1 Kings 12:16 kjv
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.
1 Kings 12:16 nkjv
Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying: "What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now, see to your own house, O David!" So Israel departed to their tents.
1 Kings 12:16 niv
When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: "What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse's son? To your tents, Israel! Look after your own house, David!" So the Israelites went home.
1 Kings 12:16 esv
And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, "What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David." So Israel went to their tents.
1 Kings 12:16 nlt
When all Israel realized that the king had refused to listen to them, they responded, "Down with the dynasty of David!
We have no interest in the son of Jesse.
Back to your homes, O Israel!
Look out for your own house, O David!"
So the people of Israel returned home.
1 Kings 12 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 20:1 | And there happened to be there a worthless fellow, whose name was Sheba… and he blew a trumpet and said, "We have no portion in David, nor any inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to his tents, O Israel!" | Sheba's rebellion uses the exact phrase of rejection, foreshadowing the split. |
| 1 Kgs 11:11-13 | Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, "…I will tear the kingdom from you… I will not do it in your days, for the sake of David your father… but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However, I will not tear away the whole kingdom; 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 prophetic judgment against Solomon led to the division. |
| 1 Kgs 11:29-39 | Ahijah's prophecy to Jeroboam, tearing the garment into twelve pieces and giving ten to Jeroboam. | Direct divine decree foretelling the ten tribes' secession. |
| 1 Kgs 12:15 | So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the Lord that He might fulfill His word, which the Lord had spoken through Ahijah… | Divine orchestration of Rehoboam's stubbornness for prophetic fulfillment. |
| 1 Sam 10:24 | Then Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people." | Contrasts the original united enthusiastic acceptance of a king. |
| 1 Sam 18:8 | "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands…" | Hints at tribal allegiance shifts and popularity differences between leaders. |
| Ezra 4:3 | But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers' households of Israel said to them, "You have nothing in common with us in building a house for our God..." | Similar phrasing regarding a shared "portion" or "commonality." |
| Isa 11:1 | Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. | The "son of Jesse" motif ultimately points to the Messiah, unifying the Davidic line. |
| Jer 23:5-6 | "Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord, "When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch… In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely." | Future restoration and reunification under the true Davidic King (Messiah). |
| Ezek 37:21-22 | "Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations… and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them." | Prophetic hope for the eventual reunification of Judah and Israel. |
| Hos 3:5 | Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness in the last days. | Future seeking of David as a true king, implying a rejection of previous division. |
| Amos 9:11 | "In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, and wall up its breaches…" | Hope for restoration of the Davidic dynasty and a reunified kingdom. |
| Zech 12:7-8 | The Lord will save the tents of Judah first… then the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them. | "Tents of Judah" contrasts with "tents of Israel" here, and points to the ultimate strength of the House of David. |
| Ps 2:2-3 | The kings of the earth take their stand… "Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!" | Reflects rebellion against divinely appointed authority, as Israel rejected the Davidic king. |
| Prov 11:14 | Where there is no guidance, the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory. | Illustrates Rehoboam's failure to heed wise counsel. |
| Prov 15:22 | Without consultation, plans go awry, But in a multitude of counselors they are established. | Another proverb on the value of good advice, directly opposite to Rehoboam's folly. |
| Matt 12:25 | Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will stand. | Jesus' principle illustrates the long-term impact of Israel's division. |
| Eph 2:12 | Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. | Highlights what it means to be without "inheritance" in God's covenant people. |
| Acts 2:29-30 | "...David… was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne." | Emphasizes the Davidic covenant and its ultimate fulfillment in Christ, contrasted with Rehoboam's failure. |
| Rev 5:5 | And one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered…" | Christ is the ultimate and eternal "Son of Jesse," reversing the implications of rejection. |
| Rev 22:16 | "I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright morning star." | Final affirmation of Jesus' identity as the true, unified "David." |
1 Kings 12 verses
1 Kings 12 16 Meaning
This verse encapsulates the decisive moment when the northern ten tribes of Israel, in unison, completely rejected Rehoboam's kingship and, by extension, the Davidic dynasty over them. Their declaration, "What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse! To your tents, O Israel! Now see to your own house, David!" was a definitive act of secession, resulting in the immediate division of the United Kingdom of Israel into two separate entities: the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. It signified a complete break of allegiance, calling for a return to tribal autonomy rather than submission to the Davidic monarchy centered in Jerusalem.
1 Kings 12 16 Context
This verse is the climax of the tumultuous events immediately following the death of King Solomon. Rehoboam, Solomon's son and heir, ascended the throne in Shechem, a traditional northern tribal center, indicating an expectation that he would confirm his kingship over all Israel. However, the people, burdened by Solomon's heavy taxation and forced labor (1 Kgs 12:4), petitioned Rehoboam for relief. Against the wise counsel of the older advisors who urged him to serve the people and speak kindly, Rehoboam chose to follow the advice of his youthful companions. He arrogantly declared that he would make their yoke even heavier. This insolent response sealed his fate. The phrase "What portion have we in David?" echoed an earlier rebellion during David's reign (2 Sam 20:1) and signified a complete renunciation of loyalty. This rejection, while appearing to be a human reaction to harsh leadership, was explicitly revealed by Scripture as "a turn of affairs brought about by the Lord," fulfilling the prophecy made to Jeroboam through the prophet Ahijah (1 Kgs 11:29-39, 1 Kgs 12:15), indicating divine judgment upon Solomon's apostasy.
1 Kings 12 16 Word analysis
- When all Israel saw: Refers to the collective representatives of the ten northern tribes, who were assembled at Shechem. This excludes the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, which remained loyal to Rehoboam. "Saw" implies a clear understanding of Rehoboam's unyielding stance.
- that the king did not listen to them: Highlights Rehoboam's foolish and unyielding disposition, leading directly to the national crisis. His failure to hear (Hebrew: shama) their plea was a pivotal moment.
- the people answered the king, saying: Demonstrates a unified and direct response from the gathered representatives, indicating widespread agreement for this radical step.
- "What portion have we in David?": Hebrew: Cheleq lanu b'David (חֵלֶק לָנוּ בְדָוִד).
- Portion (חֵלֶק, cheleq): Implies a share, inheritance, lot, or interest. This question is rhetorical, asserting they have no share. It signifies a complete severing of allegiance, common interest, and any claim to tribal or national unity under the Davidic line.
- David: Represents the entire Davidic dynasty and the covenant God made with him for an enduring kingdom. Rejecting "David" here is rejecting Jerusalem as the capital and the Davidic claim to sovereignty over them.
- "We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse!": Parallel and intensifying the previous phrase.
- Inheritance: Reinforces the lack of claim or rightful possession with the Davidic line. It speaks to a deep ancestral, religious, and political disconnect.
- Son of Jesse: An epithet for David that recalls his humble origins (1 Sam 16:1, 19). Here, it might be used to strip away his royal status in their eyes, reducing him to his ordinary familial roots as a means of further delegitimizing his line's claim over them. This also contrasts with the future Messiah, the true "Shoot from the stem of Jesse" (Isa 11:1), who will rightly reign.
- "To your tents, O Israel!": Hebrew: L'ohalekha Yisrael (לְאֹהָלֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל).
- To your tents: A ancient Israelite war cry or rallying cry for dispersal (Judges 7:18; 19:20; 2 Sam 20:1). In this context, it is a definitive call to disband and return to their own tribal regions and local authority, repudiating the central royal authority. It's a symbolic end to their participation in the united monarchy.
- O Israel: Addressed to the northern tribes specifically, signaling their separate identity and action apart from Judah.
- "Now see to your own house, David!": A defiant and contemptuous challenge.
- See to your own house: A command for Rehoboam to govern his own affairs and remaining territory, implying their complete disinterest in his rule.
- House, David: Refers directly to the remaining loyal tribes (Judah and Benjamin) and Jerusalem, emphasizing the severance. It is a scornful dismissal, indicating that the northern tribes no longer consider themselves part of David's realm.
- So Israel went to their tents: The immediate action and outcome, confirming the success of the secession. The Northern Kingdom of Israel was now distinct from the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
1 Kings 12 16 Bonus section
The phrase "What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse!" resonated deeply in the Hebrew mind. It not only signaled a political separation but a spiritual one, rejecting the lineage God had chosen for everlasting kingship. This rupture also implied a rejection of the spiritual center of the united kingdom, Jerusalem and the temple, leading Jeroboam to establish rival altars at Bethel and Dan to prevent his people from returning to Jerusalem for worship, further cementing the division. This national trauma illustrates how even through human sin and disobedience, God's ultimate plan, including the eventual reunification of Israel under the true "Root of Jesse" (the Messiah), continues to unfold, ensuring His covenant promises are upheld, albeit through periods of hardship.
1 Kings 12 16 Commentary
1 Kings 12:16 marks the pivotal moment of the divided monarchy, a catastrophic split foreshadowed by prophecy and facilitated by human folly. Rehoboam's insensitivity and hubris served as the direct catalyst for a divine plan that disciplined the Davidic house for Solomon's sins. The people's cry was not merely a protest but a formal, national divorce. The repeated rhetorical questions, emphasizing a lack of "portion" and "inheritance," underscore their radical break with the legacy of David and the centralized worship at Jerusalem. The cry "To your tents, O Israel!" signified the return to a decentralized tribal structure, reminiscent of their nomadic past and rejection of the monarchy as they had experienced it. This division led to centuries of separate histories, internal strife, and ultimately, the distinct fates of two nations, permanently altering the trajectory of God's chosen people. Yet, in this moment of disunity, the divine promise to David remained, ensuring a remnant and future hope through the "son of Jesse."