Attai
Attai was a son of King Rehoboam of Judah and his wife Maacah (2 Chr 11:20).
Biography
Attai was a son of King Rehoboam of Judah and his wife Maacah, the daughter of Absalom (2 Chr 11:20). He was among the eighteen wives and sixty concubines of Rehoboam, who fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. Rehoboam reportedly loved Maacah above all his wives, making her children a particularly favored branch of the royal household. Attai was thus a prince of Judah during the turbulent early years of the divided monarchy, born into a court shaped by the tensions following Solomon's death and the secession of the northern tribes. Though he is not further distinguished in the narrative, his existence within the Davidic line placed him within the royal genealogy of Judah.
Significance
Attai's place among the sons of Rehoboam and Maacah illuminates the dynastic complexity of the Davidic royal house in the period following the kingdom's division. The Chronicler's careful recording of Rehoboam's children in 2 Chronicles 11 reflects an interest in the continuity and proliferation of the Davidic line, through which God had promised an eternal throne. Attai's birth into this household, while leaving no personal legacy in Scripture, situates him within the broader covenant promise. His generation bore witness to both the consequences of Solomon's unfaithfulness and the grace of God in preserving the Davidic dynasty despite national fracture.
Verse Appearances (1)
2Chr
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]