This chapter is unique to Chronicles. It contains an evaluation of both Northern and Southern Kingdoms. Israel set up a humanly devised form of worship (v. 15). This resulted in many of the faithful followers of Yahweh moving from Israel to Judah so they could continue to worship God as He had specified (v. 16).
The faithful worshippers of Yahweh thus populated Judah. The true Israel was now in Judah (cf. v. 3; 12:1).27Faithfulness lasted only three years, however (v. 17). Rehoboam, like Solomon, was not entirely faithful.
"Each of the three short paragraphs which make up this section [11:5-23] uses a motif (building; defection of the faithful from the north to the south; large family) which the Chronicler regularly uses to demonstrate God's reward for faithfulness."28
