1 Kings 12:20

20 Forsooth it was done, when all Israel had heard that Jeroboam [was] turned again, they sent, and called him, when the company was gathered together, and they made him king upon all Israel; and no man followed the house of David, except the lineage alone of Judah. (And so it was done, when all Israel had heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent for him, and when the people were gathered together, they made him king upon all Israel; and no man followed the house of David, except the tribe of Judah.)

1 Kings 12:20 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 12:20

And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was
come again
Out of Egypt; the chief men knew of it before, for he had headed them in their approach and address to Rehoboam; but the people in common had not, and especially those of the various tribes besides that of Ephraim:

that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king
over all Israel;
they sent for him from his tent or house, which probably was in Shechem, and gave him an invitation to come to their assembly, met together to deliberate about a king; when they unanimously chose him to be king over Israel, that is, over the ten tribes, and inaugurated him into his office:

there was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Judah
only;
in which Benjamin was included, as appears from the following verse; that being joined to it, and mixed with it, and both having a part in Jerusalem, and so ever after the kingdom was denominated the kingdom of Judah.

1 Kings 12:20 In-Context

18 Therefore king Rehoboam sent Adoram, that was on the tributes; and all the people of Israel stoned him, and he was dead (And so King Rehoboam sent out Adoram, who was over the taxes, or the levies; and all the people of Israel stoned him, and he died). Forsooth king Rehoboam went up hastily upon his chariot, and fled into Jerusalem;
19 and Israel departed from the house of David, till into this present day. (and so Israel, that is, the Northern Kingdom, hast been in rebellion against the house of David, unto this present day.)
20 Forsooth it was done, when all Israel had heard that Jeroboam [was] turned again, they sent, and called him, when the company was gathered together, and they made him king upon all Israel; and no man followed the house of David, except the lineage alone of Judah. (And so it was done, when all Israel had heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent for him, and when the people were gathered together, they made him king upon all Israel; and no man followed the house of David, except the tribe of Judah.)
21 And Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, and gathered together all the house of Judah, and the lineage of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand of chosen men and warriors, that they should fight against the house of Israel, and should bring again the realm to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon (to fight against the house of Israel, and bring back the kingdom to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon).
22 Forsooth the word of God was made to Shemaiah, the man of God, and said,
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.