Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 12:12
So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
12. So Jeroboam and all the people ] The LXX. here, as in 1Ki 12:3, omits ‘Jeroboam.’
as the king had appointed ] R.V. has ‘as the king bade.’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day,…. Jeroboam came to him at the head of the people, being the head of the faction, and designed for their king:
as the king had appointed, saying, come to me again the third day; see
1Ki 12:5.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
1Ki 12:12-20 AND 2Ch 10:12-19
Kingdom Divided,
Rehoboam gives every indication of being a spoiled play-boy prince, who is used to having his way without rebuke. He was filled with foolish pride, and in so many respects far different from his wise father. In fact, if he had ever read his father’s wisdom, or heard of it, it made little impression on him. So many of the Proverbs could be applied to him, certainly Pro 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Certainly Rehoboam displayed an abundance of pride and haughtiness in conduct of himself before the representative of the northern tribes.
It is all but astounding that Rehoboam, faced with the serious threat of rebellion, should answer with such belligerence. It was practically a dare to them to rebel, and so the northern tribes seemed to consider it. The new king was saying, “You don’t like my father’s taxes, but I’ll raise them; you thought his oppression was severe, but you haven’t seen anything!” The Scriptures say this was that what the Lord had spoken by Ahijah, the prophet, should come to pass. This does not mean that Rehoboam was but a robot in the hand of the Lord, and could not have made any other decision. It does mean that the Lord foresaw from the beginning the answer of Rehoboam and would use it to bring judgment on the house of Solomon. It was, of course, certain to happen, according to the pronouncement through Ahijah, and conformable to the Lord’s foreknowledge.
The elders of the northern tribes immediately announced their renunciation of Rehoboam’s lordship over them. They would have no further allegiance to the house of David nor seek anything from him. He should look to his own house. The Israelites on this occasion revived the ancient slur against David as the “son of Jesse, ” first cast at him by King Saul. Thus David was characterized by them as the son of an insignificant nobody who rebelled against his lord, King Saul. So these tribes returned to their tents and rebelled against the house of David, never to be restored until the end of this age.
Rehoboam continued his kingship over the tribe of Judah, the largest, wealthiest, and most prominent of the twelve. Later the tribe of Benjamin also adhered to the house of David, and the territory of the tribe of Simeon, allotted them in the division of the land fell in the area of the kingdom of Judah. Many think the Simeonites had been disseminated throughout Israel by this time, and no longer existed as a separate entity.
Rehoboam was not content to allow the rupture of the kingdom, and sent Adoram (also called Hadoram and Adoniram) to gather the tribute as usual. He met with malicious opposition. The people took up stones and stoned him to death. Rehoboam finally realized the folly he had created, and filled with alarm, hastily took to his chariot and fled back to Jerusalem lest he fall victim to these aroused Israelites also.The people of the north then called Jeroboam to the congregation and anointed him king over the northern tribes, all of Israel except Judah, though they did not retain Benjamin. The sins of Solomon and Israel had “found them out,” in Rehoboam and the northern rebellion (Num 32:23).
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
B. THE REPLY OF REHOBOAM 12:1213
TRANSLATION
(12) Then Jeroboam and all the people came unto Rehoboam on the third day as the king had spoken, saying, Return unto me on the third day. (13) And the king answered the people harshly, for he had abandoned the counsel which had been proposed by the elders. (14) And he spoke unto them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will discipline you with scorpions. (15) So the king did not hearken unto the people; for it was a turn of events brought about by the LORD, in order to establish His word, which the LORD had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam son of Nebat.
COMMENTS
On the third day Jeroboam and the representatives of the Northern tribes appeared again before Rehoboam as the king had instructed (1Ki. 12:12). Abandoning the course proposed by the elder statesmen, Rehoboam spoke harshly to the petitioners (1Ki. 12:13), repeating verbatim the declaration of his young advisers (1Ki. 12:14). Rehoboams pride is inexcusable and reprehensible. Nevertheless, the Lord used this incident to accomplish His purpose of bringing about a division within the kingdom. God may even use the sinful acts of men to accomplish His will. What happened at Shechem led to the fulfillment of the predictions made by the prophet Ahijah to Jeroboam some two decades earlier (1Ki. 12:15).
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(12) So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. (13) And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him; (14) And 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. (15) 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.
This last verse throws a light upon this whole transaction; the cause was from the Lord! that is, the Lord left him to his own devices; and these were only evil. And Reader! is not this the very case of those who reject the counsel of God against their own souls; and in turning a deaf ear to the blessed truths of the gospel, justly bring down the judgment of condemnation upon themselves. That is a most awful scripture which tells us, that the very same blessed gospel, which to some is the savour of life unto life, becomes to others the savour of death unto death. The same fire which melts wax will harden clay. 2Co 2:15-16 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Ki 12:12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
Ver. 12. Come to me again the third day. ] See 1Ki 12:5 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
as = according as.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the Kingdom Rent in Twain
1Ki 12:12-24
Rehoboam richly deserved his fate. He was forty-one years old, 2Ch 12:13, and ought to have known better. His speech betrayed the despot. He had no right to speak with such arrogant insolence to a great and liberty-loving people. It is only a weak man who boasts of deeds he cannot perform, and there was a rasping flavor in his comparison which indicated the malice of an unregenerate heart. We have heard people speak like this to those whom they counted their inferiors, but all such words are the scattering of thistledown, which will spoil the harvests of their own fields. Learn to speak civilly, or not at all. Insist that young lads and girls keep a civil tongue in their heads. Curses are like boomerangs; they come back on the man that utters them.
Twice over we are told that it was a thing brought about by God- 1Ki 12:15; 1Ki 12:24. Beneath all political changes and revolutions you will find the slow evolving of a divine purpose. God does not instigate sin. This arises from mans abuse of his own free-will. But God will so control the warring wills of men that the plan of His eternal counsel and foreknowledge shall not be interfered with but furthered.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
Come to me again: 1Ki 12:5, 2Ch 10:12-14
Reciprocal: Luk 2:46 – after
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
12:12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had {e} appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
(e) The people declare their obedience in this that they attempted nothing before the king gave them just opportunity.