Although Solomon had longed to prepare the mind of Rehoboam, his chosen successor, to meet with wisdom the crisis foretold by the prophet of God, he had never been able to exert a strong molding influence for good over the mind of his son, whose early training had been so grossly neglected. Rehoboam had received from his mother, an Ammonitess, the stamp of a vacillating character. At times he endeavored to serve God and was granted a measure of prosperity; but he was not steadfast, and at last he yielded to the influences for evil that had surrounded him from infancy. In the mistakes of Rehoboam's life and in his final apostasy is revealed the fearful result of Solomon's union with idolatrous women.

Det havde været Salomons hensigt at forberede sin efterfølger Rehabeam på den krise, som Guds profet havde forudsagt, så at tronarvingen kunne imødegå den med visdom; men kongen havde aldrig formået at øve en stærk, positiv indflydelse over sin søn, hvis opdragelse var blevet frygtelig forsømt, lige fra han var spæd. Rehabeam havde arvet sin svage karakter efter sin moder, som var en ammonitisk kvinde. Han bestræbte sig i visse perioder på at tjene Gud og modtog også et bestemt mål af Herrens velsignelse, men han var ikke udholdende og gav til sidst efter for de onder, som han havde set fra sin barndom. Rehabeams fejl og endelige fald viser de frygtelige følger af Salomons ægteskab med kvinder, som dyrkede afguder.