1 Kings 12:23

23 "Speak to Solomon's son Rehoboam, the king of Judah, and to all the people of Judah and Benjamin and the rest of the people. Say to them,

1 Kings 12:23 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 12:23

Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon king of Judah
He is called king before, but of what tribe or tribes is not expressly said, only it is implied in ( 1 Kings 12:17 ) and he is only acknowledged king of Judah by the Lord himself:

and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin;
which made but one house, as before but one tribe, ( 1 Kings 11:36 )

and to the remnant of the people;
of the other tribes that might dwell among them at Jerusalem, and especially Simeon, whose inheritance was within the tribe of Judah, ( Joshua 19:1 )

saying:
as follows.

1 Kings 12:23 In-Context

21 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he gathered one hundred eighty thousand of the best soldiers from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. As son of Solomon, Rehoboam wanted to fight the people of Israel to take back his kingdom.

22 But God spoke his word to Shemaiah, a man of God, saying,

23 "Speak to Solomon's son Rehoboam, the king of Judah, and to all the people of Judah and Benjamin and the rest of the people. Say to them,

24 'The Lord says you must not go to war against your brothers, the Israelites. Every one of you should go home, because I made all these things happen.'" So they obeyed the Lord's command and went home as the Lord had commanded.

25 Then Jeroboam made Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim a very strong city, and he lived there. He also went to the city of Peniel and made it stronger.