Rehoboam, King of Judah, takes deliberate steps to secure his kingdom and establish a stable future dynasty by arranging strategic marriages with women from the royal family of the House of David. His specific goal is to produce an heir who carries Davidic lineage from both parents, hoping to prevent future succession wars among his sons [מלבי״ם]. The primary approach among commentators is that Rehoboam marries two distinct women from this royal line, Mahalath and Avihail [רש״י, רד״ק]. A contrasting view suggests that these names actually refer to a single woman who traces her ancestry back to the House of Jesse through both her father and her mother [ביאור שטיינזלץ].
One of the ancestors mentioned in this royal lineage is Jerimoth, a son of David. Because this name is absent from the familiar lists of David's children, commentators explain that he may have been a son known by a different name in other records, or perhaps a son born much later in David's life [מצודת ציון, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].
The lineage also connects back to Eliab, the son of Jesse and David's older brother. This connection brings a historical and spiritual event full circle, dating back to the era of Samuel the prophet. When Samuel arrived to anoint a new king from among Jesse's sons, he looked at Eliab and wrongly assumed he was the one chosen by God. This error occurred because Samuel experienced a prophetic vision of Eliab's future descendant—the very queen who would marry Rehoboam. God allowed Samuel to be misled by this vision as a punishment for a moment of pride. Earlier, Samuel had boastfully told King Saul, "I am the seer." In response, God decreed that Samuel would one day see a vision but fail to interpret its true meaning [רש״י].
Within Rehoboam's household, the progression of his marriages unfolds with a clear sequence. It appears that Mahalath does not bear him any children. Only after marrying Avihail does he have sons, and this takes place before he brings any additional wives into his family [מלבי״ם, רלב״ג].