What are "Anashim Rekim"?
'Rashi': They are Resha'im.
What is the meaning of "va'Yis'amtzu"?
Malbim: They were bold in their hearts and were brazen against him.
Why did he say that Rechav'am was young and softhearted?
'Rashi': They were bold against him because they saw lowliness in him and he was softhearted.
Malbim: Had he fought against [Yaravam and his followers], he would have overpowered them. You did not test that Bnei David will not overpower you in war!
Was Rechav'am a Na'ar (youth)? He was 41 when he became king!
'Rashi' here and Divrei ha'Yamim I, 22:5: Even so, he is called a Na'ar. It says "Yehoshua bin Nun Na'ar Lo Yamish" (Shemos 33:11), and according to Seder Olam 12, he was 42 1 at the time!
Radak: He was like a youth; he did not have courage to fight 2 .
Others say that he was 56 at the time (PF). Refer to Shemos 33:11:6:1.
He wanted to fight, just Hashem told him via a Navi not to fight (10:1-4)! Perhaps that was at the beginning of Malchus Yisrael; after Yisrael sinned, had Rechav'am had courage, he would have wanted to fight Yisrael, and Hashem would have let him. (PF)
