For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest’s office unto the LORD:
The Levites abandoned their pasture lands and property, and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them and wouldn't let them serve as priests to the LORD.
This verse explains that the Levitical priests left their homes in the northern kingdom because Jeroboam kicked them out of their religious duties and wouldn't let them serve God properly.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is set during the division of Israel into two kingdoms after King Solomon's death, with Rehoboam ruling Judah in the south and Jeroboam leading the northern kingdom of Israel. Jeroboam, fearing that his people would return to Jerusalem and rejoin Judah, established his own religious sites and appointed non-Levites as priests, which violated God's commands and led to the Levites being dismissed from their duties. As a result, the faithful Levites left their assigned lands in the north and relocated to Judah and Jerusalem to continue serving God properly.
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