2 Chronicles 10 16

2 Chronicles 10:16 kjv

And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents.

2 Chronicles 10:16 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. Every man to your tents, O Israel! Now see to your own house, O David!" So all Israel departed to their tents.

2 Chronicles 10:16 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 all the Israelites went home.

2 Chronicles 10:16 esv

And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, "What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Each of you to your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David." So all Israel went to their tents.

2 Chronicles 10:16 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 all the people of Israel returned home.

2 Chronicles 10 verses

2 Chronicles 10 16 Meaning

This verse chronicles the definitive moment of the kingdom of Israel's division. Faced with Rehoboam's stubborn refusal to alleviate their heavy burdens, the northern tribes declare their secession. They publicly renounce any claim of kinship or inheritance from the Davidic dynasty, stating they have no portion in David or his lineage. With a rallying cry of "To your tents, O Israel!", they announce their departure from Rehoboam's authority, mockingly instructing him to rule only his own "house" (referring to Judah). The verse concludes with the immediate departure of all the northern Israelites to their homes, signaling the end of the united monarchy.

2 Chronicles 10 16 Context

The historical backdrop for 2 Chronicles 10:16 is the succession of Rehoboam to the throne after his father King Solomon's death. Solomon's reign, though marked by peace and great building projects like the Temple, also imposed heavy burdens of forced labor and taxation upon the people, particularly the northern tribes. Sensing an opportunity for relief at the new king's inauguration in Shechem, representatives from all Israel appealed to Rehoboam to lighten the harsh yoke. Rehoboam sought counsel, first from the older, experienced advisors who recommended kindness and servant leadership, then from his youthful companions who advised an even harsher approach. Disastrously, Rehoboam rejected the wisdom of the elders and adopted the defiant, arrogant counsel of his peers, famously declaring, "My little finger is thicker than my father's loins... My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions!" This verse captures the direct, immediate, and permanent consequence of that foolish and prideful decision, leading to the irreparable rupture of the united monarchy and the formation of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

2 Chronicles 10 16 Word analysis

• וְכָל-יִשְׂרָאֵל (ve-khol Yisrael): "And all Israel." The phrase "all Israel" signifies a comprehensive, unified rejection by the entire delegation representing the ten northern tribes. This was not a localized protest but a broad, kingdom-wide consensus among those present.
• רָאוּ (ra'u): "They saw." This verb implies not just visual observation but comprehension and recognition. They understood the finality and harshness of the king's refusal. It was a perception of the reality of his unbending will.
• כִּי לֹא-שָׁמַע (ki lo-shama): "That he did not listen." The Hebrew word shama (שָׁמַע) means to hear, listen, but often carries the stronger connotation of "hear and obey." Here, it unequivocally means he failed to heed their requests, exhibiting a fundamental lack of responsiveness to his subjects' legitimate grievances.
• הַמֶּלֶךְ (ha-melech): "The king." Refers to Rehoboam. The use of "the king" by the people indicates recognition of his title, but also serves to highlight his monumental failure in that role, making his actions stand out in contrast to the ideal of a just ruler.
• וַיָּשִׁבוּ הָעָם (va-yashivu ha-am): "Then the people answered." This emphasizes the immediate, unified response from the people once the king's stubbornness became apparent. Their answer is decisive and marks a point of no return.
• מַה-לָּנוּ חֵלֶק בְּדָוִיד (mah-lananu chelek be-David): "What share have we in David?" Chelek (חֵלֶק) means portion, share, or inheritance. This is a dramatic and profound declaration of secession. It disavows any spiritual, political, or kinship claim to the Davidic dynasty. It suggests: "We receive no benefit or belonging from David's line."
• וְלֹא-נַחֲלָה בְּבֶן-יִשַׁי (ve-lo-nachalah be-ven-Yishai): "Nor inheritance in Jesse's son." Nachalah (נַחֲלָה) reinforces "chelek," specifically referring to a generational inheritance. "Jesse's son" directly points to David's lineage. This phrase doubly asserts their complete break from the entire royal house descended from David, severing any right or benefit associated with it.
• אִישׁ לְאֹהָלֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל (Ish le'ohaleicha Yisrael): "To your tents, Israel!" This is a rallying cry and a command for disengagement. "Tents" refers to their homes and tribal territories, signifying a return to their decentralized, independent tribal identity and withdrawal from the centralized monarchy in Judah. It's a call to abandon the national assembly and return to their own.
• רְאֵה בֵיתְךָ דָּוִיד (re'eh veitecha David): "Look after your own house, David!" This is a sarcastic, defiant dismissal of Rehoboam's claim over them. "David" is used here metonymically for Rehoboam, indicating his royal lineage. It's a scornful taunt, telling him to deal with his own limited domain (Judah and Benjamin), as they are no longer his concern.
• וַיֵּלְכוּ כָּל-יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְאֹהָלֵיהֶם (va-yeilchu kol-Yisrael, le'ohalehem): "So all Israel went to their tents." This final phrase immediately describes the action following their declaration. It signifies the swift and definitive nature of the kingdom's split and the actual physical departure of the northern tribes.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "What share have we in David, nor inheritance in Jesse's son?": This declaration is the core of their secession. It's a public renunciation of the foundational legitimacy of the Davidic dynasty for the northern tribes, severing religious, familial, and political ties. This powerful phrase essentially dismantles the unity established under David and Solomon, stripping the Davidic line of its authority over them.
• "To your tents, Israel! Look after your own house, David!": This combined cry functions as both a directive to the northern tribes and a scornful dismissal of Rehoboam. "To your tents" mobilizes their immediate departure and signifies a return to individual tribal autonomy. "Look after your own house" is a contemptuous challenge to Rehoboam, delineating his newly diminished sphere of influence.

2 Chronicles 10 16 Bonus section

• The phrase "To your tents, O Israel!" is not original to this event. It had previously been used as a cry for rebellion or independent action, notably in 2 Samuel 20:1, where Sheba rebelled against David, though that rebellion was swiftly quelled. Here, in 2 Chronicles, this cry becomes historically successful and defines the end of the united monarchy.
• The chronicler's account of the kingdom's division (unlike the Book of Kings) puts a greater emphasis on Judah's adherence to the true worship of Yahweh and focuses less on the northern kingdom's idolatry, framing the split more directly as a consequence of Rehoboam's sin and God's will.
• The rejection of the Davidic lineage by the northern tribes at this point paradoxically highlights the unique importance of the line that remained in Judah, for it is through this continuous, though diminished, Davidic line that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the true Son of David, would eventually come to establish an everlasting kingdom that will never be divided.

2 Chronicles 10 16 Commentary

2 Chronicles 10:16 represents a tragic culmination of Rehoboam's obstinate folly and divine judgment, irrevocably cleaving the united kingdom of Israel. His refusal to heed the wisdom of experienced elders and his preference for the arrogant, short-sighted counsel of his peers was a profound failure of leadership. The people's declaration, "What share have we in David, nor inheritance in Jesse's son?", encapsulates not only their political exasperation but also a striking rejection of the Davidic covenant's practical manifestation in their lives. While God had promised an enduring dynasty to David, the behavior of David's descendants had a direct impact on the people's willingness to honor that divinely appointed leadership. The swift and immediate departure of "all Israel to their tents" underscores the finality of the schism. This verse highlights the profound consequences of pride and harshness in leadership, contrasting it with the principles of service and justice that true biblical authority should embody. Ultimately, while born of human sin, this division served God's prophetic purpose to fulfill the word given to Ahijah the prophet, demonstrating divine sovereignty even through human rebellion and poor choices.