of his
policy. Fearing that the yearly pilgrimages to Jerusalem
would undo all the work which he effected, he took the bold
step of rending the religious unity of the nation, which was
as yet unimpaired, asunder. He caused two golden figures of
Mnevis, the sacred calf, to be made and set up at the two
extremities of his kingdom, one at Dan and the other at
Bethel. It was while dedicating the altar at Bethel that a
prophet from Judah suddenly appeared, who denounced the
altar, and foretold its desecration by Josiah, and violent
overthrow. The king, stretching out his hand to arrest the
prophet, felt it withered and paralyzed, and only at the
prophet's prayer saw it restored, and acknowledged his
divine mission. Jeroboam was at constant war with the house
of Judah, but the only act distinctly recorded is a battle
with Abijah, son of Rehoboam, in which he was defeated. The
calamity was severely felt; he never recovered the blow, and
soon after died, in the 22d year of his reign,
2Ch 13:20 and was buried in his ancestral sepulchre.
1Ki 14:20
2. Jeroboam II., the son of Joash, the fourth of the
dynasty of Jehu. (B.C. 825-784.) The most prosperous of the
kings of Israel. He repelled the Syrian invaders, took their
capital city Damascus, 2Ki 14:28 and recovered the whole of
the ancient dominion from Hamah to the Dead Sea. ch 2Ki
14:25 Ammon and Moab were reconquered, and the transjordanic
tribes were restored to their territory, 2Ki 13:5; 1Ch 5:17-
22 but it was merely an outward restoration.
Read More about Jeroboam in Smiths Bible Dictionary