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1 Kings 11:13

1 Kings 11:13 in Multiple Translations

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.”

Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.

Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to thy son, for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.

Still I will not take all the kingdom from him; but I will give one tribe to your son, because of my servant David, and because of Jerusalem, the town of my selection.

Even then I will not take away the whole kingdom. I will leave your son with one tribe for the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of my chosen city Jerusalem.”

Howbeit I wil not rent all the Kingdome, but will giue one tribe to thy sonne, because of Dauid my seruant, and because of Ierusalem which I haue chosen.

only all the kingdom I do not rend away; one tribe I give to thy son, for the sake of David My servant, and for the sake of Jerusalem, that I have chosen.'

However, I will not tear away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to your son, for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.”

Yet, I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.

Neither will I take away the whole kingdom, but I will give one tribe to thy son for the sake of David my servant, and Jerusalem which I have chosen.

But I will not take all the kingdom away from him. Instead, I will allow him to rule one tribe besides the tribe of Judah, because of what I promised to David, who served me well, and because I want David’s descendants to rule in Jerusalem, where my temple is located.”

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Berean Amplified Bible — 1 Kings 11:13

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Word Study

Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.

Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.

1 Kings 11:13 Interlinear (Deep Study)

BIB
HEB רַ֤ק אֶת כָּל הַ/מַּמְלָכָה֙ לֹ֣א אֶקְרָ֔ע שֵׁ֥בֶט אֶחָ֖ד אֶתֵּ֣ן לִ/בְנֶ֑/ךָ לְמַ֨עַן֙ דָּוִ֣ד עַבְדִּ֔/י וּ/לְמַ֥עַן יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּחָֽרְתִּי
רַ֤ק raq H7535 except DirObjM
אֶת ʼêth H853 Obj. DirObjM
כָּל kôl H3605 all N-ms
הַ/מַּמְלָכָה֙ mamlâkâh H4467 kingdom Art | N-fs
לֹ֣א lôʼ H3808 not Part
אֶקְרָ֔ע qâraʻ H7167 to tear V-Qal-Imperf-1cs
שֵׁ֥בֶט shêbeṭ H7626 tribe N-ms
אֶחָ֖ד ʼechâd H259 one Adj
אֶתֵּ֣ן nâthan H5414 to give V-Qal-Imperf-1cs
לִ/בְנֶ֑/ךָ bên H1121 son Prep | N-ms | Suff
לְמַ֨עַן֙ maʻan H4616 because Prep
דָּוִ֣ד Dâvid H1732 David N-proper
עַבְדִּ֔/י ʻebed H5650 servant/slave N-ms | Suff
וּ/לְמַ֥עַן maʻan H4616 because Conj | Prep
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם Yᵉrûwshâlaim H3389 Jerusalem N-proper
אֲשֶׁ֥ר ʼăsher H834 which Rel
בָּחָֽרְתִּי bâchar H977 to choose V-Qal-Perf-1cs
Hebrew Word Study

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Hebrew Word Reference — 1 Kings 11:13

רַ֤ק raq H7535 "except" DirObjM
This Hebrew word means 'except' or 'only', used to limit or emphasize something, like in Exodus 12:11 where it says to eat the Passover meal in haste, with nothing but your clothes on. It can also mean 'but' or 'nevertheless'.
Definition: 1) only, altogether, surely 1a) only 1b) only, nought but, altogether (in limitation) 1c) save, except (after a negative) 1d) only, altogether, surely (with an affirmative) 1e) if only, provided only (prefixed for emphasis) 1f) only, exclusively (for emphasis)
Usage: Occurs in 107 OT verses. KJV: but, even, except, howbeit howsoever, at the least, nevertheless, nothing but, notwithstanding, only, save, so (that), surely, yet (so), in any wise. See also: Genesis 6:5; Joshua 13:14; Psalms 32:6.
אֶת ʼêth H853 "Obj." DirObjM
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Definition: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Usage: Occurs in 6782 OT verses. KJV: (as such unrepresented in English). See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:8; Genesis 19:21.
כָּל kôl H3605 "all" N-ms
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Usage: Occurs in 4242 OT verses. KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever). See also: Genesis 1:21; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 41:40.
הַ/מַּמְלָכָה֙ mamlâkâh H4467 "kingdom" Art | N-fs
This word refers to a kingdom or dominion, describing a ruler's power or territory. In the Bible, it is used to describe the kingdoms of Israel and other nations, as well as God's sovereignty. It emphasizes a ruler's authority and control.
Definition: 1) kingdom, dominion, reign, sovereignty 1a) kingdom, realm 1b) sovereignty, dominion 1c) reign
Usage: Occurs in 113 OT verses. KJV: kingdom, king's, reign, royal. See also: Genesis 10:10; 2 Chronicles 22:9; Psalms 46:7.
לֹ֣א lôʼ H3808 "not" Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
אֶקְרָ֔ע qâraʻ H7167 "to tear" V-Qal-Imperf-1cs
This verb means to tear or rend something, and can be used literally or figuratively, as in the case of reviling or enlarging the eyes. In the book of the Prophet Joel, it describes the heavens being torn open. It can also describe the action of wild beasts.
Definition: 1) to tear, tear in pieces 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to tear, rend 1a2) to tear away or out 1a3) to tear, rend asunder 1a3a) to make wide or large (of eyes) 1a3b) to rend open (of heavens) 1a4) to tear, rend (of wild beasts) 1b) (Niphal) to be rent, be split asunder
Usage: Occurs in 60 OT verses. KJV: cut out, rend, [idiom] surely, tear. See also: Genesis 37:29; 2 Kings 5:8; Psalms 35:15.
שֵׁ֥בֶט shêbeṭ H7626 "tribe" N-ms
This word means a stick or staff, but also a clan or tribe, and can refer to a symbol of authority or a tool for punishing. It is used in the Bible to describe the rods used by shepherds or the scepters of kings.
Definition: : tribe 1) rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe 1a) rod, staff 1b) shaft (of spear, dart) 1c) club (of shepherd's implement) 1d) truncheon, sceptre (mark of authority) 1e) clan, tribe
Usage: Occurs in 178 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe. See also: Genesis 49:10; 2 Samuel 24:2; Psalms 2:9.
אֶחָ֖ד ʼechâd H259 "one" Adj
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means one or united, and is used to describe something that is single or unique. It is often translated as one, first, or alone. For example, in Genesis 1:5, God calls the light day and the darkness night, and separates them into one thing from another.
Definition: 1) one (number) 1a) one (number) 1b) each, every 1c) a certain 1d) an (indefinite article) 1e) only, once, once for all 1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one 1g) first 1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)
Usage: Occurs in 739 OT verses. KJV: a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together, See also: Genesis 1:5; Exodus 36:26; Numbers 7:70.
אֶתֵּ֣ן nâthan H5414 "to give" V-Qal-Imperf-1cs
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Definition: : give/deliver/send/produce 1) to give, put, set 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend 1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate 1a3) to make, constitute 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned 1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up 1c2) to be put upon
Usage: Occurs in 1816 OT verses. KJV: add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield. See also: Genesis 1:17; Genesis 40:21; Exodus 30:12.
לִ/בְנֶ֑/ךָ bên H1121 "son" Prep | N-ms | Suff
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Definition: : child/son
Usage: Occurs in 3653 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth. See also: Genesis 3:16; Genesis 23:3; Genesis 34:18.
לְמַ֨עַן֙ maʻan H4616 "because" Prep
This Hebrew word means because of something or for a specific purpose. It is used to explain why something happens or is done. In the Bible, it is used to describe God's intentions or purposes.
Definition: 1) purpose, intent prep 1a) for the sake of 1b) in view of, on account of 1c) for the purpose of, to the intent that, in order to conj 1d) to the end that
Usage: Occurs in 252 OT verses. KJV: because of, to the end (intent) that, for (to,... 's sake), [phrase] lest, that, to. See also: Genesis 12:13; 2 Kings 13:23; Psalms 5:9.
דָּוִ֣ד Dâvid H1732 "David" N-proper
David was the youngest son of Jesse and a king of Judah, first mentioned in Ruth 4:17, and an ancestor of Jesus.
Definition: A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at Rut.4.17; son of: Jesse (H3448) and Nahash (H5176I); brother of: Eliab (H0446I), Abinadab (H0041I), Shimeah (H8093), Zeruiah (H6870), Abigail (H0026H)(?), Nethanel (H5417H), Raddai (H7288), Ozem (H0684) and Elihu (H0453J); married to Michal (H4324), Abigail (H0026), Ahinoam (H0293H), Maacah (H4601I), Haggith (H2294), Abital (H0037), Eglah (H5698) and Bathsheba (H1339); father of: Amnon (H0550), Chileab (H3609), Absalom (H0053), Adonijah (H0138), Shephatiah (H8203), Ithream (H3507), Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727), Nathan (H5416), Solomon (H8010), Ibhar (H2984), Elishua (H0474), Nepheg (H5298H), Japhia (H3309I), Elishama (H0476H), Eliada (H0450), Eliphelet (H0467), Tamar (H8559H), Elpelet (H0467I), Nogah (H5052) and Jerimoth (H3406N) Also named: Daueid, Dauid, Dabid (Δαυείδ, Δαυίδ, Δαβίδ "David" G1138) § David = "beloved" youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel
Usage: Occurs in 912 OT verses. KJV: David. See also: Ruth 4:17; 1 Samuel 20:41; 1 Samuel 27:9.
עַבְדִּ֔/י ʻebed H5650 "servant/slave" N-ms | Suff
This word refers to a servant or slave, often in the context of serving God or a human master. It can also describe a prophet or Levite. The KJV translates it as bondage, bondman, or servant.
Definition: 1) slave, servant 1a) slave, servant, man-servant 1b) subjects 1c) servants, worshippers (of God) 1d) servant (in special sense as prophets, Levites etc) 1e) servant (of Israel) 1f) servant (as form of address between equals) Aramaic equivalent: a.vad (עֲבַד "servant/slave" H5649)
Usage: Occurs in 714 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant. See also: Genesis 9:25; Exodus 11:3; 1 Samuel 8:16.
וּ/לְמַ֥עַן maʻan H4616 "because" Conj | Prep
This Hebrew word means because of something or for a specific purpose. It is used to explain why something happens or is done. In the Bible, it is used to describe God's intentions or purposes.
Definition: 1) purpose, intent prep 1a) for the sake of 1b) in view of, on account of 1c) for the purpose of, to the intent that, in order to conj 1d) to the end that
Usage: Occurs in 252 OT verses. KJV: because of, to the end (intent) that, for (to,... 's sake), [phrase] lest, that, to. See also: Genesis 12:13; 2 Kings 13:23; Psalms 5:9.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם Yᵉrûwshâlaim H3389 "Jerusalem" N-proper
Jerusalem is the capital city of Palestine, also known as the city of peace. It was the chief city of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
Definition: § Jerusalem = "teaching of peace" the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split
Usage: Occurs in 600 OT verses. KJV: Jerusalem. See also: Joshua 10:1; 2 Kings 22:14; 2 Chronicles 24:6.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר ʼăsher H834 "which" Rel
This Hebrew word is a conjunction that connects ideas and events in the Bible, like in the book of Genesis, where it's used to describe the relationship between God and His creation.
Definition: A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when
Usage: Occurs in 4440 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever, when, where ([phrase] -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, [phrase] whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection. See also: Genesis 1:7; Genesis 20:9; Genesis 31:16.
בָּחָֽרְתִּי bâchar H977 "to choose" V-Qal-Perf-1cs
To choose or select is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which appears in Deuteronomy. It can also mean to be chosen or elected. The KJV translates it as 'choose' or 'acceptable'.
Definition: 1) to choose, elect, decide for 1a) (Qal) to choose 1b) (Niphal) to be chosen 1c) (Pual) to be chosen, selected
Usage: Occurs in 162 OT verses. KJV: acceptable, appoint, choose (choice), excellent, join, be rather, require. See also: Genesis 6:2; 2 Kings 23:27; Psalms 25:12.

Study Notes — 1 Kings 11:13

Show Verse Quote Highlights

Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1 1 Kings 12:20 When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.
2 Deuteronomy 12:11 then the LORD your God will choose a dwelling for His Name. And there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice offerings you vow to the LORD.
3 1 Kings 11:32 But one tribe will remain for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.
4 Deuteronomy 12:5 Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.
5 Psalms 132:13–14 For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His home: “This is My resting place forever and ever; here I will dwell, for I have desired this home.
6 Luke 1:32–33 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!”
7 Isaiah 62:7 nor give Him any rest until He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.
8 Jeremiah 33:15–26 In those days and at that time I will cause to sprout for David a righteous Branch, and He will administer justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely, and this is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness. For this is what the LORD says: David will never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, nor will the priests who are Levites ever fail to have a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to present sacrifices.” And the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: “This is what the LORD says: If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that day and night cease to occupy their appointed time, then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant and with My ministers the Levites who are priests, so that David will not have a son to reign on his throne. As the hosts of heaven cannot be counted and as the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so too will I multiply the descendants of My servant David and the Levites who minister before Me.” Moreover, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: “Have you not noticed what these people are saying: ‘The LORD has rejected the two families He had chosen’? So they despise My people and no longer regard them as a nation. This is what the LORD says: If I have not established My covenant with the day and the night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, then I would also reject the descendants of Jacob and of My servant David, so as not to take from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore them from captivity and will have compassion on them.”
9 2 Kings 13:23 But the LORD was gracious to Israel and had compassion on them, and He turned toward them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day, the LORD has been unwilling to destroy them or cast them from His presence.
10 Psalms 132:17 There I will make a horn grow for David; I have prepared a lamp for My anointed one.

1 Kings 11:13 Summary

This verse tells us that even though Solomon's son would face consequences for his father's sins, God would still show him mercy and let him keep one tribe. This shows that God is a loving and faithful God who remembers His promises, like the one He made to David in 2 Samuel 7:12-13. It also reminds us that God is in control of everything and can choose to show mercy or discipline as He sees fit, as mentioned in Jeremiah 18:7-10. By trusting in God's sovereignty and mercy, we can have hope and peace, even in difficult times, just like David did in Psalm 23:4.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did God decide not to tear the whole kingdom away from Solomon's son?

God chose to show mercy and spare one tribe for the sake of His servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which He had chosen, as seen in 1 Kings 11:13 and also in 2 Samuel 7:15-16 where God's covenant with David is established.

What does this verse reveal about God's character?

This verse shows that God is a God of mercy and faithfulness, who remembers His promises to those who have been faithful to Him, such as David, as mentioned in 1 Kings 11:13 and Psalm 89:33-34.

How does this verse relate to the concept of God's sovereignty?

This verse demonstrates God's sovereignty over the kingdoms of men, as He determines the fate of nations and rulers, yet also shows His willingness to temper judgment with mercy, as seen in Isaiah 46:10 and Romans 9:15.

What can we learn from God's decision to give one tribe to Solomon's son?

We can learn that God's judgments are always tempered with mercy and that He is willing to show compassion, even in the midst of discipline, as seen in 1 Kings 11:13 and Lamentations 3:22-23.

Reflection Questions

  1. What does this verse teach me about the balance between God's justice and mercy in my own life?
  2. How can I trust in God's sovereignty, even when I don't understand the circumstances of my life?
  3. In what ways can I show mercy and compassion to others, just as God has shown to me?
  4. What does this verse reveal about the importance of remembering and honoring God's promises and covenants?

Gill's Exposition on 1 Kings 11:13

Howbeit, I will not rend away all the kingdom,.... The whole kingdom of Israel: but will give one tribe to thy son; but it seems he had both Benjamin and Judah, and only ten tribes were rent from

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 11:13

Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.

Matthew Poole's Commentary on 1 Kings 11:13

How but one tribe, when he had both Judah and Benjamin, ? Answ. Either Benjamin is swallowed up in Judah, because it was comparatively very small, and their habitation much intermixed with that of Judah: or one, to wit, of that kingdom which he here threatens to rend away from him, i.e. of the kingdom of Israel, and that was Benjamin; one beside Judah, which was his own tribe: or but one, because Benjamin was not entirely his, but part of it adhered to Jeroboam, as Beth-el, , and Ephrain, , both which were towns of Benjamin, . Or if God promised to give one, and gave him two, I suppose that was no great injury to him. For Jerusalem’ s sake; not, surely, for its merits; but because he had chosen it, as it follows, to be the seat of his temple and worship; it being God’ s usual method to give to him that hath, and to continue and multiply favours to them whom he hath begun to favour.

Trapp's Commentary on 1 Kings 11:13

1 Kings 11:13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; [but] will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’ s sake, and for Jerusalem’ s sake which I have chosen.Ver. 13. I will not rend away all.] Here is a second mitigation of the sentence. See 1 Kings 11:12. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion: he quickly repenteth him of the evil, and leaveth a blessing behind him. One tribe.] Benjamin is reckoned as part of Judah, because within him. For David my servant’ s sake.] Five times in this chapter is David honoured with this title, and therein God’ s dear respects unto him expressed: but all of mere mercy. How this message wrought upon Solomon is uncertain. Some hold that hereupon he repented; others judge otherwise, and that (1.) Because he replied nothing; (2.) Because that after this he sought to slay Jeroboam, to prevent the rending away of his kingdom threatened, as Saul did to slay David.

Ellicott's Commentary on 1 Kings 11:13

(12, 13) For David my servant’s sake—that is, evidently, in order to fulfil the promise to David. By the postponement of the chastisement, the blessing promised to his son personally would be still preserved; by the retaining of the kingdom, though shorn of its splendour, and limited to Judah, the larger and more important promise, the continuance of the family of David till the coming of the Messiah, would be fulfilled. The “one tribe” is, of course, Judah, with which Benjamin was indissolubly united by the very position of the capital on its frontier. This is curiously indicated in 1 Kings 11:31-32, where “ten tribes” are given to Jeroboam, and the remainder out of the twelve is still called “one tribe.”

Adam Clarke's Commentary on 1 Kings 11:13

Verse 13. Will give one tribe - for David my servant's sake] The line of the Messiah must be preserved. The prevailing lion must come out of the tribe of Judah: not only the tribe must be preserved, but the regal line and the regal right. All this must be done for the true David's sake: and this was undoubtedly what God had in view by thus miraculously preserving the tribe of Judah and the royal line, in the midst of so general a defection. And for Jerusalem's sake] As David was a type of the Messiah, so was Jerusalem a type of the true Church: therefore the OLD Jerusalem must be preserved in the hands of the tribe of Judah, till the true David should establish the NEW Jerusalem in the same land, and in the same city. And what a series of providences did it require to do all these things!

Cambridge Bible on 1 Kings 11:13

13. but will give one tribe] The reference is to the tribe of Judah from which the southern kingdom took its name. Benjamin which went with Judah was so small as to be hardly worth accounting of, and Simeon was also absorbed in Judah. The same form of words is used below (1 Kings 11:32) in the account of Ahijah’s action, though it is expressly said in a previous verse ‘Take thee ten pieces.’ One reason for the close union of Benjamin with Judah was that the territorial division between the two tribes was such as to make the Temple the common property of both. The city of the Jebusite, which David conquered, and all the ground north of the valley of Hinnom was in the tribe of Benjamin. for Jerusalem’s sake, which I have chosen] In Deuteronomy 12:5 it is signified that God will choose some place out of all the tribes ‘to place His name there,’ and in 1 Kings 14:21 Jerusalem is expressly called ‘the city which the Lord did choose out of all the tribes of Israel to put His name there.’ Hence the place was an object of Jehovah’s unchanging regard.

Barnes' Notes on 1 Kings 11:13

One tribe - i. e., (marginal reference) the tribe of Judah. Benjamin was looked upon as absorbed in Judah, so as not to be really a tribe in the same sense as the others.

Whedon's Commentary on 1 Kings 11:13

13. One tribe — The tribe of Judah, to which David belonged, and into which the tribe of Benjamin seems to have been absorbed. 1 Kings 12:21.

Sermons on 1 Kings 11:13

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