1 Kings 12 · Verse 15

1 Kings 12:15

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.
1 Kings 12:15, King James Version

1 Kings 12:15 in other translations

BSBSo 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.
WEBSo the king didn’t listen to the people; for it was a thing brought about from the LORD, that he might establish his word, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
ASVSo 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.
YLTand the king hearkened not unto the people, for the revolution was from Jehovah, in order to establish His word that Jehovah spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam son of Nebat.
DARBYSo the king hearkened not to the people; for it was brought about by Jehovah, that he might give effect to his word, which Jehovah spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
BBESo the king did not give ear to the people; and this came about by the purpose of the Lord, so that what he had said by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam, son of Nebat, might be effected.
WebsterWherefore the king hearkened not to the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

What does 1 Kings 12:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 12:15-18
15-18. the king hearkened not unto the people, for the cause was from the Lord--That was the overruling cause. Rehoboam's weakness (Ec 2:18, 19) and inexperience in public affairs has given rise to the probable conjecture, that, like many other princes in the East, he had been kept secluded in the harem till the period of his accession (Ec 4:14), his father being either afraid of his aspiring to the sovereignty, like the two sons of David, or, which is more probable, afraid of prematurely exposing his imbecility. The king's haughty and violent answer to a people already filled with a spirit of discontent and exasperation, indicated so great an incapacity to appreciate the gravity of the crisis, so utter a want of common sense, as to create a belief that he was struck with judicial blindness. 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. This opened his eyes, and he fled for security to Jerusalem. 1Ki 12:20-33. Jeroboam Made King over Them.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 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.

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…

Read the full comment on 1 Kings 12:1-15 →

1 Kings 12:15 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.

וְלֹֽא\־ve.lo'-and notH3808
שָׁמַ֥עsha.Ma'he listenedH8085
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הָעָ֑םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
הָיְתָ֤הha.ye.Tahit wasH1961
סִבָּה֙si.Baha turnH5438
מֵעִ֣םme.'Imfrom withH5973
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
לְמַ֜עַןle.Ma.'anso asH4616
הָקִ֣יםha.Kimto establishH6965
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
דְּבָר֗וֹde.va.Roword hisH1697
אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherwhichH834
דִּבֶּ֤רdi.Berhe had spokenH1696
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068
בְּיַד֙be.Yadby [the] hand ofH3027
אֲחִיָּ֣ה'a.chi.YahAhijahH281
הַשִּׁילֹנִ֔יha.shi.lo.Ni<the> ShiloniteH7888
אֶל\־'el-toH413
יָרָבְעָ֖םya.ra.ve.'AmJeroboamH3379
בֶּן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121
נְבָֽט\׃ne.VatNebatH5028

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

Cross references for 1 Kings 12:15

  • Judges 14:4

    But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

  • 1 Kings 12:24

    Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the Lord, and returned to depart, according to the word of the Lord.

  • 1 Kings 11:29-38

    And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field: And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces: And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:) …

  • 2 Chronicles 25:20

    But Amaziah would not hear; for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom.

  • Deuteronomy 2:30

    But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the Lord thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day.

  • 1 Kings 11:11

    Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

  • 2 Chronicles 10:15

    So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the Lord might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

  • 2 Chronicles 22:7

    And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

  • 2 Samuel 17:14

    And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom.

  • Acts 2:23

    Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

  • Amos 3:6

    Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?

  • 1 Kings 22:23

    Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the cause.The cause of all this confusion and anarchy was Rehoboam's folly, cruelty, and despotic tyranny, and this was certainly not "from the Lord," nor does the original text speak this doctrine. See an elucidation of a similar passage at 2 Sa 24:1. It says, {sibbah,} (from {savav,} to turn, change,) "the change or Revolution was from the Lord;" which is consistent with all the preceding declarations. God stirred up the people to revolt from a man who had neither skill nor humanity to govern them. God serves his own wise and righteous purpose by the imprudences and iniquities of men, and snares sinners in the work of their own hands. "He maketh the wrath of man to praise him."
24; 22:23; De 2:30; Jud 14:4; 2Ch 10:15; 22:7; 25:16,20; Ps 5:10
Am 3:6; Ac 2:23; 4:28
that he might.
11:11,29-38; 1Sa 15:29; 2Sa 17:14; 2Ki 9:36; 10:10; Isa 14:13-17
Isa 46:10,11; Da 4:35; Joh 19:23,24,28,29,32-37; Ac 3:17
Ac 13:27-29

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

Context

  • 1 Kings 12:14

    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.

  • 1 Kings 12:15

    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.

  • 1 Kings 12:16

    So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

Read all of 1 Kings 12

1 Kings 12:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y no oyó el rey al pueblo; porque era ordenación de Jehová, para confirmar su palabra, que Jehová había hablado por medio de Ahías Silonita á Jeroboam hijo de Nabat.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et le roi n’écouta pas le peuple, car cela était amené par l’ Éternel, afin d’accomplir sa parole, que l’ Éternel avait dite par Akhija, le Silonite, à Jéroboam, fils de Nebath.
German
Elberfelder 1871		So hörte der König nicht auf das Volk; denn es war eine Wendung von seiten Jehovas, auf daß er sein Wort aufrecht hielte, welches Jehova durch Achija, den Siloniter, zu Jerobeam, dem Sohne Nebats, geredet hatte.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et non acquievit rex populo: quoniam aversatus fuerat eum Dominus, ut suscitaret verbum suum quod locutus fuerat in manu Ahiæ Silonitæ, ad Jeroboam filium Nabat.