1 Kings 12:16 Meaning and Explanation
“So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The northern tribes renounce the house of David and withdraw to their own homes, breaking from Rehoboam.
What Does 1 Kings 12:16 Mean?
The people answer rejection with rejection. Seeing that the king will not hear them, the northern tribes disown the dynasty of David with a bitter cry — "What portion have we in David?" — and scatter to their tents. The unity forged under David and Solomon comes apart in a single charged moment.
There is real grief beneath the defiance. A bond that should have been held by love is severed by pride, and a people who longed to serve now turn away wounded. Scripture mourns such fractures even as it records them. Yet the promise to David's house was not finally undone here; God would keep a lamp burning in Jerusalem, and from that line the true and everlasting King would one day come, the one in whom every tribe finds its portion at last.
1 Kings 12:16 in the Original Language
cheleq (חֵלֶק), 'portion' -- one's allotted share or inheritance; the tribes declare they have no stake left in David's house.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Kings 12:16
What does 1 Kings 12:16 mean?
The northern tribes renounce the house of David and withdraw to their own homes, breaking from Rehoboam.