1 Kings 11:32 kjv
(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:)
1 Kings 11:32 nkjv
(but he shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel),
1 Kings 11:32 niv
But for the sake of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe.
1 Kings 11:32 esv
(but he shall have one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel),
1 Kings 11:32 nlt
But I will leave him one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.
1 Kings 11 32 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | "When your days are fulfilled... I will raise up your offspring after you... I will establish his kingdom... My steadfast love will not depart from him..." | God's everlasting covenant with David. |
| Psa 89:3-4 | "I have made a covenant with My chosen one... ‘I will establish your offspring forever and build up your throne to all generations.’" | Confirmation of Davidic Covenant. |
| 1 Ki 11:13 | "However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of David My servant and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen." | God's initial promise to Solomon to spare one tribe. |
| 1 Ki 11:31 | "So the LORD said to Ahijah, 'Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon... but one tribe will remain.'" | Immediate context of the division. |
| 1 Ki 15:4 | "Nevertheless, for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by raising up his son after him and by preserving Jerusalem." | God's continued faithfulness to David's line. |
| 2 Chr 6:6 | "But I have chosen Jerusalem that My name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel." | Jerusalem and David chosen together. |
| 2 Chr 21:7 | "Yet the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant which He had made with David..." | God's faithfulness to His covenant with David. |
| Isa 37:35 | "‘For I will protect this city to save it for My own sake, and for My servant David’s sake.’" | Divine protection of Jerusalem for David's sake. |
| Jer 33:20-21 | "If you can break My covenant... then My covenant with David My servant may also be broken..." | The unchangeable nature of Davidic covenant. |
| Psa 78:68-70 | "...but He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved. And He built His sanctuary... He also chose David His servant..." | God's choice of Judah, Zion, and David. |
| Deu 12:5 | "But you shall seek the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes to establish His name there..." | God's promise to choose a dwelling place. |
| Psa 132:13-14 | "For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place. 'This is My resting place forever...'" | Zion/Jerusalem as God's chosen dwelling. |
| Psa 48:1-2 | "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in His holy mountain... the joy of the whole earth." | Jerusalem as the holy city. |
| Lk 1:32-33 | "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David..." | Prophecy of Jesus inheriting David's throne. |
| Rom 1:3 | "...concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh..." | Jesus' direct lineage from David. |
| Acts 2:29-30 | "Brothers, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried... [God] would seat one of his descendants on his throne." | Peter on God's oath to David fulfilled in Christ. |
| Eph 2:19-22 | "...built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone... a holy temple in the Lord..." | The church as God's new spiritual temple. |
| Rev 21:2-3 | "And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God... 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men...'" | New Jerusalem as God's eternal dwelling. |
| Num 24:17 | "A star shall come out of Jacob, A scepter shall rise out of Israel..." | Prophecy of a king from Israel, implicitly Judah. |
| Zech 8:3 | "Thus says the LORD: 'I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth...'" | Future divine dwelling in Jerusalem. |
1 Kings 11 verses
1 Kings 11 32 Meaning
This verse declares God's decision to preserve a portion of the kingdom, specifically one tribe, for Solomon's heir (Rehoboam) even amidst the widespread rebellion of ten tribes. This divine action is rooted in two primary motivations: first, God's enduring commitment to His covenant with His servant David, ensuring the perpetuation of David's royal line; and second, the sacred status of Jerusalem, the city uniquely chosen by God to bear His name and be the central place of worship for all Israel. It highlights God's faithfulness despite human failure.
1 Kings 11 32 Context
1 Kings chapter 11 narrates Solomon's deviation from God due to his many foreign wives who turned his heart after other gods. This apostasy, directly violating God's commands (Deu 17:16-17), resulted in God's judgment: the tearing away of most of the kingdom from Solomon's son (1 Ki 11:11). Verses 29-31 detail the prophecy given by the prophet Ahijah to Jeroboam, stating that Jeroboam would rule over ten tribes. Verse 32 immediately follows this pronouncement of judgment, serving as a crucial exception. It underscores God's steadfastness and mercy amidst human unfaithfulness, demonstrating that divine promises (like the Davidic Covenant) are unconditional, even if immediate consequences for sin are applied. This preservation of a single tribe ensures the continuity of the Davidic line, vital for the future Messianic hope centered in the house of David and the city of Jerusalem.
1 Kings 11 32 Word analysis
- but (אַךְ - akh): A strong adversative conjunction. It signifies a contrast or exception to what was just stated. While ten tribes are to be taken away (1 Ki 11:31), this introduces a divine limit to the judgment.
- he (לוֹ - lo): Refers to Rehoboam, Solomon's son and successor, indicating that despite Solomon's failures, Rehoboam will retain some portion of the kingdom.
- shall have (יִהְיֶה - yihyeh): Literally "there shall be for him" or "it shall be his." This future tense denotes a divine decree that will certainly come to pass, not a suggestion.
- one tribe (שֵׁבֶט אֶחָד - shevet echad): Refers specifically to Judah, which encompassed Jerusalem. While Benjamin eventually joined Judah (1 Ki 12:21, 2 Chr 11:12), the primary focus here is on the preservation of the royal lineage and the central cultic city within that tribal territory. Shevet also signifies a scepter or rod, highlighting the symbol of authority associated with a tribe.
- for My servant David's sake (לְמַעַן דָּוִיד עַבְדִּי - lema'an David avdi): This phrase provides the first fundamental reason for God's partial mercy.
- for the sake (לְמַעַן - lema'an): A preposition indicating cause, reason, or purpose. It denotes that God's action is on account of or because of David. This points to God's faithfulness to His previous unconditional promises.
- My servant David (דָּוִיד עַבְדִּי - David avdi): "Servant of Yahweh" is an honorable title indicating a special, obedient relationship with God and one chosen by Him for a specific purpose. This title elevates David not just as a king but as a faithful steward of God's covenant purposes (e.g., Abraham in Gen 26:24, Moses in Deu 34:5, Job in Job 1:8).
- and for Jerusalem's sake (וְלְמַעַן יְרוּשָׁלִַם - velema'an Yerushalayim): The second core reason for God's mercy. This reiterates the use of lema'an.
- Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלִַם - Yerushalayim): Not just a political capital, but the spiritual center. Its sanctity derives from God's own election. Its continued existence under Davidic rule was crucial for the continued worship of Yahweh as ordained.
- the city which I have chosen (הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר בָּחַרְתִּי - ha'ir asher bacharti): Emphasizes divine election and unique status.
- chosen (בָּחַרְתִּי - bacharti): From the verb bachar, meaning "to choose" or "to elect." This highlights God's sovereign and deliberate choice of Jerusalem as the designated place for His name to dwell, where He would be worshiped and invoked (Deu 12:5, 11). This contrasts with the pagan practices and choices of Solomon and future kings who built altars to other gods.
- out of all the tribes of Israel (מִכֹּל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - mikol shivtei Yisra'el): Reinforces Jerusalem's unique, divinely appointed status above any other tribal territory or city. This highlights the singularity and divine exclusivity of God's choice, setting Jerusalem apart from any other potential location in the Promised Land.
1 Kings 11 32 Bonus section
The "one tribe" that remained included parts of Benjamin, particularly areas immediately bordering Jerusalem. While the text literally says "one tribe," it implies the larger entity of Judah that formed the southern kingdom, into which elements of Benjamin were absorbed due to the shared territory of Jerusalem (Benjamin's tribal border went through the city of Jerusalem). This verse underlines a crucial theological principle: God’s unconditional promises often contain stipulations for blessing and curse but their foundational existence is secured by His immutable character and not dependent on human performance. It foretells the historical division of the kingdom into Judah and Israel, paving the way for the prophetic narratives and subsequent fulfillments in both the Old and New Testaments regarding the Davidic line and the Messiah.
1 Kings 11 32 Commentary
1 Kings 11:32 stands as a beacon of God's covenant faithfulness amidst human failing. While Solomon's idolatry merited the complete severance of the kingdom, God's promise to David (2 Sam 7) acted as an unbreakable tether. The preservation of one tribe (Judah) was not an act of leniency towards Solomon's sin, but a demonstration of divine steadfastness (hesed) to David and God's prior selection of Jerusalem. This established the ongoing, though significantly reduced, reign of David's descendants in Jerusalem, ensuring the line through which the Messiah would eventually come. It powerfully teaches that God's character is true to His word, even when His people are not, safeguarding the promise for the sake of His greater redemptive plan.