1 And Rehoboam goeth to Shechem, for to Shechem hath all Israel come to make him king.
And Rehoboam goeth to Shechem, for `to' Shechem have all Israel come to cause him to reign. And it cometh to pass, at Jeroboam son of Nebat's -- who `is' in Egypt because he hath fled from the face of Solomon the king -- hearing, that Jeroboam turneth back out of Egypt; and they send and call for him, and Jeroboam cometh in, and all Israel, and speak unto Rehoboam, saying, `Thy father made our yoke sharp, and now, make light `somewhat' of the sharp service of thy father, and of his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we serve thee.' And he saith unto them, `Yet three days -- then return ye unto me;' and the people go. And king Rehoboam consulteth with the aged men who have been standing before Solomon his father in his being alive, saying, `How are ye counselling to answer this people?' And they speak unto him, saying, `If thou dost become good to this people, and hast been pleased with them, and spoken unto them good words, then they have been to thee servants all the days.' And he forsaketh the counsel of the aged men that they counselled him, and consulteth with the lads who have grown up with him, those standing before him, and he saith unto them, `What are ye counselling, and we answer this people that have spoken unto me, saying, Make light `somewhat' of the yoke that thy father put upon us?' And the lads who have grown up with him, speak with him, saying, `Thus dost thou say to the people who have spoken unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, and thou, make light `somewhat' of our yoke; thus dost thou say unto them, My little finger is thicker than the loins of my father; and now, my father laid on you a heavy yoke, and I -- I add unto your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, and I -- with scorpions.' And Jeroboam cometh in, and all the people, unto Rehoboam on the third day, as the king spake, saying, `Return unto me on the third day.' And the king answereth them sharply, and king Rehoboam forsaketh the counsel of the aged men, and speaketh unto them according to the counsel of the lads, saying, `My father made your yoke heavy, and I -- I add unto it; my father chastised you with whips, and I -- with scorpions.' And the king hath not hearkened unto the people, for the revolution hath been from God, for the sake of Jehovah's establishing His word that He spake by the hand of Abijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam son of Nebat. And all Israel have seen that the king hath not hearkened to them, and the people send back `to' the king, saying, `What portion have we in David? yea, there is no inheritance in a son of Jesse; each to thy tents, O Israel; now, see thy house -- David,' and all Israel go to their tents. As to the sons of Israel who are dwelling in the cities of Judah -- Rehoboam reigneth over them. And king Rehoboam sendeth Hadoram, who `is' over the tribute, and the sons of Israel cast at him stones, and he dieth; and king Rehoboam hath strengthened himself to go up into a chariot to flee to Jerusalem; and Israel transgress against the house of David unto this day.
And Jacob cometh in to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which `is' in the land of Canaan, in his coming from Padan-Aram, and encampeth before the city, and he buyeth the portion of the field where he hath stretched out his tent, from the hand of the sons of Hamor, father of Shechem, for a hundred kesitah;
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.