Verse 2. - Shemaiah the man of God. This is the first historical mention (1 Kings 12:22) of Shemaiah. The second is found in 2 Chronicles 12:5, 7, on occasion of the invasion of Judah and Jerusalem by Shishak King of Egypt; and the third, in the same chapter, ver. 15, that he wrote a book respecting the acts of Rehoboam. The expression, "man of God," owns to a somewhat unexplained history. It is first found in the added part of Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 33:1), where it is applied to Moses. It occurs once in Joshua (Joshua 14:6); twice in Judges (Judges 13:6, 8); four times in Samuel (1 Samuel 2:27; 1 Samuel 9:6-8); twenty-nine times in Kings; six times in Chronicles; once each in Ezra, Nehemiah and Jeremiah.
11:1-12 A few good words might have prevented the rebellion of Rehoboam's subjects; but all the force of his kingdom cannot bring them back. And it is in vain to contend with the purpose of God, when it is made known to us. Even those who are destitute of true faith, will at times pay some regard to the word of God, and be kept by it from wrong actions, to which they are prone by nature.
And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem,.... After he had been at Shechem, and had given his answer to the request of the men of Israel, upon which they revolted from him: this and the three following verses are the same with 1 Kings 12:21. See Gill on 1 Kings 12:21.
Shemaiah.--So Kings. The chronicler writes the longer form, Shemay?hu; and so Ahiy?hu in 2 Chronicles 10:15.