13 And the king H4428 answered H6030 the people H5971 roughly, H7186 and forsook H5800 the old men's H2205 counsel H6098 that they gave H3289 him;
But G1161 the wisdom G4678 that is from above G509 is G2076 first G4412 pure, G3303 G53 then G1899 peaceable, G1516 gentle, G1933 and easy to be intreated, G2138 full G3324 of mercy G1656 and G2532 good G18 fruits, G2590 without partiality, G87 and G2532 without hypocrisy. G505
And the men H376 of Israel H3478 answered H6030 the men H376 of Judah, H3063 and said, H559 We have ten H6235 parts H3027 in the king, H4428 and we H589 have also more right in David H1732 than ye: why then did ye despise H7043 us, that our advice H1697 should not be first H7223 had in bringing back H7725 our king? H4428 And the words H1697 of the men H376 of Judah H3063 were fiercer H7185 than the words H1697 of the men H376 of Israel. H3478
The poor H7326 useth H1696 intreaties; H8469 but the rich H6223 answereth H6030 roughly. H5794
The lips H8193 of the righteous H6662 know H3045 what is acceptable: H7522 but the mouth H6310 of the wicked H7563 speaketh frowardness. H8419
The mouth H6310 of a righteous H6662 man is a well H4726 of life: H2416 but violence H2555 covereth H3680 the mouth H6310 of the wicked. H7563
Yet I will send H7971 my servants H5650 unto thee to morrow H4279 about this time, H6256 and they shall search H2664 thine house, H1004 and the houses H1004 of thy servants; H5650 and it shall be, H1961 that whatsoever is pleasant H4261 in thine eyes, H5869 they shall put H7760 it in their hand, H3027 and take it away. H3947 Then the king H4428 of Israel H3478 called H7121 all the elders H2205 of the land, H776 and said, H559 Mark, H3045 I pray you, and see H7200 how this man seeketh H1245 mischief: H7451 for he sent H7971 unto me for my wives, H802 and for my children, H1121 and for my silver, H3701 and for my gold; H2091 and I denied H4513 him not. And all the elders H2205 and all the people H5971 said H559 unto him, Hearken H8085 not unto him, nor consent. H14 Wherefore he said H559 unto the messengers H4397 of Benhadad, H1130 Tell H559 my lord H113 the king, H4428 All that thou didst send H7971 for to thy servant H5650 at the first H7223 I will do: H6213 but this thing H1697 I may H3201 not do. H6213 And the messengers H4397 departed, H3212 and brought H7725 him word H1697 again. H7725 And Benhadad H1130 sent H7971 unto him, and said, H559 The gods H430 do so H6213 unto me, and more also, H3254 if the dust H6083 of Samaria H8111 shall suffice H5606 for handfuls H8168 for all the people H5971 that follow H7272 me. And the king H4428 of Israel H3478 answered H6030 and said, H559 Tell H1696 him, Let not him that girdeth H2296 on his harness boast H1984 himself as he that putteth it off. H6605
But Abram H87 said H559 unto Sarai, H8297 Behold, thy maid H8198 is in thy hand; H3027 do H6213 to her as it pleaseth thee. H2896 H5869 And when Sarai H8297 dealt hardly with H6031 her, she fled H1272 from her face. H6440
And Nabal H5037 answered H6030 David's H1732 servants, H5650 and said, H559 Who is David? H1732 and who is the son H1121 of Jesse? H3448 there be many H7231 servants H5650 now a days H3117 that break away H6555 every man H376 from H6440 his master. H113 Shall I then take H3947 my bread, H3899 and my water, H4325 and my flesh H2878 that I have killed H2873 for my shearers, H1494 and give H5414 it unto men, H582 whom I know H3045 not whence they be?
Then Saul's H7586 anger H639 was kindled H2734 against Jonathan, H3083 and he said H559 unto him, Thou son H1121 of the perverse H5753 rebellious H4780 woman, do not I know H3045 that thou hast chosen H977 the son H1121 of Jesse H3448 to thine own confusion, H1322 and unto the confusion H1322 of thy mother's H517 nakedness? H6172 For as long as H3117 the son H1121 of Jesse H3448 liveth H2425 upon the ground, H127 thou shalt not be established, H3559 nor thy kingdom. H4438 Wherefore now send H7971 and fetch H3947 him unto me, for he shall surely die. H1121 H4194
Then said H559 David H1732 to Jonathan, H3083 Who shall tell H5046 me? or what if thy father H1 answer H6030 thee roughly? H7186
And the men H376 of Ephraim H669 gathered themselves together, H6817 and went H5674 northward, H6828 and said H559 unto Jephthah, H3316 Wherefore passedst thou over H5674 to fight H3898 against the children H1121 of Ammon, H5983 and didst not call H7121 us to go H3212 with thee? we will burn H8313 thine house H1004 upon thee with fire. H784 And Jephthah H3316 said H559 unto them, I and my people H5971 were H1961 at great H3966 strife H376 H7379 with the children H1121 of Ammon; H5983 and when I called H2199 you, ye delivered H3467 me not out of their hands. H3027 And when I saw H7200 that ye delivered H3467 me not, I put H7760 my life H5315 in my hands, H3709 and passed over H5674 against the children H1121 of Ammon, H5983 and the LORD H3068 delivered H5414 them into my hand: H3027 wherefore then are ye come up H5927 unto me this day, H3117 to fight H3898 against me? Then Jephthah H3316 gathered together H6908 all the men H582 of Gilead, H1568 and fought H3898 with Ephraim: H669 and the men H582 of Gilead H1568 smote H5221 Ephraim, H669 because they said, H559 Ye Gileadites H1568 are fugitives H6412 of Ephraim H669 among H8432 the Ephraimites, H669 and among H8432 the Manassites. H4519 And the Gileadites H1568 took H3920 the passages H4569 of Jordan H3383 before the Ephraimites: H669 and it was so, that when those Ephraimites H669 which were escaped H6412 said, H559 Let me go over; H5674 that the men H582 of Gilead H1568 said H559 unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? H673 If he said, H559 Nay; Then said H559 they unto him, Say H559 now Shibboleth: H7641 and he said H559 Sibboleth: H5451 for he could not frame H3559 to pronounce H1696 it right. H3559 Then they took H270 him, and slew H7819 him at the passages H4569 of Jordan: H3383 and there fell H5307 at that time H6256 of the Ephraimites H669 forty H705 and two H8147 thousand. H505
And Pharaoh H6547 said, H559 Who is the LORD, H3068 that I should obey H8085 his voice H6963 to let Israel H3478 go? H7971 I know H3045 not the LORD, H3068 neither will I let Israel H3478 go. H7971
The man, H376 who is the lord H113 of the land, H776 spake H1696 roughly H7186 to us, and took H5414 us for spies H7270 of the country. H776
And Joseph H3130 saw H7200 his brethren, H251 and he knew H5234 them, but made himself strange H5234 unto them, and spake H1696 roughly H7186 unto them; and he said H559 unto them, Whence H370 come H935 ye? And they said, H559 From the land H776 of Canaan H3667 to buy H7666 food. H400
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Kings 12
Commentary on 1 Kings 12 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 12
The glory of the kingdom of Israel was in its height and perfection in Solomon; it was long in coming to it, but it soon declined, and began to sink and wither in the very next reign, as we find in this chapter, where we have the kingdom divided, and thereby weakened and made little in comparison with what it had been. Here is,
1Ki 12:1-15
Solomon had 1000 wives and concubines, yet we read but of one son he had to bear up his name, and he a fool. It is said (Hos. 4:10), They shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase. Sin is a bad way of building up a family. Rehoboam was the son of the wisest of men, yet did not inherit his father's wisdom, and then it stood him in little stead to inherit his father's throne. Neither wisdom nor grace runs in the blood. Solomon came to the crown very young, yet he was then a wise man. Rehoboam came to the crown at forty years old, when men will be wise if ever they will, yet he was then foolish. Wisdom does not go by age, nor is it the multitude of years nor the advantage of education that reaches it. Solomon's court was a mart of wisdom and the rendezvous of learned men, and Rehoboam was the darling of the court; and yet all was not sufficient to make him a wise man. The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. No dispute is made of Rehoboam's succession; upon the death of his father, he was immediately proclaimed. But,
1Ki 12:16-24
We have here the rending of the kingdom of the ten tribes from the house of David, to effect which,
1Ki 12:25-33
We have here the beginning of the reign of Jeroboam. He built Shechem first and then Penuel-beautified and fortified them, and probably had a palace in each of them for himself (v. 25), the former in Ephraim, the latter in Gad, on the other side Jordan. This might be proper; but he formed another project for the establishing of his kingdom which was fatal to the interests of religion in it.