(26) Jeroboam son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, the son of a widow whose name was Zeruah, was in Solomon’s service; he raised his hand against the king. (27) The circumstances under which he raised his hand against the king were as follows: Solomon built the Millo and repaired the breach of the city of his father, David. (28) This Jeroboam was an able man, and when Solomon saw that the young man was a capable worker, he appointed him over all the forced labor of the House of Joseph. (29) During that time Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem and the prophet Ahijah of Shiloh met him on the way. He had put on a new robe; and when the two were alone in the open country, (30) Ahijah took hold of the new robe he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces. (31) “Take ten pieces,” he said to Jeroboam. “For thus said the LORD, the God of Israel: I am about to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hands, and I will give you ten tribes. (32) But one tribe shall remain his—for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. (33) For they have forsaken Me; they have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Phoenicians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites; they have not walked in My ways, or done what is pleasing to Me, or [kept] My laws and rules, as his father David did. (34) However, I will not take the entire kingdom away from him, but will keep him as ruler as long as he lives for the sake of My servant David whom I chose, and who kept My commandments and My laws. (35) But I will take the kingship out of the hands of his son and give it to you—the ten tribes. (36) To his son I will give one tribe, so that there may be a lamp for My servant David forever before Me in Jerusalem—the city where I have chosen to establish My name. (37) But you have been chosen by Me; reign wherever you wish, and you shall be king over Israel. (38) If you heed all that I command you, and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, keeping My laws and commandments as My servant David did, then I will be with you and I will build for you a lasting dynasty as I did for David. I hereby give Israel to you; (39) and I will chastise David’s descendants for that [sin], though not forever.” (40) Solomon sought to put Jeroboam to death, but Jeroboam promptly fled to King Shishak of Egypt; and he remained in Egypt till the death of Solomon.
Jeroboam The name could mean either "may the people increase" or "may the people contend". Zeruah The name means a "woman afflicted with a skin disease". The name be an intentional alteration of "Zeruiah"-"fragrant" intended to vilify the leader of the kingdom of Israel. I Kings Mordechai Cogan (Anchor Bible Doubleday 2000) 337.
(41) The other events of Solomon’s reign, and all his actions and his wisdom, are recorded in the book of the Annals of Solomon. (42) The length of Solomon’s reign in Jerusalem, over all Israel, was forty years. (43) Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David; and his son Rehoboam succeeded him as king. (1) Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to acclaim him as king. (2) Jeroboam son of Nebat learned of it while he was still in Egypt; for Jeroboam had fled from King Solomon, and had settled in Egypt. (3) They sent for him; and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam as follows: (4) “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke which your father laid on us, and we will serve you.” (5) He answered them, “Go away for three days and then come back to me.” So the people went away.
(12) Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, since the king had told them: “Come back on the third day.” (13) The king answered the people harshly, ignoring the advice that the elders had given him. (14) He spoke to them in accordance with the advice of the young men, and said, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father flogged you with whips, but I will flog you with scorpions.” (15) (The king did not listen to the people; for the LORD had brought it about in order to fulfill the promise that the LORD had made through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.) (16) When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people answered the king: “We have no portion in David, No share in Jesse’s son! To your tents, O Israel! Now look to your own House, O David.” So the Israelites returned to their homes. (17) But Rehoboam continued to reign over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah. (18) King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but all Israel pelted him to death with stones. Thereupon King Rehoboam hurriedly mounted his chariot and fled to Jerusalem. (19) Thus Israel revolted against the House of David, as is still the case. (20) When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent messengers and summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the House of David.
Septuagint, 3 Kingdoms, 12:24a-z (alternate version of Jeroboam story from Septuagint)
Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, neither shall ye fight with your brethren the sons of Israel: return each man to his own home; for this thing is from me; and they hearkened to the word of the Lord, and they ceased from going up, according to the word of the Lord. So king Solomon sleeps with his fathers, and is buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Roboam his son reigned in his stead in Jerusalem, being sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twelve years I Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Naanan, daughter of Ana son of Naas king of the children of Ammon. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked not in the way of David his father. And there was a man of mount Ephraim, a servant to Solomon, and his name was Jeroboam: and the name of his mother was Sarira, a harlot: and Solomon made him head of the levies of the house of Joseph: and he built for Solomon Sarira in mount Ephraim; and he had three hundred chariots of horses: he built the citadel with the levies of the house of Ephraim; he fortified the city of David, and aspired to the kingdom, And Solomon sought to kill him; and he was afraid, and escaped to Susakim king of Egypt, and was with him until Solomon died. And Jeroboam heard in Egypt that Solomon was dead: and he spoke in the ears of Susakim king of Egypt, saying, Let me go, and I will depart into my land: and Susakim said to him, Ask and request, and I will grant it thee. And Susakim gave to Jeroboam Ano the eldest sister of Thekemina his wife: she was great among the daughters of the king, and she bore to Jeroboam Abia his son: and Jeroboam said to Susakim, Let me indeed go, and I will depart. And Jeroboam departed out of Egypt, and came into the land of Saria that was in mount Ephraim, and thither the whole in mount Ephraim, and thither the whole tribe of Ephraim assembles, and Jeroboam built a fortress there. And his young child was sick with a very severe sickness; and Jeroboam went to inquire concerning the child: and he said to Ano his wife, Arise, go, enquire of God concerning the child, whether he shall recover from his sickness. Now there was a man in Selom, an his name was Achia: and he was sixty years old, and the word of the Lord was with him. And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, and take in thine hand loaves for the man of God, and cakes for his children, and grapes, and a pot of honey. And the woman arose, and took in her hand bread, and two cakes, and grapes, and a pot of honey, for Achia: and the man was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see. And she arose, up from Sarira and went; and it came to pass when she had come into the city to Achia the Selonite, that Achia said to his servant, Go out now to meet Ano the wife of Jeroboam, and thou shalt say to her, Come in, and stand not still: for thus saith the Lord, I send grievous tidings to thee. And Ano went in to the man of God; and Achia said to her, Why hast thou brought me bread and grapes, and cakes, and a pot of honey? Thus saith the Lord, Behold, thou shalt depart from me, and it shall come to pass when thou hast entered into the city, even into Sarira, that thy maidens shall come out to meet thee, and shall say to thee, The child is dead: for thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will destroy every male of Jeroboam, and there shall be the dead of Jeroboam in the city, them the dogs shall eat, and him that eat, and he shall lament for the child, saying, Woe is me, Lord! For there has been found in him some good thing touching the Lord. And the woman departed, when she heard this: and it came to pass as she entered into Sarira, that the child died; and there came forth a wailing to meet her. And Jeroboam went to Sikima in mount Ephraim, and assembled there the tribes of Israel;
"The most extensive of the Greek additions to 1 Kings is the unit that appears after MT 1 Kgs 24 and is numbered 12:24a-z. Unlike the other instances of LXX pluses, this addition is a unified composition, a coherent story that parallels and duplicates events already related in 1 Kgs 11 and 12, except for the narrative of the sick child, which follows 1 Kgs 14. Many verses have a parallel in MT, while there are an equally large number of items which are exclusive to this story, which presents another reading concerning the rise of Jeroboam." I Kings, Mordechai Cogan, (The Anchor Bible Doubleday 2000) at 355.
"The only "factual" item seemingly free of polemic in this section is v. 25; but what interest Jeroboam's building activities held for Dtr is unclear. Matters of this sort are usually noted, it at all, in the closing summaries of reigns (cf., e.g., 1 Kgs 22:39; 2 Kgs 14:22; 2-:20). This juxtaposition of the items to the reference to Jerusalem in the following verse (v. 26) has suggested that these two cities, Shechem and Penuel, served in succession as capitals. The remainder of this unit is written from a Judean point of view and is highly polemical, reflecting Dtr dogma on Jerusalem's centrality. Jeroboam's cultic activities are portrayed as innovations that sought to win the people's hearts; but such a concern is anachronistic, for worship outside of Jerusalem at rural shrines was a norm in both kingdoms, and the cycle of pilgrimage festivals to the chosen site (cf. Deut. 16:1-17) was a later development. The royal shrines at Bethel and Dan, the calf images and the new priesthood, and the new festival are all explained as measures taken to counter the Solomonic Temple; continued attendance at its festivities would lead to political reunification." 1 Kings Mordechai Cogan (Anchor Bible Doubleday 2000) at 361-3.
Commentary
The prophetical activity of Amos commenced after Hosea's had closed, and before Isaiah's began. Though he had an impediment in his speech, he obeyed the call of God, and betook himself to Beth-el to proclaim to the sinful inhabitants thereof the Divine message with which he had been charged. The denunciation of the priest Amaziah, of Beth-el, who informed against the prophet before King Jeroboam of Israel, did him no harm, for the king, idolater though he was, entertained profound respect for Amos. He said to himself: "God forbid I should think the prophet guilty of cherishing traitorous plans, and if he were, it would surely be at the bidding of God." For this pious disposition Jeroboam was rewarded; never had the northern kingdom attained to such power as under him.