2Ch 11:5-6 | KD | STEP | Rehoboam’s measures for the fortifying of his kingdom . - To defend his kingdom against hostile attacks, Rehoboam built cities for defence in Judah. The sing. למצור is used, because the building of cities served for the defence of the kingdom. Judah is the name of the kingdom, for the fifteen fenced cities enumerated in the following verses were situated in the tribal domains of both Benjamin and Judah.

‏ 2 Chronicles 11:5-6

2Ch 11:5 Rehoboam’s measures for the fortifying of his kingdom. - To defend his kingdom against hostile attacks, Rehoboam built cities for defence in Judah. The sing. למצור is used, because the building of cities served for the defence of the kingdom. Judah is the name of the kingdom, for the fifteen fenced cities enumerated in the following verses were situated in the tribal domains of both Benjamin and Judah. 2Ch 11:6

In Judah lay Bethlehem, a small city mentioned as early as in Jacob’s time (Gen 35:19), two hours south of Jerusalem, the birthplace of David and of Christ (Mic 5:1; Mat 2:5, Mat 2:11), now Beit-Lahm; see on Jos 15:59. Etam is not the place bearing the same name which is spoken of in 1Ch 4:32 and Jdg 15:8, and mentioned in the Talmud as the place where, near Solomon’s Pools, the aqueduct which supplied Jerusalem with water commenced (cf. Robins. Pal. sub voce; Tobler, Topogr. v. Jerus. ii. S. 84ff., 855ff.); ^{▼▼For further information as to the commencement of this aqueduct, see the masterly dissertation of Dr. Herm. Zschokke, “Die versiegelte Quelle Salomo's,” in the Tübingen Theol. Quartalschr. 1867, H. 3, S. 426ff.} nor is it to be looked for, as Robins. loc. cit., and New Bibl. Researches, maintains, in the present village Urtâs (Artâs), for it has been identified by Tobl., dritte Wand. S. 89, with Ain Attân, a valley south-west from Artâs. Not only does the name Attân correspond more than Artâs with Etam, but from it the water is conducted to Jerusalem, while according to Tobler’s thorough conviction it could not have been brought from Artâs. Tekoa, now Tekua, on the summit of a hill covered with ancient ruins, two hours south of Bethlehem; see on Jos 15:59.