Woman living at the time of United Monarchy
Naamah, an Ammonite woman, was the mother of Rehoboam, who succeeded his father Solomon as king of Judah.
🗺 Places mentioned alongside Naamah on the map →
Naamah was an Ammonite woman who became the wife of King Solomon of Israel and the mother of his successor, King Rehoboam of Judah (1Ki.14.21,31; 2Ch.12.13). The Ammonites were a neighboring people of the Israelites, often in conflict with them throughout their history.
Naamah's marriage to Solomon was likely a political alliance, as it was common for kings to marry foreign princesses to strengthen diplomatic ties and maintain peace with neighboring kingdoms. However, Solomon's many foreign wives, including Naamah, are cited as a reason for his eventual downfall, as they led him to worship other gods (1Ki.11.1-8).
As the mother of Rehoboam, Naamah played a significant role in the history of the Davidic dynasty. Rehoboam became king after Solomon's death, but his harsh treatment of the people led to the division of the kingdom into two separate realms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south (1Kings 12).
The mention of Naamah's Ammonite heritage in both 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles suggests that her foreign origins were significant to the biblical authors. It serves as a reminder of the influence that foreign alliances and marriages had on the religious and political life of ancient Israel, sometimes leading to the erosion of the nation's faithfulness to God.
More background: search Wikipedia ↗
3 verses in 2 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H5279
Meanwhile, Rehoboam son of Solomon reigned in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His motherʼs name was Naamah the Ammonite.
And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David; his motherʼs name was Naamah the Ammonite. And his son Abijam reigned in his place.
Thus King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem and reigned. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His motherʼs name was Naamah the Ammonite.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.