11:26 Jeroboam son of Nebat, one of Solomon’s servants, rebelled against 1 the king. He was an Ephraimite 2 from Zeredah whose mother was a widow named Zeruah. 11:27 This is what prompted him to rebel against the king: 3 Solomon built a terrace and he closed up a gap in the wall of the city of his father David. 4 11:28 Jeroboam was a talented man; 5 when Solomon saw that the young man was an accomplished worker, he made him the leader of the work crew from the tribe 6 of Joseph. 11:29 At that time, when Jeroboam had left Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road; the two of them were alone in the open country. Ahijah 7 was wearing a brand new robe, 11:30 and he grabbed the robe 8 and tore it into twelve pieces. 11:31 Then he told Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces, for this is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Look, I am about to tear the kingdom from Solomon’s hand and I will give ten tribes to you.
1 tn Heb “raised a hand against.”
2 tn Heb “Ephrathite,” which here refers to an Ephraimite (see HALOT 81 s.v. אֶפְרַיִם).
3 tn Heb “this is the matter concerning which he raised a hand against the king.”
4 sn The city of his father David. The phrase refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
5 tn Heb “man of strength.”
6 tn Heb “house.”
7 tn The Hebrew text has simply “he,” making it a bit unclear whether Jeroboam or Ahijah is the subject, but in the Hebrew word order Ahijah is the nearer antecedent, and this is followed by the present translation.
8 tn Heb “and Ahijah grabbed the new robe that was on him.”
9 tn Heb “but Jeroboam arose and ran away to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt.”