1 Kings 12:26
New International Version
Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David.

New Living Translation
Jeroboam thought to himself, “Unless I am careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty of David.

English Standard Version
And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David.

Berean Standard Bible
Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom might revert to the house of David.

King James Bible
And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:

New King James Version
And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David:

New American Standard Bible
And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David.

NASB 1995
Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David.

NASB 1977
And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David.

Amplified Bible
Jeroboam [doubted God’s promise to him and] said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David.

Christian Standard Bible
Jeroboam said to himself, “The kingdom might now return to the house of David.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jeroboam said to himself, “The way things are going now, the kingdom might return to the house of David.

American Standard Version
And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now will the kingdom return to the house of David:

English Revised Version
And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He said to himself, "The kingdom will probably return to David's dynasty now.

International Standard Version
Jeroboam was thinking to himself, "The kingdom is about to return to David's control.

Majority Standard Bible
Jeroboam said in his heart, ?Now the kingdom might revert to the house of David.

NET Bible
Jeroboam then thought to himself: "Now the Davidic dynasty could regain the kingdom.

New Heart English Bible
Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom will return to the house of David.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:

World English Bible
Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to David’s house.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and Jeroboam says in his heart, “Now the kingdom turns back to the house of David—

Young's Literal Translation
and Jeroboam saith in his heart, 'Now doth the kingdom turn back to the house of David --

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jeroboam will say in his heart, Now will the kingdom turn back to the house of David.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Jeroboam said in his heart: Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David,

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Jeroboam said in his heart: “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David,

New American Bible
Jeroboam thought to himself: “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David.

New Revised Standard Version
Then Jeroboam said to himself, “Now the kingdom may well revert to the house of David.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now the kingdom will return to the house of David;And when the prophet who brought him back from the way heard of it, he said. It is the prophet of God who disobeyed the word of the LORD; therefore the LORD has delivered him to the lion, which has torn him and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke to him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Yorbaam said in his heart: “The kingdom is returning to the house of David.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Jeroboam said in his heart: 'Now will the kingdom return to the house of David.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Jeroboam said in his heart, Behold, now the kingdom will return to the house of David.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jeroboam's Idolatry
25Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And from there he went out and built Penuel. 26Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom might revert to the house of David. 27If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, their hearts will return to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah; then they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”…

Cross References
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 11:37-38
But as for you, I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your heart desires, and you will be king over Israel. / If you listen to all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight in order to keep My statutes and commandments as My servant David did, then I will be with you. I will build you a lasting dynasty just as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.

2 Chronicles 10:16-19
When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So all the Israelites went home, / but Rehoboam still reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah. / Then King Rehoboam sent out Hadoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste and escaped to Jerusalem. ...

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 ...

Hosea 8:4
They set up kings, but not by Me. They make princes, but without My approval. With their silver and gold they make themselves idols, to their own destruction.

Hosea 13:10-11
Where is your king now to save you in all your cities, and the rulers to whom you said, “Give me a king and princes”? / So in My anger I gave you a king, and in My wrath I took him away.

1 Samuel 8:7-9
And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king. / Just as they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. / Now listen to their voice; but you must solemnly warn them and show them the manner of the king who will reign over them.”

1 Samuel 12:12-15
But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king to rule over us’—even though the LORD your God was your king. / Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you requested. Behold, the LORD has placed a king over you. / If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and if you do not rebel against the command of the LORD, and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the LORD your God, then all will be well. ...

2 Samuel 7:12-16
And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. / He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. / I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. ...

2 Samuel 12:7-8
Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. / I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more.

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.

Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

John 11:48
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.”

John 19:12
From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.”


Treasury of Scripture

And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:

said in his heart

Psalm 14:1
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

Mark 2:6-8
But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, …

Luke 7:39
Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

Now shall

1 Kings 11:38
And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.

1 Samuel 27:1
And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

2 Chronicles 20:20
And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

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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














Jeroboam said in his heart
This phrase indicates an internal dialogue, a moment of introspection and personal reasoning. In Hebrew, the heart (לֵב, lev) often represents the center of thought and decision-making, not just emotion. Jeroboam's internal monologue reveals his fears and insecurities. Historically, Jeroboam was a servant of Solomon who rose to power as the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel after the division. His internal thoughts reflect a common biblical theme: the struggle between faith and fear. In a conservative Christian perspective, this highlights the importance of trusting in God's promises rather than succumbing to personal anxieties.

Now the kingdom might revert
The word "revert" suggests a return or a turning back. In the Hebrew context, this implies a fear of losing control or authority. Jeroboam is concerned about the political stability of his newly established kingdom. The historical context here is crucial; after Solomon's reign, the united monarchy split into two: the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah). Jeroboam's fear of reversion underscores the fragility of human power structures compared to the enduring nature of God's covenant with David. From a conservative viewpoint, this serves as a reminder of the transient nature of earthly kingdoms and the eternal nature of God's kingdom.

to the house of David
The "house of David" refers to the Davidic dynasty ruling over Judah. This phrase is loaded with covenantal significance. God's promise to David, as recorded in 2 Samuel 7, was that his throne would be established forever. Jeroboam's fear is rooted in the divine legitimacy of David's line. Archaeologically, evidence of the "House of David" inscription found in Tel Dan supports the historical reality of David's dynasty. For conservative Christians, this phrase reaffirms the belief in God's faithfulness to His promises and the messianic hope fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is of the lineage of David. Jeroboam's anxiety contrasts with the assurance believers have in God's unchanging promises.

Verse 26. - And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David [It needed much less prescience than Jeroboam seems to have possessed to perceive that fortresses and armies would be of no avail for the defence of his realm, so long as Jerusalem remained the one sanctuary of the land. He clearly foresaw that if the people went up thither, as in time past, three times a year, to keep the feasts, the religious sentiment would in time reassert itself and sweep him and his new dynasty away. With one religion, one sanctuary, one priesthood, there could not long be two kingdoms. People who had so much in common would, sooner or later, complete the unity of their national life under a common sovereign. And we find, indeed, that so powerful were the attractions of the temple, and the religious system of which it was the centre, that "the priests and Levites that were in all Israel," together with the more devout laity, fell away to Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:13, 16), while the speech of Abijah on Mount Zemaraim (2 Chronicles 13:11), proves that others as well as Jeroboam were well aware that the old religion and the new kingdom could hardly coexist.]

Parallel Commentaries ...


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

said
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

in his heart,
בְּלִבּ֑וֹ (bə·lib·bōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

“Now,
עַתָּ֛ה (‘at·tāh)
Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time

the kingdom
הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה (ham·mam·lā·ḵāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4467: Kingdom, sovereignty, dominion, reign

might revert
תָּשׁ֥וּב (tā·šūḇ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

to the house
לְבֵ֥ית (lə·ḇêṯ)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of David.
דָּוִֽד׃ (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse


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OT History: 1 Kings 12:26 Jeroboam said in his heart Now will (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
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