24 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Ye shall not go up, H5927 nor fight H3898 against your brethren H251 the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 return H7725 every man H376 to his house; H1004 for this thing H1697 is H1961 from me. They hearkened H8085 therefore to the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 and returned H7725 to depart, H3212 according to the word H1697 of the LORD. H3068
And it came to pass at that time H6256 when Jeroboam H3379 went out H3318 of Jerusalem, H3389 that the prophet H5030 Ahijah H281 the Shilonite H7888 found H4672 him in the way; H1870 and he had clad H3680 himself with a new H2319 garment; H8008 and they two H8147 were alone in the field: H7704 And Ahijah H281 caught H8610 the new H2319 garment H8008 that was on him, and rent H7167 it in twelve H8147 H6240 pieces: H7168 And he said H559 to Jeroboam, H3379 Take H3947 thee ten H6235 pieces: H7168 for thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 the God H430 of Israel, H3478 Behold, I will rend H7167 the kingdom H4467 out of the hand H3027 of Solomon, H8010 and will give H5414 ten H6235 tribes H7626 to thee: (But he shall have one H259 tribe H7626 for my servant H5650 David's H1732 sake, and for Jerusalem's H3389 sake, the city H5892 which I have chosen H977 out of all the tribes H7626 of Israel:) H3478 Because that they have forsaken H5800 me, and have worshipped H7812 Ashtoreth H6253 the goddess H430 of the Zidonians, H6722 Chemosh H3645 the god H430 of the Moabites, H4124 and Milcom H4445 the god H430 of the children H1121 of Ammon, H5983 and have not walked H1980 in my ways, H1870 to do H6213 that which is right H3477 in mine eyes, H5869 and to keep my statutes H2708 and my judgments, H4941 as did David H1732 his father. H1 Howbeit I will not take H3947 the whole kingdom H4467 out of his hand: H3027 but I will make H7896 him prince H5387 all the days H3117 of his life H2416 for David H1732 my servant's H5650 sake, whom I chose, H977 because he kept H8104 my commandments H4687 and my statutes: H2708 But I will take H3947 the kingdom H4410 out of his son's H1121 hand, H3027 and will give H5414 it unto thee, even ten H6235 tribes. H7626 And unto his son H1121 will I give H5414 one H259 tribe, H7626 that David H1732 my servant H5650 may have a light H5216 alway H3117 before H6440 me in Jerusalem, H3389 the city H5892 which I have chosen H977 me to put H7760 my name H8034 there. And I will take H3947 thee, and thou shalt reign H4427 according to all that thy soul H5315 desireth, H183 and shalt be king H4428 over Israel. H3478 And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken H8085 unto all that I command H6680 thee, and wilt walk H1980 in my ways, H1870 and do H6213 that is right H3477 in my sight, H5869 to keep H8104 my statutes H2708 and my commandments, H4687 as David H1732 my servant H5650 did; H6213 that I will be with thee, and build H1129 thee a sure H539 house, H1004 as I built H1129 for David, H1732 and will give H5414 Israel H3478 unto thee.
But there came H935 a man H376 of God H430 to him, saying, H559 O king, H4428 let not the army H6635 of Israel H3478 go H935 with thee; for the LORD H3068 is not with Israel, H3478 to wit, with all the children H1121 of Ephraim. H669 But if thou wilt go, H935 do H6213 it, be strong H2388 for the battle: H4421 God H430 shall make thee fall H3782 before H6440 the enemy: H341 for God H430 hath H3426 power H3581 to help, H5826 and to cast down. H3782
But a prophet H5030 of the LORD H3068 was there, whose name H8034 was Oded: H5752 and he went out H3318 before H6440 the host H6635 that came H935 to Samaria, H8111 and said H559 unto them, Behold, because the LORD H3068 God H430 of your fathers H1 was wroth H2534 with Judah, H3063 he hath delivered H5414 them into your hand, H3027 and ye have slain H2026 them in a rage H2197 that reacheth up H5060 unto heaven. H8064 And now ye purpose H559 to keep under H3533 the children H1121 of Judah H3063 and Jerusalem H3389 for bondmen H5650 and bondwomen H8198 unto you: but are there not with you, even H7535 with you, sins H819 against the LORD H3068 your God? H430 Now hear H8085 me therefore, and deliver H7725 the captives H7633 again, which ye have taken captive H7617 of your brethren: H251 for the fierce H2740 wrath H639 of the LORD H3068 is upon you. Then certain H582 of the heads H7218 of the children H1121 of Ephraim, H669 Azariah H5838 the son H1121 of Johanan, H3076 Berechiah H1296 the son H1121 of Meshillemoth, H4919 and Jehizkiah H3169 the son H1121 of Shallum, H7967 and Amasa H6021 the son H1121 of Hadlai, H2311 stood up H6965 against them that came H935 from the war, H6635 And said H559 unto them, Ye shall not bring in H935 the captives H7633 hither: for whereas we have offended H819 against the LORD H3068 already, ye intend H559 to add H3254 more to our sins H2403 and to our trespass: H819 for our trespass H819 is great, H7227 and there is fierce H2740 wrath H639 against Israel. H3478 So the armed men H2502 left H5800 the captives H7633 and the spoil H961 before H6440 the princes H8269 and all the congregation. H6951 And the men H582 which were expressed H5344 by name H8034 rose up, H6965 and took H2388 the captives, H7633 and with the spoil H7998 clothed H3847 all that were naked H4636 among them, and arrayed H3847 them, and shod H5274 them, and gave them to eat H398 and to drink, H8248 and anointed H5480 them, and carried H5095 all the feeble H3782 of them upon asses, H2543 and brought H935 them to Jericho, H3405 the city H5892 of palm trees, H8558 H5899 to H681 their brethren: H251 then they returned H7725 to Samaria. H8111
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Kings 12
Commentary on 1 Kings 12 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 12
The glory of the kingdom of Israel was in its height and perfection in Solomon; it was long in coming to it, but it soon declined, and began to sink and wither in the very next reign, as we find in this chapter, where we have the kingdom divided, and thereby weakened and made little in comparison with what it had been. Here is,
1Ki 12:1-15
Solomon had 1000 wives and concubines, yet we read but of one son he had to bear up his name, and he a fool. It is said (Hos. 4:10), They shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase. Sin is a bad way of building up a family. Rehoboam was the son of the wisest of men, yet did not inherit his father's wisdom, and then it stood him in little stead to inherit his father's throne. Neither wisdom nor grace runs in the blood. Solomon came to the crown very young, yet he was then a wise man. Rehoboam came to the crown at forty years old, when men will be wise if ever they will, yet he was then foolish. Wisdom does not go by age, nor is it the multitude of years nor the advantage of education that reaches it. Solomon's court was a mart of wisdom and the rendezvous of learned men, and Rehoboam was the darling of the court; and yet all was not sufficient to make him a wise man. The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. No dispute is made of Rehoboam's succession; upon the death of his father, he was immediately proclaimed. But,
1Ki 12:16-24
We have here the rending of the kingdom of the ten tribes from the house of David, to effect which,
1Ki 12:25-33
We have here the beginning of the reign of Jeroboam. He built Shechem first and then Penuel-beautified and fortified them, and probably had a palace in each of them for himself (v. 25), the former in Ephraim, the latter in Gad, on the other side Jordan. This might be proper; but he formed another project for the establishing of his kingdom which was fatal to the interests of religion in it.