1 Kings 11:31 kjv
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:
1 Kings 11:31 nkjv
And he said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you
1 Kings 11:31 niv
Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand and give you ten tribes.
1 Kings 11:31 esv
And he said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes
1 Kings 11:31 nlt
Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten of these pieces, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and I will give ten of the tribes to you!
1 Kings 11 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Kgs 11:1-8 | Solomon loved many foreign women... and his wives turned his heart away. | Solomon's idolatry, cause for divine judgment. |
| 1 Kgs 11:9-13 | The Lord was angry with Solomon... for the sake of David... he will not tear away the whole kingdom... he will give one tribe. | God's anger and a mitigating factor due to Davidic covenant. |
| 1 Kgs 12:15 | So the king did not listen to the people; for it was from the Lord, that He might establish His word which the Lord spoke through Ahijah... | Prophecy's divine fulfillment in Rehoboam's folly. |
| 2 Chr 10:15 | So the king did not listen... for it was from God that the Lord might fulfill His word... | God's orchestrating of the kingdom's division. |
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever. | Davidic covenant of an enduring dynasty, yet conditional. |
| Deut 28:15-68 | If you do not obey the Lord your God... all these curses will come upon you. | Covenant curses for disobedience, foreshadowing Israel's exile. |
| Judg 2:11-15 | The children of Israel did evil... He delivered them into the hands of plunderers. | Cycle of sin and judgment applied to earlier Israelite history. |
| Isa 1:4 | A sinful nation... they have forsaken the Lord. | Broader prophetic lament over Israel's spiritual decline. |
| Jer 2:19 | Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will rebuke you. | Divine discipline as a consequence of national sin. |
| Amos 3:7 | Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. | God's practice of revealing His plans through prophets. |
| Jer 1:10 | See, I have this day set you over the nations... to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant. | God's authority to establish and uproot kingdoms. |
| Pss 75:6-7 | For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one and exalts another. | God's sovereign control over leadership. |
| Dan 2:21 | He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings. | Divine sovereignty over political leadership. |
| Dan 4:17 | ...that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men. | Emphasis on God's absolute sovereignty over human kingdoms. |
| Prov 21:1 | The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. | God's influence even over rulers' decisions. |
| 1 Kgs 14:7-10 | Go, tell Jeroboam, 'Thus says the Lord God of Israel: "...But you have done more evil..."' | Another prophetic word against Jeroboam for his later sin. |
| Pss 89:30-34 | If his sons forsake My law... then I will punish their transgression with the rod... Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him. | God's conditional discipline even within unconditional covenants. |
| 1 Sam 15:28 | So Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you." | Precedent of kingdom transfer from Saul due to disobedience. |
| Hos 1:11 | Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together... for great will be the day of Jezreel. | Prophetic anticipation of a future reunification of the two kingdoms. |
| Ezek 37:21-22 | Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations... and make them one nation in the land... one king shall be king over them all. | Prophecy of future spiritual and physical reunion under one king. |
1 Kings 11 verses
1 Kings 11 31 Meaning
This verse records the prophet Ahijah's direct divine message to Jeroboam, revealing God's intention to sovereignly tear the united kingdom from King Solomon's dynasty due to his idolatry and unfaithfulness. Ten tribes would be given to Jeroboam, signaling the imminent division of Israel into a northern kingdom (Israel) and a southern kingdom (Judah, retaining one tribe for David's sake).
1 Kings 11 31 Context
Chapter 11 marks a crucial turning point in the history of Israel's united monarchy. Following a detailed account of King Solomon's unparalleled wisdom and wealth, the chapter sharply transitions to his spiritual decline. Despite God's earlier warnings, Solomon multiplied foreign wives who turned his heart to their idolatrous gods (vv. 1-8). This unfaithfulness provoked the Lord's anger (v. 9), leading Him to declare that He would tear the kingdom from Solomon. However, for the sake of His covenant with David, the full judgment would not fall during Solomon's lifetime, and one tribe (Judah) would remain under the Davidic line (vv. 11-13). Ahijah the prophet's encounter with Jeroboam, a high-ranking official under Solomon, serves as the divine instrument for communicating the specifics of this impending judgment and transfer of authority. The verse directly conveys God's sovereign decision to implement the promised tearing.
1 Kings 11 31 Word analysis
- And he said (וַיֹּאמֶר - vayyomer): Refers to Ahijah the prophet. The active verb indicates a direct and intentional pronouncement, not a mere suggestion.
- to Jeroboam: Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, was a skilled and capable official under Solomon (1 Kgs 11:28). He was the chosen recipient of this specific divine message, designating him as the future leader of the ten tribes.
- 'Take for yourself ten pieces' (קַח־לְךָ עֲשָׂרָה קְרָעִים - qakh-lekha asarah qera'im): This is part of the preceding symbolic prophetic act described in verse 30, where Ahijah tore a new garment into twelve pieces. The command signifies Jeroboam's immediate acquisition of a specific portion, validating the prophecy. 'Ten pieces' represent the ten tribes assigned to him. The tearing and distribution symbolize the division and allocation of authority.
- for thus says (כִּי־כֹה אָמַר - ki-kho amar): A standard prophetic formula affirming that the following words are a direct, authoritative, and irrefutable utterance from God Himself, not the prophet's own opinion. It establishes divine mandate.
- the Lord (יְהוָה - YHWH, Yahweh): The covenant name of God, emphasizing His faithfulness and ultimate authority, even when judging His people.
- the God of Israel (אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - Elohei Yisrael): Highlights God's unique relationship with Israel, a relationship that demands obedience and for which He will hold His chosen king accountable. It underscores His proprietary claim over the nation.
- "Behold (הִנֵּה - hinneh)": An exclamation drawing immediate attention to the grave and significant declaration that follows, often signaling an important divine action.
- I am tearing (קֹרֵעַ אֲנִי - qore'a ani): From the root קָרַע (qara') meaning 'to tear, rend, break apart'. The participle qore'a indicates an immediate and decisive act that is already underway or certainly imminent. It's a violent and irreversible action, signifying separation. This verb mirrors the physical act of tearing the garment (v. 30). God is the active agent in this political upheaval.
- the kingdom (הַמַּמְלָכָה - hammâmlakha): Refers to the unified monarchy of Israel under David and Solomon, embodying political, military, and spiritual authority.
- from the hand of Solomon (מִיַּד שְׁלֹמֹה - miyyad shlomoh): 'From the hand of' denotes removal of power, control, or possession. This directly attributes the loss of kingdom to Solomon's culpability and highlights God's sovereignty over the king's dominion.
- and will give you (וְנָתַתִּי לָךְ - vênattati lach): Emphasizes divine bestowal and choice. It's not a mere succession or rebellion, but God actively granting authority to Jeroboam. The future perfect form denotes a completed future action by God.
- ten tribes (אֵת עֲשָׂרָה שְׁבָטִים - et asarah shevatim): The specific number of tribes, precisely articulating the scope of Jeroboam's future dominion and the extent of the kingdom's division. This makes the prophecy concrete and verifiable.
Words-group analysis:
- "thus says the Lord, the God of Israel": This standard prophetic formula establishes the absolute divine authority behind the message. It signifies a non-negotiable decree from the Sovereign God who has a covenantal relationship with His people, even when administering judgment.
- "Behold, I am tearing the kingdom from the hand of Solomon": This phrase dramatically announces God's decisive and direct intervention. The use of "tearing" (qore'a) conveys a violent, permanent rupture, directly linked to Solomon's actions. It underscores God's active role in removing power from a disobedient king.
- "and will give you ten tribes": This part emphasizes divine sovereignty in bestowing leadership. The kingdom is not seized by human ambition but explicitly granted by God's decree, designating Jeroboam as God's chosen instrument for leading the northern kingdom.
1 Kings 11 31 Bonus section
- The tearing of the new garment by Ahijah (1 Kgs 11:30) is a highly significant symbolic act, similar to Samuel's tearing of Saul's robe (1 Sam 15:27-28), which prefigured the rending of the kingdom from Saul. This recurrent motif emphasizes that the kingdom belongs to God and can be given or taken by Him according to His righteous standards.
- While the division is presented as a judgment on Solomon, God's choosing of Jeroboam also held a conditional promise (1 Kgs 11:38): if Jeroboam walked in God's ways, his kingdom too would be enduring. Tragically, Jeroboam's subsequent establishment of golden calf worship at Dan and Bethel immediately led to his own dynasty's demise and deepened the spiritual decline of the northern kingdom.
- This event illustrates God's complex interaction with His unconditional covenants (like the one with David) and conditional covenants (like the Mosaic covenant for obedience and blessings). The promise of an eternal house for David stood, but the specific form and extent of the immediate kingdom could be altered based on the obedience of subsequent kings.
1 Kings 11 31 Commentary
First Kings 11:31 is a pivotal statement marking the beginning of the end of the united monarchy of Israel, demonstrating God's sovereign hand in judgment and establishing a new order. Ahijah's prophetic act and word directly link the coming national division to Solomon's flagrant idolatry, highlighting the severe consequences of disobedience, even for those blessed with immense wisdom and power. God's act of "tearing" the kingdom signifies a decisive and painful separation, reflecting His holy intolerance for spiritual compromise. While the Davidic covenant promised an everlasting dynasty, it was implicitly conditional upon obedience for individual kings, allowing for severe discipline up to and including loss of dominion for that specific ruler, though never a complete annulment of the covenant itself (a remnant would remain). The division was therefore not a political accident but a direct, divinely orchestrated outcome, fulfilling God's declared judgment and setting the stage for centuries of a divided Israel. It serves as a stark reminder that blessings are contingent on faithfulness to God.