1 Kings 12:1

Israel’s Appeal to Rehoboam

1 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all of Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

1 Kings 12:1 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 12:1

And Rehoboam went to Shechem
After the death and internment of his father:

for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king:
as was pretended, though in reality it was to seek occasion against him, and make Jeroboam king; it is very probable they knew of the prophecy of Ahijah, and therefore would not go to Jerusalem, but to Shechem, a city in the tribe of Ephraim, of which Jeroboam was, and where he had sowed the seeds of sedition when ruler there; and this place they chose, partly because they could more freely speak what they had in their minds, and partly for the safety of Jeroboam they had sent for on this occasion; so that Rehoboam went thither not of choice, but of necessity. The Jews

---

FOOTNOTES:

F3 observe that this place was very ominous; here Dinah was ravished, Joseph was sold, Abimelech exercised tyranny, and here now the kingdom was divided.

F3 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 102. 1.

1 Kings 12:1 In-Context

1 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all of Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

2 It happened that Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard [of it] while he was still in Egypt where he had fled from the face of King Solomon, and Jeroboam had lived in Egypt.

3 So they sent and summoned him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came. [Then] they spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

4 "Your father made our yoke heavy; now lighten the hard labor of your father and the heavy yoke which he placed on us, and we will serve you."

5 He said, "Go up for three days and then return to me"; so the people went away.