1 Kings 12:3

3 but they sent and summoned him - Yarov'am and the whole community of Isra'el came and said to Rechav'am,

1 Kings 12:3 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 12:3

That they sent and called him
That is, the people of Israel, some of the principal of them, especially of the tribe of Ephraim, sent messengers to him, and gave him an invitation to come to them at Shechem; or, they had sent ^F5, as Kimchi interprets it, which was the reason of his returning from Egypt, at least one of them:

and Jeroboam, and all the congregation of Israel, came;
the chief men of them, the heads of the people; these, with Jeroboam at the head of them, who was come out of Egypt, came to Shechem, where Rehoboam was, and they had appointed to meet him:

and spake unto Rehoboam;
one in the name of them all, perhaps Jeroboam:

saying;
as follows.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 So Pagninus, Montanus.

1 Kings 12:3 In-Context

1 Rechav'am went to Sh'khem, where all Isra'el had come to proclaim him king.

2 When Yarov'am the son of N'vat heard of it - for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from Shlomo; so Yarov'am was living in Egypt;

3 but they sent and summoned him - Yarov'am and the whole community of Isra'el came and said to Rechav'am,

4 "Your father laid a harsh yoke on us. But if you will lighten the harsh service we had to render your father and ease his heavy yoke that he put on us, we will serve you."

5 He said to them, "Leave me alone for three days, then come back to me." So the people left.