1 Kings 12

King James Version

Full text for 1 Kings Chapter 12

1¶ And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.

2And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard [of it], (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)

3That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,

4Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.

5And he said unto them, Depart yet [for] three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.

6And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?

7And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.

8But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, [and] which stood before him:

9And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?

10And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou [it] lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little [finger] shall be thicker than my father's loins.

11And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.

13And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;

14And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father [also] chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

15Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16¶ So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither [have we] inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

17But [as for] the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

18Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who [was] over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

19So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

20And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

21And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

22But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

23Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,

24Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.

25¶ Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.

26And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:

27If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, [even] unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.

28Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves [of] gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

29And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.

30And this thing became a sin: for the people went [to worship] before the one, [even] unto Dan.

31And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.

32And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that [is] in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.

33So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, [even] in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Upon Solomon's death, Rehoboam went to Shechem to be crowned king, where the tribes of Israel, led by Jeroboam, requested a lighter burden. Rejecting the counsel of elders for the harsh advice of young men, Rehoboam declared he would increase their burdens. This decision, divinely ordained, led to the rebellion of ten tribes, who made Jeroboam their king, leaving only Judah loyal to Rehoboam. Jeroboam then established idolatrous worship with golden calves to secure his new kingdom.

Medium Summary

Rehoboam travelled to Shechem for his coronation, where the people of Israel, represented by Jeroboam, appealed for relief from the heavy taxation and labor imposed by King Solomon. Rehoboam sought counsel, first from experienced elders who advised a conciliatory approach, then from his younger peers who advocated a severe response. Disregarding the elders' wisdom, Rehoboam harshly declared he would intensify their burdens, stating his rule would be more oppressive than his father's. This unyielding stance, which the text attributes to the LORD's design to fulfill prophecy, prompted the immediate secession of ten tribes. They stoned Rehoboam's tribute collector, forcing him to flee, and subsequently made Jeroboam king over Israel. Although Rehoboam gathered an army to reclaim the kingdom, God intervened through the prophet Shemaiah, forbidding the conflict. Jeroboam, fearing his people would return to Jerusalem for worship and thus to Rehoboam, established golden calves in Bethel and Dan, instituting a new, idolatrous religious system for Israel.

Long Summary

Following the death of King Solomon, his son Rehoboam journeyed to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king. Jeroboam, who had previously fled from Solomon to Egypt, was summoned by the people to represent their grievances. The congregation of Israel appealed to Rehoboam, requesting that he lighten the severe service and heavy yoke imposed by his father. Rehoboam asked for three days to consider their petition. He first consulted the old men who had served his father, who advised him to speak kindly and serve the people, promising their perpetual loyalty. However, Rehoboam disregarded their prudent counsel and instead sought advice from the young men with whom he had grown up. These younger advisors urged him to respond with severity, declaring that his little finger would be thicker than his father's loins, and that he would add to their yoke, chastising them with scorpions instead of whips. On the third day, Rehoboam answered the people roughly, adopting the harsh counsel of the young men. This decisive moment was divinely orchestrated, as the text states it was from the LORD to fulfill the prophecy spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam. Witnessing the king's unyielding stance, the tribes of Israel renounced their allegiance to the house of David, proclaiming, "What portion have we in David?" They then departed to their tents, effectively seceding. Rehoboam retained dominion only over the children of Israel dwelling in the cities of Judah. When Rehoboam sent Adoram, his officer over the tribute, to them, all Israel stoned him to death, forcing Rehoboam to flee swiftly to Jerusalem. Thus, Israel rebelled against the house of David. Upon Jeroboam's return, all Israel made him king over them, with only the tribe of Judah (and Benjamin, as later specified) remaining loyal to the Davidic line. Rehoboam then assembled a vast army of Judah and Benjamin to reclaim the kingdom, but the word of the LORD came through the prophet Shemaiah, forbidding them to fight against their brethren, declaring the division was God's doing. The army obeyed the divine command and returned home. Jeroboam, now king of Israel, built Shechem and Penuel. Fearing that if his people continued to go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, their hearts would return to Rehoboam, he devised a new religious system. He made two golden calves, placing one in Bethel and the other in Dan, instructing the people that these were their gods who brought them out of Egypt. He also established houses of high places and appointed priests from among the common people, who were not of the Levitical tribe. Furthermore, Jeroboam ordained a new feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day, similar to the feast in Judah, and offered sacrifices upon the altars he had made to the calves, leading Israel into widespread sin.

Core Concepts

  • The Divided KingdomThis chapter details the pivotal event of the unified kingdom of Israel splitting into two distinct entities: the northern kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam and the southern kingdom of Judah under Rehoboam. This division is a direct consequence of Rehoboam's oppressive response and God's sovereign will.
  • Rehoboam's FollyRehoboam's critical error was rejecting the wise, conciliatory advice of the elders in favor of the aggressive, prideful counsel of his young peers. This poor judgment directly precipitated the rebellion and the division of the kingdom.
  • Divine SovereigntyThe narrative explicitly states that the division of the kingdom was "from the LORD," fulfilling the prophecy spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam. This highlights God's overarching control over historical events and human actions.
  • Jeroboam's IdolatryJeroboam established golden calves in Bethel and Dan as alternative worship sites, along with non-Levitical priests and a self-devised feast. This act of religious innovation was a strategic move to secure his kingdom but became a significant sin for Israel.
  • The Yoke of BurdenThis is a recurring metaphor used by the people to describe the heavy taxation and labor imposed by Solomon, which they sought to have lightened. Rehoboam's response of making the "yoke" even heavier symbolizes his oppressive rule.
  • Prophetic FulfillmentThe chapter directly links the division of the kingdom to the fulfillment of God's word spoken through the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite. This emphasizes the reliability and execution of divine prophecy.
  • Obedience to God's WordWhen Rehoboam gathered an army to fight Israel, God intervened through Shemaiah, forbidding the conflict. Rehoboam and his army hearkened to the word of the LORD, demonstrating obedience despite their martial intentions.