18-02

was present in the Temple

This could mean was present in the Temple in a special way. Even though God was also present everywhere else at the same time, he made himself especially available to the people at the Temple.

18-03

brought their gods with them

His wives brought their idols and their methods of worshiping idols with them to Israel. As a result, Solomon himself also began to worship those idols.

18-04

because of this

God was angry with Solomon for worshiping idols.

18-06

I will make you suffer worse

Rehoboah was a very selfish person. The people asked him to treat them better than Solomon treated them, but he said he would treat them even worse.

18-07

tribes

The descendants of each of Jacob’s 12 sons had become a tribe or very large family group in the nation of Israel. Everyone in Israel belonged to one of the 12 tribes.

the kingdom of Judah

The tribe of Judah was the largest of the 12 tribes of Israel. The kingdom of Judah was made up of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. They were called by the name of Judah, a larger tribe than Benjamin.

18-08

the kingdom of Israel

The ten tribes were the majority of Israel. Therefore, they called themselves the kingdom of Israel.

18-09

They no longer went to Jerusalem

Jereboam placed his two idols in two temples in Dan and Bethel. The people in the kingdom of Israel went there to worship instead of going to Jerusalem.

18-12

slept with prostitutes

They slept with prostitutes as an evil form of worship of their idols.

18-13

Judah

The kingdom of Judah was often called “Judah.”

the people of Judah also rebelled against God

The people of Judah usually did whatever their kings did. If the kings worshiped God, the people did that also. But if the kings worshiped idols, the people also worshiped those false gods.