1 Kings 12:2
New International Version
When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt.

New Living Translation
When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of this, he returned from Egypt, for he had fled to Egypt to escape from King Solomon.

English Standard Version
And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt.

Berean Standard Bible
When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he was still in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since.

King James Bible
And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)

New King James Version
So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was still in Egypt, for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt),

New American Standard Bible
Now when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard about this, he was living in Egypt (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon).

NASB 1995
Now when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, he was living in Egypt (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon).

NASB 1977
Now it came about when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, that he was living in Egypt (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon).

Legacy Standard Bible
And it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, he was living in Egypt (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon).

Amplified Bible
Now when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard about it, he was living in Egypt (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon).

Christian Standard Bible
When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about it, he stayed in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon’s presence. Jeroboam stayed in Egypt.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about it, for he was still in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon’s presence, Jeroboam stayed in Egypt.

American Standard Version
And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt,

Contemporary English Version
Jeroboam son of Nebat heard what was happening, and he stayed in Egypt, where he had gone to hide from Solomon.

English Revised Version
And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, (for he was yet in Egypt, wither he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jeroboam (Nebat's son) was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. When he heard [about Rehoboam], he returned from Egypt.

Good News Translation
When Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had gone to Egypt to escape from King Solomon, heard this news, he returned from Egypt.

International Standard Version
Nebat's son Jeroboam heard about it while he was still in Egypt, where he had fled to get away from King Solomon. Jeroboam returned from Egypt

Majority Standard Bible
When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he was still in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since.

NET Bible
When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since.

New Heart English Bible
And it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt), he came straight to his own city in the land of Zererah in the hill country of Ephraim.

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)

World English Bible
When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And it comes to pass, at Jeroboam son of Nebat’s hearing (and he [is] yet in Egypt where he has fled from the presence of Solomon the king, and Jeroboam dwells in Egypt),

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, at Jeroboam son of Nebat's hearing (and he is yet in Egypt where he hath fled from the presence of Solomon the king, and Jeroboam dwelleth in Egypt),

Smith's Literal Translation
And it will be when Jeroboam son of Nebat heard and he yet in Egypt where he fled from the face of Solomon the king, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who was yet in Egypt, a fugitive from the face of king Solomon, hearing of his death, returned out of Egypt.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Yet truly, Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, while he was still in Egypt as a fugitive from the face of king Solomon, hearing of his death, returned from Egypt.

New American Bible
When Jeroboam, son of Nebat, heard about it, he was still in Egypt. He had fled from King Solomon and remained in Egypt,

New Revised Standard Version
When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it (for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt)And the prophet cried against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, hear the word of the LORD, thus says the LORD: Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon you he shall offer the priests of the temples of idols who burn incense upon you, and men's bones shall be burnt upon you.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And when Yorbaam son of Nebat heard and he was yet in Egypt where he had fled from before King Solomon, and Yorbaam had settled in Egypt
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it--for he was yet in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Rebellion Against Rehoboam
1Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he was still in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since. 3So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel came to Rehoboam and said,…

Cross References
2 Chronicles 10:2
When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he returned from Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon.

1 Kings 11:26-40
Now Jeroboam son of Nebat was an Ephraimite from Zeredah whose mother was a widow named Zeruah. Jeroboam was a servant of Solomon, but he rebelled against the king, / and this is the account of his rebellion against the king. Solomon had built the supporting terraces and repaired the gap in the wall of the city of his father David. / Now Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. So when Solomon noticed that the young man was industrious, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph. ...

2 Samuel 20:1-2
Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there, and he blew the ram’s horn and shouted: “We have no share in David, no inheritance in Jesse’s son. Every man to his tent, O Israel!” / So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bichri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

1 Kings 11:11-13
Then the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. / Nevertheless, for the sake of your father David, I will not do it during your lifetime; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. / Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom away from him. I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”

1 Kings 11:29-31
During that time, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met Jeroboam on the road as he was going out of Jerusalem. Now Ahijah had wrapped himself in a new cloak, and the two of them were alone in the open field. / And Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing, tore it into twelve pieces, / and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give you ten tribes.

1 Kings 14:7-8
Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I raised you up from among the people and appointed you ruler over My people Israel. / I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you. But you have not been like My servant David, who kept My commandments and followed Me with all his heart, doing only what was right in My eyes.

2 Chronicles 9:29
As for the rest of the acts of Solomon, from beginning to end, are they not written in the Records of Nathan the Prophet, in the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat?

2 Chronicles 11:1-4
When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the house of Judah and Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—to fight against Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. / But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God: / “Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin ...

1 Kings 11:14-25
Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom. / Earlier, when David was in Edom, Joab the commander of the army had gone to bury the dead and had struck down every male in Edom. / Joab and all Israel had stayed there six months, until he had killed every male in Edom. ...

1 Kings 11:9-10
Now the LORD grew angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. / Although He had warned Solomon explicitly not to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command.

Matthew 2:13-15
When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.” / So he got up, took the Child and His mother by night, and withdrew to Egypt, / where he stayed until the death of Herod. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

Acts 7:9-10
Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him / and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.

Matthew 12:25
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.

John 11:47-53
Then the chief priests and Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. / If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” / But one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! ...

Acts 7:39-41
But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. / They said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us! As for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ / At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands.


Treasury of Scripture

And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelled in Egypt;)

Jeroboam the son of Nebat

1 Kings 11:26-31,40
And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king…

2 Chronicles 10:2,3
And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt…

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Dwelleth Dwelt Egypt Ephraim Fled Flight Heard Hearing Hill-Country Jeroboam Jerobo'am Nebat Nebat's Presence Solomon Whither Zeredah
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Dwelleth Dwelt Egypt Ephraim Fled Flight Heard Hearing Hill-Country Jeroboam Jerobo'am Nebat Nebat's Presence Solomon Whither Zeredah
1 Kings 12
1. The Israelites, assembled at Shechem to crown Rehoboam,
4. by Jeroboam make a suit of relaxation unto him
6. Rehoboam, refusing the old men's counsel, answers them roughly
16. Ten tribes revolting, kill Adoram, and make Rehoboam flee
21. Rehoboam, raising an army, is forbidden by Shemaiah
25. Jeroboam strengthens himself by cities
26. and by idolatry of the two calves














When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this
The phrase introduces Jeroboam, a significant figure in Israel's history. Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, is a pivotal character whose actions lead to the division of the united kingdom of Israel. The Hebrew root for "heard" (שָׁמַע, shama) implies not just the act of hearing but also understanding and responding. Jeroboam's hearing is not passive; it sets the stage for his active involvement in the unfolding events. Historically, Jeroboam was an Ephraimite, and his leadership role among the northern tribes was significant, as Ephraim was a dominant tribe in Israel.

he was still in Egypt
This phrase indicates Jeroboam's location at the time of the events. Egypt, in biblical history, often represents a place of refuge or exile. Jeroboam's presence in Egypt is a result of his earlier conflict with King Solomon. Egypt was a powerful nation, and its relationship with Israel was complex, often serving as both a refuge and a threat. Jeroboam's stay in Egypt suggests a period of waiting and preparation, possibly under the protection of Pharaoh Shishak, who later plays a role in Israel's history.

where he had fled from King Solomon
Jeroboam's flight from Solomon highlights the tension and conflict within the kingdom. The Hebrew root for "fled" (בָּרַח, barach) conveys a sense of urgency and escape from danger. Solomon, despite his wisdom, faced internal dissent, and Jeroboam's flight underscores the growing dissatisfaction with Solomon's reign, particularly his heavy taxation and forced labor policies. This internal strife foreshadows the eventual division of the kingdom.

and he returned from Egypt
Jeroboam's return marks a turning point in Israel's history. The Hebrew root for "returned" (שׁוּב, shuv) often implies repentance or a change of direction, but here it signifies a physical return that leads to significant political change. Jeroboam's return is not merely geographical; it is a return to his people and a step towards fulfilling the prophecy given to him by the prophet Ahijah (1 Kings 11:29-31). His return from Egypt is a strategic move, setting the stage for his leadership and the eventual division of the kingdom.

(2) For he was fled.--In 2Chronicles 10:2, and in the LXX. version (or, rather versions, for there is variety of reading) of this passage, Jeroboam is made to return from Egypt, on hearing of the death of Solomon, to his own city, and to be "sent for" thence. This is obviously far more probable, and might be read in the Hebrew by a slight alteration of the text.

Verse 2. - And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat [see on 1 Kings 11:26], who was yet in Egypt [The usual, and indeed the necessary, interpretation, if we retain our present Hebrew text, is that these words refer, not as the context would lead us to suppose, to the time indicated in vers. 1, 3, etc., but to the time of Solomon's death. But see below], heard of it [The words "of it," though not in the original, are a fair and legitimate interpretation of its meaning. Whether they are retained or not, the natural and grammatical interpretation is that it was the visit to Shechem, just before mentioned, of which Jeroboam heard. But according to our received text, Jeroboam was one of the deputation which met king Rehoboam at Shechem. It has been found necessary, consequently, to understand the words of the death of Solomon, which has been related in 1 Kings 11:43. So the Vulgate, Audita morte ejus. Similarly the LXX. Cod. Vat. inserts the substance of this verse as part of 1 Kings 11:43. (The Cod. Alex. follows the Hebrew.) But this interpretation is surely strained and unnatural] (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;) [The parallel passage in 2 Chronicles 10. has here, "And Jeroboam returned from Egypt" (ויַָּשבָ יר ממצ instead of וַיֵּשֶׁב יר במצ). And as some copies of the LXX. have καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν Ἱερο βοὰμ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου and the Vulgate has "Reversus est de Aegypto," Dathe, Bahr, al. would adopt this reading here. It is true it involves but a slight change, and it may simplify the construction. But no change is really required, Bahr's objection, that in the text, as it stands, we have an unmeaning repetition, "He was still in Egypt... and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt," loses all its force if we understand Jeroboam to have continued his residence in Egypt (as the LXX. says he did) after hearing of Solomon's death. until summoned by the tribes to be their leader. In any case the repetition accords with Hebrew usage.]

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When Jeroboam
יָרָבְעָ֣ם (yā·rā·ḇə·‘ām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3379: Jeroboam -- 'the people increase', the name of two Israelites kings

son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Nebat
נְבָ֗ט (nə·ḇāṭ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 5028: Nebat -- father of Jeroboam

heard about this,
כִּשְׁמֹ֣עַ ׀ (kiš·mō·a‘)
Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

he was
וְהוּא֙ (wə·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

still
עוֹדֶ֣נּוּ (‘ō·w·ḏen·nū)
Adverb | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5750: Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more

in Egypt
בְמִצְרַ֔יִם (ḇə·miṣ·ra·yim)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa

where
אֲשֶׁ֣ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

he had fled
בָּרַ֔ח (bā·raḥ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1272: To bolt, to flee suddenly

from King
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

Solomon
שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה (šə·lō·mōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8010: Solomon -- David's son and successor to his throne

and had been
יָרָבְעָ֖ם (yā·rā·ḇə·‘ām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3379: Jeroboam -- 'the people increase', the name of two Israelites kings

living ever since.
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב (way·yê·šeḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry


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OT History: 1 Kings 12:2 It happened when Jeroboam the son (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 12:1
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