1 Kings 11:31

31 He said to Yarov`am, Take ten pieces; for thus says the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Shlomo, and will give ten tribes to you

1 Kings 11:31 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 11:31

And he said to Jeroboam, take thee ten pieces
Of the twelve, an emblem of the ten tribes he was to have:

for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, behold, I will rend the kingdom
out of the hand of Solomon;
that is, out of his family:

and will give ten tribes unto thee;
to rule over.

1 Kings 11:31 In-Context

29 It happened at that time, when Yarov`am went out of Yerushalayim, that the prophet Achiyah the Shiloni found him in the way; now [Achiyah] had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field.

30 Achiyah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it in twelve pieces.

31 He said to Yarov`am, Take ten pieces; for thus says the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Shlomo, and will give ten tribes to you

32 (but he shall have one tribe, for my servant David's sake and for Yerushalayim's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Yisra'el);

33 because that they have forsaken me, and have worshiped `Ashoret the goddess of the Tzidonim, Kemosh the god of Mo'av, and Milkom the god of the children of `Ammon; and they have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in my eyes, and [to keep] my statutes and my ordinances, as did David his father.