What is the meaning of 2 Chronicles 11:6? He built up Bethlehem 2 Chronicles 11:5–6 sets the scene: “Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built up cities for defense in Judah. He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa”. • Bethlehem sat only six miles south of Jerusalem on the main north–south ridge road. Fortifying it secured the first strategic line of defense against any northern assault after the kingdom divided (cf. 1 Kings 12:21–24). • The city already carried deep covenant significance—Rachel was buried there (Genesis 35:19), Ruth and Boaz raised a family there (Ruth 1:1; 4:11), and David was anointed there (1 Samuel 16:1–13). Rehoboam’s walls went around a town the prophets would later spotlight as Messiah’s birthplace (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:5-6). • By strengthening Bethlehem, Rehoboam underscored God’s faithfulness to keep His promises through David’s line—fitting for a fortress guarding Judah’s heartland. Etam • Etam lay just two miles southwest of Bethlehem, perched above the lush Rephaim Valley. By reinforcing Etam, Rehoboam created a second tier of defense that could relay warnings and troops between Bethlehem and Tekoa. • Samson once hid in “the cleft of the rock of Etam” (Judges 15:8, 11), showing the area’s natural strongholds long before Rehoboam added stone walls. • Later, Solomon would channel spring-fed water from “the pools of Solomon” near Etam to Jerusalem (1 Kings 4:9; Ecclesiastes 2:6), so securing this site protected Judah’s water supply as well as her borders. • The name itself—“lair of birds” or “place of eagles”—evokes a lookout, and Rehoboam used it just that way: a sentinel post guarding approaches from the west. Tekoa • Located about ten miles south of Jerusalem on a high ridge overlooking the wilderness, Tekoa formed the southern anchor of Rehoboam’s defensive arc. From its heights a watchman could see miles across the Judean desert toward possible Edomite or Philistine movements (cf. Jeremiah 6:1). • Tekoa produced faithful voices for the kingdom: Joab recruited the “wise woman of Tekoa” to speak truth to David (2 Samuel 14:2–20), and centuries later the prophet Amos introduced himself as “one of the sheep breeders from Tekoa” (Amos 1:1). • The town’s men distinguished themselves in reform days, too: they helped repair Jerusalem’s wall under Nehemiah (Nehemiah 3:5, 27) and rallied with Jehoshaphat when he trusted the Lord for victory (2 Chronicles 20:20). Rehoboam’s fortifications prepared the way for these later acts of courage and faith. summary By fortifying Bethlehem, Etam, and Tekoa, Rehoboam built more than walls; he shored up the inheritance God had given Judah. Bethlehem guarded the throne’s messianic promise, Etam protected life-giving springs and relay points, and Tekoa watched the wilderness approaches. Together they formed a protective triangle south of Jerusalem, declaring that even in a divided kingdom God’s covenant purposes for David’s line would stand secure. |
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