1 Kings 12 · Verse 1

1 Kings 12:1

And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
1 Kings 12:1, King James Version

1 Kings 12:1 in other translations

BSBThen Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king.
WEBRehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.
ASVAnd Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
YLTAnd Rehoboam goeth to Shechem, for to Shechem hath all Israel come to make him king.
DARBYAnd Rehoboam went to Shechem; for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.
BBEAnd Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had come together to make him king,
WebsterAnd Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

What does 1 Kings 12:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
1Ki 12:1-5. Refusing the Old Men's Counsel. 1. Rehoboam went to Shechem--He was the oldest, and perhaps the only son of Solomon, and had been, doubtless, designated by his father heir to the throne, as Solomon had been by David. The incident here related took place after the funeral obsequies of the late king and the period for public mourning had past. When all Israel came to make him king, it was not to exercise their old right of election (1Sa 10:19-21), for, after God's promise of the perpetual sovereignty to David's posterity, their duty was submission to the authority of the rightful heir; but their object was, when making him king, to renew the conditions and stipulations to which their constitutional kings were subject (1Sa 10:25). To the omission of such rehearsing which, under the peculiar circumstances in which Solomon was made king, they were disposed to ascribe the absolutism of his government. Shechem--This ancient, venerable, and central town was the place of convocation; and it is evident, if not from the appointment of that place, at least from the tenor of their language, and the concerted presence of Jeroboam [1Ki 12:3], that the people were determined on revolt.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

The people go to Shechem to make Rehoboam king, and send for Jeroboam out of Egypt, who with the heads of the tribes, requests relief from the heavy burdens laid on them by Solomon, 1Kgs 12:1-4. He requires three days to consider their petition, 1Kgs 12:5. He rejects the counsel of the elders, who served his father, and follows that of young men, and returns the people a provoking answer, 1Kgs 12:6-15. The people therefore renounce the family of David, stone to death Adoram, who came to receive their tribute, and make Jeroboam king; none cleaving to Rehoboam but the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, 1Kgs 12:16-20. Rehoboam comes to Jerusalem, and assembles all the fighting men of Judah and Benjamin, and finds the number to be one hundred and eighty thousand; and with these he purposes to reduce the men of Israel to his allegiance, but is forbidden by the Prophet Shemaiah, 1Kgs 12:21-24. Jeroboam builds Shechem in Mount Ephraim and Penuel, 1Kgs 12:25. And lest the people should be drawn away from their allegiance to him by going up to Jerusalem to worship, he makes two golden calves, and sets them up, one in Dan, the other in Beth-el, and the people worship them, 1Kgs 12:26-30. He makes priests of the lowest of the people, and establishes the fifteenth day of the eighth month as a feast to his new gods; makes offerings, and burns incense, 1Kgs 12:31-33. Verse 1 Rehoboam went to Shechem - Rehoboam was probably the only son of Solomon; for although he had a thousand wives, he had not the blessing of a numerous offspring; and although he was the wisest of men himself, his son was a poor, unprincipled fool. Had Solomon kept himself within reasonable bounds in matrimonial affairs, he would probably have had more children; and such as would have had common sense enough to discern the delicacy of their situation, and rule according to reason and religion.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Kings 12:1-15
The tribes complained not to Rehoboam of his father's idolatry, and revolt from God. That which was the greatest grievance, was none to them; so careless were they in matters of religion, if they might live at ease, and pay no taxes. Factious spirits will never want something to complain of. And when we see the Scripture account of Solomon's reign; the peace, wealth, and prosperity Israel then enjoyed; we cannot doubt but that their charges were false, or far beyond the truth. Rehoboam answered the people according to the counsel of the young men. Never was man more blinded by pride, and desire of arbitrary power, than which nothing is more fatal. 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. God serves his own wise and righteous purposes by the imprudences and sins of men. Those that lose the kingdom of heaven, throw it away, as Rehoboam, by wilfulness and folly.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

1 Kings 12:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֵּ֥לֶךְvai.Ye.lekhand he wentH1980
רְחַבְעָ֖םre.chav.'AmRehoboamH7346
שְׁכֶ֑םshe.KhemShechemH7927
כִּ֥יkiforH3588
שְׁכֶ֛םshe.KhemShechemH7927
בָּ֥אba'it had goneH935
כָל\־khol-allH3605
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
לְהַמְלִ֥יךְle.ham.Likhto make kingH4427
אֹתֽוֹ\׃'o.To<obj.> himH853

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Kings 12:1

  • Judges 9:6

    And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.

  • 2 Chronicles 10:1-19

    And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee. …

  • Judges 9:1

    And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,

  • Genesis 33:18-19

    And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan–aram; and pitched his tent before the city. And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for an hundred pieces of money.

  • Joshua 24:32

    And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.

  • Joshua 20:7

    And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath–arba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.

  • Genesis 12:6

    And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

  • Joshua 24:1

    And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.

  • 1 Kings 11:43

    And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

  • Psalms 60:6

    God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.

  • Acts 7:16

    And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 The Israelites, assembled at Shechem to crown Rehoboam, by Jeroboam make a suit of relaxation unto him.
6 Rehoboam, refusing the old men's counsel, answers them roughly.
16 Ten tribes revolting, kill Adoram, and make Rehoboam flee.
21 Rehoboam, raising an army, is forbidden by Shemaiah.
25 Jeroboam strengthens himself by cities;
26 and by the idolatry of the two calves.

Rehoboam.
11:43; 2Ch 10:1-19
Shechem.
Ge 12:6
Sichem.
Ge 33:18,19; Jos 20:7; 24:1,32; Jud 9:1; Ps 60:6; Ac 7:16
Sychem.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Kings 12:1

    And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.

  • 1 Kings 12:2

    And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)

Read all of 1 Kings 12

1 Kings 12:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y FUÉ Roboam á Sichêm; porque todo Israel había venido á Sichêm para hacerlo rey.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		*Et Roboam alla à Sichem, car tout Israël était venu à Sichem pour le faire roi.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Rehabeam ging nach Sichem; denn ganz Israel war nach Sichem gekommen, um ihn zum König zu machen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Venit autem Roboam in Sichem: illuc enim congregatus erat omnis Israël ad constituendum eum regem.