1 Kings 12:13-23

13 The king answered the people roughly, and forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him,
14 and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
15 So the king didn't listen to the people; for it was a thing brought about of the LORD, that he might establish his word, which the LORD spoke by Achiyah the Shiloni to Yarov`am the son of Nevat.
16 When all Yisra'el saw that the king didn't listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Yishai: to your tents, Yisra'el: now see to your own house, David. So Yisra'el departed to their tents.
17 But as for the children of Yisra'el who lived in the cities of Yehudah, Rechav`am reigned over them.
18 Then king Rechav`am sent Adoram, who was over the men subject to forced labor; and all Yisra'el stoned him to death with stones. King Rechav`am made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Yerushalayim.
19 So Yisra'el rebelled against the house of David to this day.
20 It happened, when all Yisra'el heard that Yarov`am was returned, that they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Yisra'el: there was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Yehudah only.
21 When Rechav`am was come to Yerushalayim, he assembled all the house of Yehudah, and the tribe of Binyamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against the house of Yisra'el, to bring the kingdom again to Rechav`am the son of Shlomo.
22 But the word of God came to Shemayah the man of God, saying,
23 Speak to Rechav`am the son of Shlomo, king of Yehudah, and to all the house of Yehudah and Binyamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,

1 Kings 12:13-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 12

This chapter relates Rehoboam's going to Shechem to be made king, and Jeroboam's return from Egypt, 1Ki 12:1,2, the people's request to Rehoboam to be eased of their taxes, as the condition of making him king, 1Ki 12:3,4, his answer to them, after three days, having had the advice both of the old and young men, which latter he followed, and gave in a rough answer, 1Ki 12:5-15, upon which ten tribes revolted from him, and two abode by him, 1Ki 12:16-20, wherefore he meditated a war against the ten tribes, but was forbid by the Lord to engage in it, 1Ki 12:21-24 and Jeroboam, in order to establish his kingdom, and preserve the people from a revolt to the house of David, because of the temple worship at Jerusalem, devised a scheme of idolatrous worship in his own territories, 1Ki 12:25-33.

The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.