1 Kings 11:30

30 Ahijah grabbed hold of the new coat he had on. He tore it up into 12 pieces.

1 Kings 11:30 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 11:30

And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him
This looks as if it was Jeroboam's garment, having got a new one to appear before the king in; though the sense may be this, that the prophet took hold of his own garment that was upon himself:

and rent it in twelve pieces;
as symbolical of the twelve tribes of Israel.

1 Kings 11:30 In-Context

28 Jeroboam was a very important young man. Solomon saw how well he did his work. So he put him in charge of all of the workers in northern Israel.

29 About that time Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem. The prophet Ahijah met him on the road. Ahijah was from Shiloh. He was wearing a new coat. The two of them were all alone out in the country.

30 Ahijah grabbed hold of the new coat he had on. He tore it up into 12 pieces.

31 Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten pieces for yourself. The LORD is the God of Israel. He says, 'I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand. I will give you ten of its tribes.

32 Solomon will have one of its tribes. I will let him keep it because of my servant David and because of Jerusalem. I have chosen that city out of all of the cities in the tribes of Israel.