Lexical Summary
Yarobam: Jeroboam
Original Word:יָרָבְעָם
Part of Speech:Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration:Yarob`am
Pronunciation:yah-roh-VAHM
Phonetic Spelling:(yaw-rob-awm')
KJV: Jeroboam
NASB:Jeroboam, Jeroboam's
Word Origin:[fromH7378 (רִיבּ רוּב - contend) andH5971 (עַם - People)]
1. (the) people will contend
2. Jarobam, the name of two Israelite kings
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Jeroboam
Fromriyb andam; (the) people will contend; Jarobam, the name of two Israelite kings -- Jeroboam.
see HEBREWriyb
see HEBREWam
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
rabab and
amDefinition"the people increase," the name of two Isr. kings
NASB TranslationJeroboam (100), Jeroboam's (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
104 , (probably = +
the people increaseth Thes Kit
1Kings 11:26 and others; compare also Gray
Prop.N. 59; Ency. Bib. i. 139 f.; > √
the people contendeth or (
the god)
'Amm contendeth Nbr
Stud. Bib. i. 225, compare Che
JQ July, 1899, 559; Ency. Bib.); —
90 (Kings Chronicles), leader of revolt of Northern Israel (10th century), and first king1 Kings 11:26;1 Kings 12:2 (twice in verse);1 Kings 12:20, etc., "" 2Chronicles 10:2 (twice in verse); 2Chronicles 10:3,12 etc.,1 Kings 13:1;1 Kings 13:4;1 Kings 13:83 +; (specifically1 Kings 11:26 23t.); in later times (under Deuteronomic influence) as sinful and author of Israel's sin1 Kings 15:30;1 Kings 16:2,7,19,26,31 15t.
(8th cent.) and 13th king2 Kings 13:13;2 Kings 14:16,23,27,28,29;2 Kings 15:1,8;Hosea 1:1;Amos 1:1;Amos 7:9,10,11; probably also1 Chronicles 5:17.
Topical Lexicon
Identity and OccurrencesThe name יָרָבְעָם (Jeroboam) is borne by two kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and is recorded about one-hundred-and-four times in the Old Testament—mainly in 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Amos, and Hosea. Scripture never treats the two men interchangeably; context and patronymic (“son of Nebat,” “son of Joash”) distinguish them.
Jeroboam I, Son of Nebat (reigned c. 931 – 910 BC)
• Rise to Prominence
Solomon appointed him superintendent over the forced labor of Joseph’s tribes (1 Kings 11:28). When Ahijah the Shilonite prophesied that ten tribes would be torn from Solomon’s house, Jeroboam became the divinely announced instrument of division (1 Kings 11:29-39). He fled to Egypt until Solomon’s death.
• Secession and Coronation
At Shechem the northern tribes rejected Rehoboam’s harsh policy and proclaimed Jeroboam king (1 Kings 12:16-20). Thus the united monarchy became two rival kingdoms.
• Religious Innovations
Fearing that pilgrimages to Jerusalem would undermine his throne, Jeroboam introduced an alternative cultus: two golden calves at Bethel and Dan, non-Levitical priests, high places, and an imitation feast in the eighth month (1 Kings 12:26-33).
“After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, ‘It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem…’ ” (1 Kings 12:28-29). The narrative immediately adds, “And this thing became a sin” (1 Kings 12:30).
• Prophetic Confrontations and Judgment
– The unnamed man of God from Judah pronounced the altar’s destruction (1 Kings 13).
– Ahijah foretold the death of Jeroboam’s sick son and the extinction of his house (1 Kings 14:6-16).
– Abijah of Judah defeated him even with inferior forces because “God gave them into their hand” (2 Chronicles 13:15-18).
Baasha later annihilated Jeroboam’s dynasty (1 Kings 15:29).
• Enduring Legacy
Nineteen times Kings says of later rulers, “He walked in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sins which he caused Israel to commit” (e.g.,1 Kings 16:26;2 Kings 17:21-22). Jeroboam’s apostasy became a template for national rebellion that ultimately led to the Assyrian exile.
Jeroboam II, Son of Joash (reigned c. 793 – 753 BC)
• Political Expansion and Prosperity
“He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah” (2 Kings 14:25). The respite came “because the LORD saw the bitter affliction of Israel” (2 Kings 14:26). Jonah son of Amittai had prophesied this deliverance (2 Kings 14:25).
• Moral and Spiritual Climate
Despite outward success, “He did evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not turn away from all the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat” (2 Kings 14:24). Amos and Hosea ministered during his reign, exposing oppression, immorality, and empty ritual (Amos 2:6-8;Hosea 4:1-2).
• Prophetic Opposition
Amos declared, “I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword” (Amos 7:9). The priest Amaziah accused Amos of conspiracy: “Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile” (Amos 7:11).
• Aftermath
Although Jeroboam II’s forty-one-year reign brought unparalleled northern prosperity, within three decades Israel collapsed, proving that material success cannot mask covenant unfaithfulness.
The ‘Way of Jeroboam’
1. Political Pragmatism over Divine Revelation
2. Idolatry masquerading as orthodox worship
3. Unauthorized priesthood and calendar
4. A hereditary pattern of sin infecting subsequent generations
This composite “way” became the canonical shorthand for rebellion, cited from Nadab (1 Kings 15:25-26) to Hoshea (2 Kings 17:21-23).
Theological Themes
• Covenant Fidelity versus National Security
Jeroboam I’s fear that worship in Jerusalem would cost him the kingdom betrayed unbelief in God’s promise (1 Kings 11:38). Secular calculations led to spiritual ruin.
• Prophetic Accountability
Both Jeroboams were confronted by prophets whose words stood vindicated. Their histories illustrate God’s unchanging standard for rulers and people alike.
• Sin’s Corporate Consequences
By institutionalizing false worship, Jeroboam I embedded idolatry into Israel’s identity; Jeroboam II reaped prosperity without repentance, hastening ultimate judgment.
Key Passages for Study
1 Kings 11:26-40; 12:1-33; 13:1-34; 14:1-20
2 Chronicles 10:1 – 11:4; 13:1-20
2 Kings 13:13; 14:23-29; 15:1; 17:21-23
Amos 1:1; 7:9-17
Hosea 1:1
Ministry Implications
• Leaders who substitute convenience for obedience mislead those under their care.
• Idolatry can wear orthodox labels; discernment requires measuring worship by Scripture, not expediency.
• National or ecclesiastical success is no guarantee of divine favor; faithfulness remains the non-negotiable criterion.
Forms and Transliterations
וְיָֽרָבְעָ֖ם וְיָֽרָבְעָ֗ם וְיָרָבְעָ֖ם וְיָרָבְעָ֗ם וְיָרָבְעָ֛ם וְיָרָבְעָם֩ וירבעם יָֽרָבְעָ֔ם יָֽרָבְעָם֙ יָרָבְעָ֑ם יָרָבְעָ֔ם יָרָבְעָ֖ם יָרָבְעָ֗ם יָרָבְעָ֛ם יָרָבְעָ֜ם יָרָבְעָ֡ם יָרָבְעָ֣ם יָרָבְעָ֣ם ׀ יָרָבְעָ֤ם יָרָבְעָ֥ם יָרָבְעָ֧ם יָרָבְעָ֨ם יָרָבְעָֽם׃ יָרָבְעָם֒ יָרָבְעָם֙ ירבעם ירבעם׃ לְיָֽרָבְעָ֔ם לְיָֽרָבְעָ֤ם לְיָֽרָבְעָם֙ לְיָרָבְעָ֖ם לְיָרָבְעָ֗ם לירבעם lə·yā·rā·ḇə·‘ām ləyārāḇə‘ām leyaraveAm veyaraveAm wə·yā·rā·ḇə·‘ām wəyārāḇə‘ām yā·rā·ḇə·‘ām yārāḇə‘ām yaraveAm
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