1 Kings 12:21
in 1 Kings 12And when Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the whole house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—to fight against the house of Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, that were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
KJV
And 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.
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This verse in 1 Kings 12
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAnd when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, From Shechem, which was forty miles (n) from 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; which not only shows courage reassumed by Rehoboam, now safely home, but the hearty attachment of Judah and Benjamin to him, who raised presently so numerous an army in his favour; and had it not been that the Lord was against their going to battle with Israel, in all probability they might have gained their point, Jeroboam being scarcely settled in his kingdom, and having no forces raised. (n) Reland.
This site's exposition
180,000 chosen warriors
on 1 Kings 12:21-24
Rehoboam raises 180,000 warriors from Judah and Benjamin to win back the ten tribes. Shemaiah the man of God stops him with the word announced at verse 15: “You are not to go up and fight against your brothers”. Rehoboam obeys, and the army turns for home without a battle.
This site's exposition
he mobilized the whole house of Judah
Rehoboam comes home and raises 180,000 chosen warriors from Judah and Benjamin to fight the house of Israel. Albert Barnes finds Benjamin's place beside Judah a surprise, because by blood and old tradition the tribe stood closer to Ephraim. He dates the change to the half century after Sheba's revolt.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
It as more brave in Rehoboam to desist when God, by a prophet, ordered him to lay down his arms. He would not lose a kingdom tamely, for then he would have been unworthy the title of a prince; and yet he would not contend for it in opposition to God, for then he would have been unworthy the title of an Israelite.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The adhesion of Benjamin to Judah at this time comes upon us as a surprise. By blood Benjamin was far more closely connected with Ephraim than with Judah. All the traditions of Benjamin were antagonistic to Judah, and hitherto the weak tribe had been accustomed to lean constantly on its strong northern neighhour. But it would seem that, in the half-century which had elapsed since the revolt of Sheba, the son of Bichri 2Sa 20:1, the feelings of the Benjamites had undergone a complete change.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Rehoboam determined to assert his authority by leading a large force into the disaffected provinces. But the revolt of the ten tribes was completed when the prophet Shemaiah ordered, in the Lord's name, an abandonment of any hostile measures against the revolutionists. The army, overawed by the divine prohibition, dispersed, and the king was obliged to submit.
The words behind it
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹ֣א | vaiyavou' | and he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| רְחַבְעָם֮ | rechavam | Rehoboam | H7346 → | 50 times |
| יְרוּשָׁלִַם֒ | yerushalim | Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| וַיַּקְהֵל֩ | vaiyakhel | and he called together | H6950 → | 39 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בֵּ֨ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְהוּדָ֜ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שֵׁ֣בֶט | shevet | [the] tribe of | H7626 → | 190 times |
| בִּנְיָמִ֗ן | binyamin | Benjamin | H1144 → | 166 times |
| מֵאָ֨ה | meah | one hundred | H3967 → | 581 times |
| וּשְׁמֹנִ֥ים | ushemonim | and eighty | H8084 → | 38 times |
| אֶ֛לֶף | ʾelef | thousand | H505 → | 505 times |
| בָּח֖וּר | bachur | chosen [man] | H977 → | 171 times |
| עֹשֵׂ֣ה | ʾoseh | maker[s] of | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| מִלְחָמָ֑ה | milchamah | war | H4421 → | 320 times |
| לְהִלָּחֵם֙ | lehilachem | to do battle | H3898 → | 177 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לְהָשִׁיב֙ | lehashiv | to restore | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמְּלוּכָ֔ה | hamelukhah | the kingship | H4410 → | 24 times |
| לִרְחַבְעָ֖ם | lirchavam | to Rehoboam | H7346 → | 50 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| שְׁלֹמֹֽה׃ פ | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
וַיָּבֹ֣אand he came
vaiyavou'H935 →2568 times
רְחַבְעָם֮Rehoboam
rechavamH7346 →50 times
יְרוּשָׁלִַם֒Jerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
וַיַּקְהֵל֩and he called together
vaiyakhelH6950 →39 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
בֵּ֨ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
יְהוּדָ֜הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
שֵׁ֣בֶט[the] tribe of
shevetH7626 →190 times
בִּנְיָמִ֗ןBenjamin
binyaminH1144 →166 times
מֵאָ֨הone hundred
meahH3967 →581 times
וּשְׁמֹנִ֥יםand eighty
ushemonimH8084 →38 times
אֶ֛לֶףthousand
ʾelefH505 →505 times
בָּח֖וּרchosen [man]
bachurH977 →171 times
עֹשֵׂ֣הmaker[s] of
ʾosehH6213 →2628 times
מִלְחָמָ֑הwar
milchamahH4421 →320 times
לְהִלָּחֵם֙to do battle
lehilachemH3898 →177 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
בֵּ֣ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לְהָשִׁיב֙to restore
lehashivH7725 →1056 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמְּלוּכָ֔הthe kingship
hamelukhahH4410 →24 times
לִרְחַבְעָ֖םto Rehoboam
lirchavamH7346 →50 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
שְׁלֹמֹֽה׃ פSolomon
shelomohH8010 →291 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
2 Chronicles 14:11Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 1:19
They will fight against you but will never overcome you, since I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
- 2 Corinthians 12:9–10
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of…
- Psalms 22:5
They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed.
- Psalms 20:7
Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Jeremiah 1:19
Through
2 Chronicles 14:8Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin bearing small shields and drawing the bow. All these were mighty men of valor.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 13:3
Abijah went into battle with an army of 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in formation against him with 800,000 chosen and mighty men of valor.
- 2 Chronicles 25:5
Then Amaziah gathered the people of Judah and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and of hundreds. And he numbered those twenty years of age or older throughout Judah and…
- 2 Chronicles 17:14–19
These are their numbers according to the houses of their fathers: From Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, and with him 300,000 mighty men of valor;
- 2 Chronicles 13:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies9
On this verse
On this chapter
About 1 Kings

Who and where
4 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PersonSolomonDavid's son and the third king of Israel; the temple-builder and wisdom-king, to whom Psalms 72 and 127 are ascribed.
- PersonDivided kingdomRehoboamSolomon's son whose refusal of the elders' counsel at Shechem — answering the people with scorpions — tore ten tribes from the hou…
- PlaceJerusalemJerusalemThe city David took from the Jebusites and made his capital, where Solomon built the temple, where Christ was crucified and rose,…
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
