1 kings 12:21 - When Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
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What does "1 kings 12:21" mean?
This verse from 1 Kings 12:21 describes the immediate reaction of Rehoboam, Solomon's son and successor, to the rebellion of the ten northern tribes of Israel. Let's break it down:
"When Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem..." This sets the scene. Rehoboam had returned to Jerusalem after a pivotal event in Shechem, where the people had demanded he lighten the burden of taxation and labor imposed by his father, Solomon. He refused, and this led to the revolt.
"...he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin..." Rehoboam gathered the fighting men from the tribes that remained loyal to him: Judah (the primary tribe in the south) and Benjamin (a smaller tribe closely associated with Judah).
"...a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors..." This highlights the size and strength of Rehoboam's potential army. These were not just ordinary citizens; they were "chosen men" and experienced "warriors." This indicates a significant force.
"...to fight against the house of Israel..." This reveals Rehoboam's intention: to wage war against the ten northern tribes that had declared independence and formed their own kingdom under Jeroboam. "The house of Israel" here refers specifically to these rebelling tribes.
"...to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon." This clarifies Rehoboam's goal in using military force: to forcibly reunite the divided kingdom under his rule, restoring the unified kingdom his father Solomon had ruled.
In essence, the verse means:
Rehoboam, upon returning to Jerusalem after the northern tribes' rebellion, mobilized a large army of 180,000 soldiers from Judah and Benjamin. His intent was to use this army to suppress the rebellion in the northern kingdom (Israel) and bring them back under his control, restoring the united kingdom that had existed under his father, Solomon.
Significance:
This verse marks a crucial moment in Israelite history:
It shows Rehoboam's initial response was to use force.
It illustrates the deep division that had formed between the north and south.
It sets the stage for the subsequent narrative, which recounts how this war was averted through divine intervention (God, through the prophet Shemaiah, forbade them from fighting against their brothers) but also demonstrates that the kingdom would never be unified again. Instead of a united nation, there would be a divided kingdom until the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
1 kings 12:21 - When Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
What does "1 kings 12:21" mean?
This verse from 1 Kings 12:21 describes the immediate reaction of Rehoboam, Solomon's son and successor, to the rebellion of the ten northern tribes of Israel. Let's break it down:
"When Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem..." This sets the scene. Rehoboam had returned to Jerusalem after a pivotal event in Shechem, where the people had demanded he lighten the burden of taxation and labor imposed by his father, Solomon. He refused, and this led to the revolt.
"...he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin..." Rehoboam gathered the fighting men from the tribes that remained loyal to him: Judah (the primary tribe in the south) and Benjamin (a smaller tribe closely associated with Judah).
"...a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors..." This highlights the size and strength of Rehoboam's potential army. These were not just ordinary citizens; they were "chosen men" and experienced "warriors." This indicates a significant force.
"...to fight against the house of Israel..." This reveals Rehoboam's intention: to wage war against the ten northern tribes that had declared independence and formed their own kingdom under Jeroboam. "The house of Israel" here refers specifically to these rebelling tribes.
"...to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon." This clarifies Rehoboam's goal in using military force: to forcibly reunite the divided kingdom under his rule, restoring the unified kingdom his father Solomon had ruled.
In essence, the verse means:
Rehoboam, upon returning to Jerusalem after the northern tribes' rebellion, mobilized a large army of 180,000 soldiers from Judah and Benjamin. His intent was to use this army to suppress the rebellion in the northern kingdom (Israel) and bring them back under his control, restoring the united kingdom that had existed under his father, Solomon.
Significance:
This verse marks a crucial moment in Israelite history:
It shows Rehoboam's initial response was to use force.
It illustrates the deep division that had formed between the north and south.
It sets the stage for the subsequent narrative, which recounts how this war was averted through divine intervention (God, through the prophet Shemaiah, forbade them from fighting against their brothers) but also demonstrates that the kingdom would never be unified again. Instead of a united nation, there would be a divided kingdom until the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.