Brief Overview of Ῥοβοάμ (Strong’s G4497: Rhoboam)

Strong’s G4497: A proper noun of Hebrew origin (רְחַבְעָם, meaning “enlarger of the people”), referring to Rehoboam, son of Solomon and first king of Judah after Israel’s division. His inclusion in Matthew’s genealogy demonstrates God’s faithfulness to the Davidic line despite human failure.

U- Unveiling the Word

Ῥοβοάμ represents a pivotal figure in Israel’s history, marking both royal succession and national division. In the New Testament genealogy, his inclusion demonstrates God’s faithfulness to His covenant with David despite human failures. Early church fathers often used Rehoboam’s story to illustrate the consequences of pride and poor leadership, while also highlighting God’s preservation of the messianic line. Today, his presence in Christ’s genealogy reminds us that God’s purposes prevail even through flawed human instruments.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: Ῥοβοάμ, Rhoboam, /rho-bo-am/
• Detailed pronunciation: rho-bo-AHM (with emphasis on final syllable)
• Part of Speech: Proper Noun (masculine)

Etymology:

• Hebrew origin: רְחַבְעָם (Rechav’am)
• Component: רָחַב (rachav) – “to enlarge/broaden”
• Component: עָם (am) – “people”
• Transliterated into Greek with adaptation

D – Defining Meanings

• The personal name of Solomon’s son
• First king of the divided kingdom of Judah
• A link in the Davidic lineage to Christ

For compound words:
Though from a Hebrew compound, functions as a single unit in Greek.

Translation Options:

• “Rehoboam” – traditional English rendering
• “Roboam” – closer to Greek form
• “Rechabeam” – closer to Hebrew original

E – Exploring Similar Words

• Ἰεροβοάμ (Ieroboam) /ee-er-ob-o-am/ – his northern kingdom counterpart
  See G2391
• Σολομών (Solomon) /sol-om-own/ – his father
  See G4672

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Morphological features as a proper noun:

• Case: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative
• Number: Singular only (as a proper name)
• Gender: Masculine
• Indeclinable (remains unchanged in different cases)

Being a proper noun of Hebrew origin, Ῥοβοάμ is indeclinable in Greek.

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG identifies him as Solomon’s son and Judah’s first king. Thayer’s emphasizes his role in the divided kingdom. LSJ notes the name’s Hebrew origins. Vine’s connects him to the Davidic lineage. Strong’s relates the meaning to “enlarging the people.” Moulton and Milligan note the name’s occurrence in Jewish literature.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
“and Solomon the father of [Ῥοβοάμ] Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,” Matthew 1:7

Additional References:
None in the New Testament

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

Ῥοβοάμ stands as a testament to God’s faithfulness despite human weakness. Though his reign saw the division of Israel, his place in Christ’s genealogy proclaims the good news that King Jesus fulfills God’s promises to David’s line, bringing unity and restoration where human kings brought division. His story reminds us that God’s redemptive purposes prevail through and beyond human failures.

D – Did You Know?

1. His name ironically means “enlarger of the people,” yet his actions led to the kingdom’s division.
2. He appears in both Matthew’s genealogy and ancient king lists discovered by archaeologists.
3. Early Christian writers often contrasted his earthly kingdom’s division with Christ’s unified spiritual kingdom.

Strong’s G4497: A proper noun of Hebrew origin (רְחַבְעָם, meaning “enlarger of the people”), referring to Rehoboam, son of Solomon and first king of Judah after Israel’s division. His inclusion in Matthew’s genealogy demonstrates God’s faithfulness to the Davidic line despite human failure.

Part of speech: Proper Noun (masculine)

Tags: Rehoboam, genealogy of Jesus, Davidic line, divided kingdom, Solomon’s son, kings of Judah, Matthew’s Gospel, royal succession, covenant faithfulness, human failure, divine providence​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​