1 Kings 11:31
in 1 Kings 11and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give you ten tribes.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces; for thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee
KJV
And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:
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This verse in 1 Kings 11
Commentary
9 notes on this verseIn the Gospel there is a proof of this mystery of unity, this inseparable bond of harmony, when the coat of the Lord Jesus Christ is not cut or rent at all. The garment is received whole and the coat taken into possession unspoiled and undivided by those who cast lots for Christ's garment, asking who should put on Christ. Holy Scripture says of this, "But for the coat, because it was not sewn but woven from the top throughout, they said to each other: Let us not rend it but casts lots for it, whose it shall be."
This site's exposition
the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met Jeroboam on the road
on 1 Kings 11:29-31
Ahijah wraps himself “in a new cloak”, tears it “into twelve pieces” and says “Take ten pieces for yourself”, acting the sign before explaining it. The scene reverses 1 Samuel 15:27-28, where Saul tore Samuel's mantle and the prophet read the tear as the kingdom torn from Saul.
This site's exposition
Take ten pieces for yourself
Adam Clarke reads the ten pieces as the tribes that would form the northern kingdom of Israel, later ruled from Samaria. Matthew Henry ties the gift to Solomon's sin alone. Ishodad of Merv saw mercy in it, a kingdom offered even to a man God knew would turn wicked.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
Here God's mercy is absolutely evident. Even though he knew how wicked Jeroboam was, [God] appoints him king in order to show that, as far as it depends on him, his gifts are never denied but showered on everyone. Humans themselves, however, refuse them deliberately.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
(2.) He tells him the reason; not for his good character or deserts, but for the chastising of Solomon's apostasy: "Because he, and his family, and many of his people with him, have forsaken me, and worshipped other gods, "
It is not certain whether the garment was Jeroboam's, as is commonly taken for granted, or Ahijah's, which is more probable: He (that is, the prophet) had clad himself with a new garment, on purpose that he might with it give him a sign. The rending of the kingdom from Saul was signified by the rending of Samuel's mantle, not Saul's, 1 Sam. xv.
And he said to Jeroboam, take thee ten pieces,.... Of the twelve, an emblem of the ten tribes he was to have: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon; that is, out of his family: and will give ten tribes unto thee; to rule over.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Take thee ten pieces - The garment was the symbol of the kingdom of Israel; the twelve pieces the symbol of the twelve tribes; the ten pieces given to Jeroboam, of the ten tribes which should be given to him, and afterwards form the kingdom of Israel, ruling in Samaria, to distinguish it from the kingdom of Judah, ruling in Jerusalem.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
He was a young man of talent and energy, who, having been appointed by Solomon superintendent of the engineering works projected around Jerusalem, had risen into public notice, and on being informed by a very significant act of the prophet Ahijah of the royal destiny which, by divine appointment, awaited him, his mind took a new turn.
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לְיָֽרָבְעָ֔ם | leyaraveam | to Jeroboam | H3379 → | 104 times |
| קַח־ | kach- | take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| לְךָ֖ | lekha | for yourself | ||
| עֲשָׂרָ֣ה | ʾasarah | ten | H6235 → | 176 times |
| קְרָעִ֑ים | keraim | pieces | H7168 → | |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| כֹה֩ | khoh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֨ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| הִנְנִ֨י | hini | here I | H2005 → | 316 times |
| קֹרֵ֤עַ | korea' | [am] about to tear | H7167 → | 63 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמַּמְלָכָה֙ | hamamlakhah | the kingdom | H4467 → | 117 times |
| מִיַּ֣ד | miyad | from [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| וְנָתַתִּ֣י | venatati | and I will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לְךָ֔ | lekha | to you | ||
| אֵ֖ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֲשָׂרָ֥ה | ʾasarah | ten | H6235 → | 176 times |
| הַשְּׁבָטִֽים׃ | hashevatim | the tribes | H7626 → | 190 times |
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לְיָֽרָבְעָ֔םto Jeroboam
leyaraveamH3379 →104 times
קַח־take
kach-H3947 →966 times
לְךָ֖for yourself
lekha
עֲשָׂרָ֣הten
ʾasarahH6235 →176 times
קְרָעִ֑יםpieces
keraimH7168 →
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
כֹה֩thus
khohH3541 →577 times
אָמַ֨רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
הִנְנִ֨יhere I
hiniH2005 →316 times
קֹרֵ֤עַ[am] about to tear
korea'H7167 →63 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמַּמְלָכָה֙the kingdom
hamamlakhahH4467 →117 times
מִיַּ֣דfrom [the] hand of
miyadH3027 →1618 times
שְׁלֹמֹ֔הSolomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
וְנָתַתִּ֣יand I will give
venatatiH5414 →2011 times
לְךָ֔to you
lekha
אֵ֖ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
עֲשָׂרָ֥הten
ʾasarahH6235 →176 times
הַשְּׁבָטִֽים׃the tribes
hashevatimH7626 →190 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
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Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Cyprian, Treatise I. On the Unity of the Church 7; Ishodad of Merv, BOOKS OF SESSIONS 1 KINGS 11:31; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.