And he put shields and spears in all the cities and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin.
How the ten tribes deserted the house of David we read in the foregoing chapter. They had formerly sat loose to that family (Sa2 20:1, Sa2 20:2), and now they quite threw it off, not considering how much it would weaken the common interest and take Israel down from that pitch of glory at which it had arrived in the last reign.
Commenting on 2 Chronicles 11:1-12
For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession,.... The cities and the fields adjacent to them, which were given them in the several tribes, and were in all forty eight; see Jos 21:1 and came to Judah and Jerusalem; to the cities of Judah, which belonged to the Levites; and to Jerusalem, where they exercised their functions: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast...
2Ch 11:11-12 “And he made strong the fortresses, and put captains in them,” etc.; i.e., he increased their strength by placing them in a thoroughly efficient condition to defend themselves against attacks, appointing commandants (נגידים), provisioning them, and (2Ch 11:12) laying up stores of all kinds of arms. In this way he made them exceedingly strong.
Commenting on 2 Chronicles 11:11-12