1 Kings 12:1-24

King Rehoboam Acts Foolishly

1 ¹Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to ²Shechem to make him king.

2 Now ³when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, he was living in Egypt (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon ).

3 Then they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

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

5 Then he said to them, "⁵Depart for three days, then return to me." So the people departed.

6 King Rehoboam ⁶consulted with the elders who had served * his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, "How do you counsel me to answer * this people?"

7 Then they spoke to him, saying, "⁷If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever *."

8 But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served * him.

9 So he said to them, "What counsel do you give that we may answer * this people who have spoken to me, saying, 'Lighten the yoke which your father put on us'?"

10 The young men who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, "Thus you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us!' But you shall speak to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins!

11 'Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.' "

12 Then Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had directed, saying, "⁸Return to me on the third day."

13 The king answered the people harshly, for he forsook the advice of the elders which they had given him,

14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, "⁹My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions."

15 So the king did not listen to the people; ¹⁰for it was a turn of events from the LORD, ¹¹that He might establish His word, which the LORD spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

The Kingdom Divided; Jeroboam Rules Israel

16 When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, "What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; ¹²To your tents, O Israel! Now look after your own house, David!" So Israel departed to their tents.

17 But ¹³as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

18 Then King Rehoboam sent ¹⁴Adoram, who was over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.

19 ¹⁵So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

20 It came about when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, that they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. ¹⁶None but the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.

21 ¹⁷Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 * * chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

22 But the word of God came to ¹⁸Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

23 "Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to the ¹⁹rest of the people, saying,

24 'Thus says the LORD, "You must not go up and fight against your relatives the sons of Israel; return every man to his house, ²⁰for this thing has come from Me.""' So they listened to the word of the LORD, and returned and went their way according to the word of the LORD.

1 Kings 12:1-24 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 12

This chapter relates Rehoboam's going to Shechem to be made king, and Jeroboam's return from Egypt, 1Ki 12:1,2, the people's request to Rehoboam to be eased of their taxes, as the condition of making him king, 1Ki 12:3,4, his answer to them, after three days, having had the advice both of the old and young men, which latter he followed, and gave in a rough answer, 1Ki 12:5-15, upon which ten tribes revolted from him, and two abode by him, 1Ki 12:16-20, wherefore he meditated a war against the ten tribes, but was forbid by the Lord to engage in it, 1Ki 12:21-24 and Jeroboam, in order to establish his kingdom, and preserve the people from a revolt to the house of David, because of the temple worship at Jerusalem, devised a scheme of idolatrous worship in his own territories, 1Ki 12:25-33.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Chronicles 10:1
• 2. Judges 9:6
• 3. 1 Kings 11:26, 40
• 4. 1 Samuel 8:11-18; 1 Kin 4:7, 21-25; 1 Kings 9:15
• 5. 1 Kings 12:12
• 6. 1 Kings 4:1-6; Job 12:12; Job 32:7
• 7. 2 Chronicles 10:7; Proverbs 15:1
• 8. 1 Kings 12:5
• 9. Exodus 1:13, 14; Exodus 5:5-9, 16-18
• 10. Deuteronomy 2:30; Judges 14:4; 1 Kings 12:24; 2 Chronicles 10:15
• 11. 1 Kings 11:11, 31
• 12. 2 Samuel 20:1
• 13. 1 Kings 11:13, 36
• 14. 2 Samuel 20:24; 1 Kings 4:6; 1 Kings 5:14
• 15. 2 Kings 17:21
• 16. 1 Kin 11:13, 32, 36
• 17. 2 Chronicles 11:1
• 18. 2 Chronicles 11:2; 2 Chronicles 12:5-7
• 19. 1 Kings 12:17
• 20. 1 Kings 12:15

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "Jeroboam"
• [b]. Lit "yet three"
• [c]. Lit "stood before"
• [d]. Lit "answer them"
• [e]. Lit "who stood before"
• [f]. Lit "spoken"
• [g]. Lit "advised"
• [h]. Lit "with stones that he died"
• [i]. Lit "brothers"