1 Kings 12:15
in 1 Kings 12So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word He had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
So the king hearkened not unto the people; for it was a thing brought about of Jehovah, that he might establish his word, which Jehovah spake by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
KJV
Wherefore 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.
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This verse in 1 Kings 12
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The cause was from the Lord - i. e., “the turn of events was from the Lord.” Human passions, anger, pride, and insolence, worked out the accomplishment of the divine designs. Without interfering with man’s free will, God guides the course of events, and accomplishes His purposes.
This site's exposition
the cause was from the Lord
The narrator interrupts the political story to name its true cause: the king's stubbornness serves a word already spoken, that the Lord had told Ahijah the Shilonite to give ten tribes to Jeroboam and one to David's house for David's servant's sake and for Jerusalem's sake. Rehoboam's pride and the young men's folly are real and are never excused by this verse, yet they are also the means by which a promise made a chapter earlier reaches the ground. Albert Barnes states the balance plainly: without interfering with man's free will, God guides the course of events and accomplishes his purposes.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Who can help but tremble at the thought of these judgments of God whereby he accomplishes whatever he pleases even in the hearts of wicked people, while yet rendering to each according to his merits? Solomon's son, Rehoboam, rejected the salutary counsel of the elders, not to deal harshly with the people, and yielded to the words of men of his own age by replying with threats to those who should have been given a gentle reply. And how did this come about, except by his own will? But as a result of it, the ten tribes of Israel withdrew from him and set up for themselves another king, Jeroboam, that the will of God, who had been angered, might be accomplished, as he had also foretold that it would come to pass. For what does the Scripture say? "And the king condescended not to the people, for the Lord was turned away from him to make good his word, which he had spoken though Ahias, the Silonite, to Jeroboam the son of Nabat." All this was certainly done by human will, but in such a way that the "turning way" came from the Lord.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Never, surely, was man so blinded by pride and affectation of arbitrary power, than which nothing is more fatal. How God's counsels were hereby fulfilled.
He left Rehoboam to his own folly, and hid from his eyes the things which belonged to his peace, that the kingdom might be rent from him. Note, God serves his own wise and righteous purposes by the imprudences and iniquities of men, and snares sinners in the work of their own hands.
Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It was received with mingled scorn and derision. The revolt was accomplished, and yet so quietly, that Rehoboam remained in Shechem, fancying himself the sovereign of a united kingdom, until his chief tax gatherer, who had been most imprudently sent to treat with the people, had been stoned to death.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The cause was from the Lord - God left him to himself, and did not incline his heart to follow the counsel of the wise men. This is making the best of our present version; but if we come to inquire into the meaning of the Cause of all this confusion and anarchy, we shall find it was Rehoboam’s folly, cruelty, and despotic tyranny: and was this from the Lord? But does the text speak this bad doctrine? No: it says סבה sibbah, the Revolution, was from the Lord. This is consistent with all the declarations which went before. God stirred up the people to revolt from a man who had neither skill nor humanity to govern them. We had such a סבה revolution in these nations in 1688; and, thank God, we have never since needed another. None of our ancient translations understood the word as our present version does: they have it either the Turning Away was from the Lord, or it was the Lord’s Ordinance; viz., that they should turn away from this foolish king.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Look after your house. The Beis Hamikdosh that you built, will be for you alone. 2 Alternatively, “see who is left with you,” and rule over them, for you will not reign over Yisroel as a whole.—Radak
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 7 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שָׁמַ֥ע | shama' | he listened | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָעָ֑ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הָיְתָ֤ה | hayetah | it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| סִבָּה֙ | sibah | a turn | H5438 → | |
| מֵעִ֣ם | meim | from with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לְמַ֜עַן | lemaan | so as | H4616 → | 272 times |
| הָקִ֣ים | hakim | to establish | H6965 → | 628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דְּבָר֗וֹ | devaro | word his | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דִּבֶּ֤ר | diber | he had spoken | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בְּיַד֙ | beyad | by [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אֲחִיָּ֣ה | ʾachiyah | Ahijah | H281 → | 24 times |
| הַשִּׁילֹנִ֔י | hashiloni | <the> Shilonite | H7888 → | 6 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יָרָבְעָ֖ם | yaraveam | Jeroboam | H3379 → | 104 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| נְבָֽט׃ | nevat | Nebat | H5028 → | 25 times |
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
שָׁמַ֥עhe listened
shama'H8085 →1159 times
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָעָ֑םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
הָיְתָ֤הit was
hayetahH1961 →3559 times
סִבָּה֙a turn
sibahH5438 →
מֵעִ֣םfrom with
meimH5973 →1050 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לְמַ֜עַןso as
lemaanH4616 →272 times
הָקִ֣יםto establish
hakimH6965 →628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דְּבָר֗וֹword his
devaroH1697 →1440 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
דִּבֶּ֤רhe had spoken
diberH1696 →1141 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בְּיַד֙by [the] hand of
beyadH3027 →1618 times
אֲחִיָּ֣הAhijah
ʾachiyahH281 →24 times
הַשִּׁילֹנִ֔י<the> Shilonite
hashiloniH7888 →6 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יָרָבְעָ֖םJeroboam
yaraveamH3379 →104 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
נְבָֽט׃Nebat
nevatH5028 →25 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Judges 14:4(Now his father and mother did not know this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.)
it leads to
- Joshua 11:20
For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be set apart for destruction and would receive no mercy, being annihilated as the LORD…
- Psalms 115:3
Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.
- Judges 13:1
Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD, so He delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
- Joshua 11:20
Through
Deuteronomy 2:30But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as…
it leads to
- Numbers 21:23
But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. Instead, he gathered his whole army and went out to confront Israel in the wilderness. When he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel.
- Exodus 4:21
The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that…
- Exodus 11:10
Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would not let the Israelites go out of his land.
- Romans 9:17–23
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
- Joshua 11:19–20
No city made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites living in Gibeon; all others were taken in battle.
- Numbers 21:23
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Kings
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Augustine of Hippo, ON GRACE AND FREE WILL 21.42; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.