But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
What does 1 Kings 12:17 mean?
The people speak unbecomingly of David. How soon are good men, and their good services to the public, forgotten!
Key themes
Read with
Keep this verse inside 1 Kings 12:16-20 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on 1 Kings 12:17
Israel ... - The Israelites proper, or members of the other tribes, who happened to be settled within the limits of the land of Judah. These Israelites quietly submitted to Rehoboam. "Israel" through this chapter, and throughout the rest of Kings, designates ordinarily "the ten tribes," and is antithetical to "Judah.
Key words
- children
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But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah,.
- Israel
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But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah,.
- dwelt
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But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah,.
Context in 1 Kings 12
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1 Kings 12 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as division of the kingdom. First Kings tells of Solomon’s reign and temple, the split between north and south, and the rise of prophetic confrontation through Elijah. Read this chapter with the wider themes of temple, wisdom, and idolatry in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Verses on the fear of the Lord, wise speech, practical judgment, teachability, and the difference between biblical wisdom and mere cleverness.
Bible verses about justice and mercy
Key texts on public righteousness, neighbor-love, social ethics, compassion, and the prophetic refusal to separate worship from justice.
Glossary
- Rehoboam Person
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He enlarges the people, the successor of Solomon on the throne, and apparently his only son. He was the son of Naamah “the Ammonitess,” some well-known Ammonitish princess ( 1 Kings 14:21 ; 2 Chr. 12:13 ).