1 Kings 12:3

3 Rehoboam assembled Jeroboam and all the people. They said to Rehoboam,

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 Rehoboam traveled to Shechem where all Israel had gathered to inaugurate him as king.

2 Jeroboam had been in Egypt, where he had taken asylum from King Solomon; when he got the report of Solomon's death he had come back.

3 Rehoboam assembled Jeroboam and all the people. They said to Rehoboam,

4 "Your father made life hard for us - worked our fingers to the bone. Give us a break; lighten up on us and we'll willingly serve you."

5 "Give me three days to think it over, then come back," Rehoboam said.