1 Kings 12:5 kjv
And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.
1 Kings 12:5 nkjv
So he said to them, "Depart for three days, then come back to me." And the people departed.
1 Kings 12:5 niv
Rehoboam answered, "Go away for three days and then come back to me." So the people went away.
1 Kings 12:5 esv
He said to them, "Go away for three days, then come again to me." So the people went away.
1 Kings 12:5 nlt
Rehoboam replied, "Give me three days to think this over. Then come back for my answer." So the people went away.
1 Kings 12 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ki 12:6-7 | Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders... who had served Solomon his father... saying, "What counsel do you give...?" | Rehoboam seeks counsel, fulfilling the delay. |
| 1 Ki 12:8-10 | But he rejected the advice which the elders gave him... And he consulted the young men... | Rehoboam's subsequent choice of counsel. |
| Prov 15:22 | Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. | Importance of seeking wise counsel. |
| Prov 11:14 | Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in abundance of counselors there is victory. | The necessity of counsel for national success. |
| Josh 9:14 | So the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel from the LORD. | Caution against human counsel without divine input. |
| Isa 30:1-2 | "Woe to the rebellious children," declares the LORD... "who go down to Egypt without consulting Me." | Divine disapproval for seeking help without God. |
| James 1:5 | If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God... | The source of true wisdom, not sought by Rehoboam. |
| 1 Ki 3:9-12 | Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge Your people... (Solomon's request for wisdom). | Solomon's exemplary seeking of divine wisdom, contrasted with Rehoboam. |
| Judg 20:2 | And the chief of all the people... presented themselves... at Mizpah. | Example of waiting/gathering for counsel before decision. |
| 1 Sam 10:8 | You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you... seven days you shall wait... | A delay divinely commanded before action. |
| Exo 18:13-26 | Jethro advises Moses to delegate judgment, an example of seeking counsel. | Wisdom in receiving advice for governing. |
| 2 Sam 5:23 | When David inquired of the LORD, He said, "You shall not go up in front; circle around..." | David's consistent practice of inquiring of God. |
| 2 Chr 10:5 | And he said to them, "Return to me after three days." So the people departed. | Parallel account of this same event. |
| Dan 2:16 | Then Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would give him time, that he might declare the interpretation. | Requesting time for a crucial answer, in this case, seeking divine wisdom. |
| Exo 3:18 | "Then they will heed your voice; and you will come with the elders of Israel to the king of Egypt..." (delay until specific time/events). | Example of a delay before a significant confrontation. |
| Deut 17:18-20 | Guidelines for a king in Israel, including not exalting himself over his countrymen. | Implied lack of humility in Rehoboam's initial attitude leading to seeking bad counsel. |
| Pro 19:20 | Listen to counsel and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in your latter days. | Importance of receptive listening for wisdom. |
| Gal 5:7 | You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? | Consequences of poor choices despite a good start (like Rehoboam). |
| 2 Chr 11:4 | "Thus says the LORD, 'You shall not go up or fight against your brothers; return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me.'" | God's direct intervention and command to stop, showing His sovereign hand in the division. |
| 1 Ki 11:29-39 | The prophecy of Ahijah to Jeroboam regarding the rending of the kingdom. | Divine foresight of the division, already decreed before Rehoboam's decision. |
1 Kings 12 verses
1 Kings 12 5 Meaning
Rehoboam, having heard the demands of the unified Israelite assembly concerning the heavy burdens imposed by his father Solomon, did not give an immediate answer. Instead, he instructed them to "depart yet for three days" before returning to him to receive his decision. The people complied and left as instructed. This indicates a period of deliberation Rehoboam intended to undertake before responding to a pivotal request from his kingdom.
1 Kings 12 5 Context
This verse is situated at a critical juncture in the history of Israel following the death of King Solomon. Rehoboam, Solomon's son, ascended the throne. The unified twelve tribes of Israel gathered at Shechem, a place of historical significance for covenant renewals (Josh 24), to demand a lighter "yoke" of forced labor and heavy taxation that Solomon had imposed. Led by Jeroboam, a former overseer of Solomon's labor force, the people presented a unified front, effectively setting terms for their continued allegiance. Rehoboam's response in 1 Kings 12:5—requesting a three-day delay—is his initial maneuver in what proves to be a leadership test. His decision would either preserve or fracture the united monarchy. This period of waiting sets the stage for Rehoboam's fateful consultations, which ultimately led to the catastrophic division of the kingdom into Israel (North) and Judah (South). Historically, this division was a pre-ordained consequence of Solomon's idolatry (1 Ki 11:11-13).
1 Kings 12 5 Word analysis
- And he said: The Hebrew va-yomer (וַיֹּאמֶר) simply indicates Rehoboam's immediate spoken response to the assembly. It suggests directness in his initial command to them.
- unto them: Refers to the assembled people of Israel, led by Jeroboam, representing the ten northern tribes, who presented their grievances and demands to Rehoboam.
- Depart: The Hebrew imperative plural lekhu (לְכוּ) from halakh (הָלַךְ), meaning "to go." It is a direct and authoritative command from the king to the multitude.
- yet for three days: The Hebrew ʿod shloshah yamim (עוֹד שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים). "Yet" (ʿod) implies a short additional period before the expected decision. "Three days" is a common biblical timeframe often signifying a period of waiting, transition, or preparation before a significant event or divine revelation (e.g., Abraham's journey to Moriah, Jonah in the fish, the resurrection of Christ). Here, it serves as a period for human deliberation and counsel.
- then come again: The Hebrew u-shūvu ʿālay (וְשׁוּבוּ אֵלַי), imperative plural "and return" (shuvu) from shuv (שׁוּב) paired with "to me" (ʿalay). It is a clear instruction for them to re-assemble at the appointed time to hear his judgment.
- to me: Indicates the personal nature of the decision to be made by Rehoboam. The responsibility of leadership and judgment falls directly on him.
- And the people departed: The Hebrew va-yēlkhū ha-ʿām (וַיֵּלְכוּ הָעָם). This factual statement confirms the people's compliance with the king's initial command. It highlights their willingness to wait and receive a final verdict from their new king.
Words-group analysis
- "Depart yet for three days, then come again to me": This phrase encapsulates Rehoboam's deferment of judgment. It highlights his perceived need for time to deliberate or consult. While requesting time is not inherently wrong for a weighty decision, the subsequent narrative reveals that Rehoboam used this time to seek poor counsel rather than divine wisdom (Prov 15:22). This delay itself becomes pregnant with anticipation, a period where a different choice could have been made that might have altered the course of Israel's history.
1 Kings 12 5 Bonus section
- The setting for this confrontation at Shechem carries symbolic weight. It was here that Jacob settled (Gen 33:18) and where Joshua gathered Israel to renew the covenant with the Lord, pledging their allegiance (Josh 24:1-27). By meeting here, the people invoked a deep sense of Israelite identity and historical precedent, emphasizing the foundational covenant relationship that Rehoboam's response would severely strain.
- The "three days" period often acts as a crucible or a transition point in biblical narratives. In Rehoboam's case, it serves as a period for him to make a fateful, independent decision rather than to seek divine revelation. This subtle difference foreshadows the subsequent spiritual decline of the northern kingdom, where reliance on God would often be supplanted by human ingenuity and idolatry.
1 Kings 12 5 Commentary
1 Kings 12:5 presents the initial critical decision of King Rehoboam upon ascending the throne. Confronted by the northern tribes demanding lighter burdens, his immediate response was not a definitive answer but a request for a three-day delay. This deferment reveals that Rehoboam was not prepared to respond immediately, necessitating time for consideration and counsel. While taking time to deliberate on a significant matter is generally prudent, Rehoboam's use of this time—as seen in subsequent verses—proves to be disastrous. Instead of seeking the Lord's wisdom (as his grandfather David or his father Solomon, at the start of his reign, had done – 1 Ki 3:9), Rehoboam turned to human counsel. His ultimate rejection of the seasoned wisdom of the elders in favor of the harsh advice of his youthful companions illustrates a profound leadership failure that directly resulted from the choices made during this three-day interim. This verse, therefore, sets the stage for the dramatic and tragic division of the united kingdom, serving as a solemn lesson on the importance of godly counsel and discernment in leadership.