So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the LORD might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

2 CHRONICLES 10:15KJV
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2 Chronicles 10:15 (KJV)

What does 2 Chronicles 10:15 mean?

2 Chronicles 10:15 explains that the king did not listen to the people's request because God had a purpose in allowing this outcome. The verse says that this was so the LORD could fulfill the message He had previously spoken through the prophet Ahijah to Jeroboam.

The setting is the early days of King Rehoboam's reign over Israel. The people had asked Rehoboam to lighten the harsh labor demands his father Solomon had placed on them. Rehoboam rejected their plea, and this decision led to the division of the kingdom. The verse points out that this turn of events was not just a political mistake but was part of God's plan, as spoken earlier by the prophet Ahijah to Jeroboam, who would become king over the northern tribes.

The Hebrew behind 2 Chronicles 10:15

  • "hearkened" (שָׁמַע, shamaʿ): This word means to listen or pay attention. The verse emphasizes that Rehoboam did not just fail to hear but actively chose not to respond to the people's request.
  • "cause" (סִבָּה, sibbah): This word means a reason or turning, often understood as something that brings about a change. Here, it highlights that the situation was not random but had a divine reason behind it.
  • "perform" (קוּם, qum): This word means to establish or carry out. The verse uses it to show that God was actively bringing about what He had promised through His word.
  • "word" (דָּבָר, davar): This means a spoken message or command. The verse points to a specific prophecy given earlier, showing that God's word is reliable and comes to pass.

Why 2 Chronicles 10:15 matters

  • The verse clarifies that the split of Israel into two kingdoms was not just a result of human stubbornness or poor leadership, but was ultimately guided by God's purpose and promise.
  • It connects the events in Rehoboam's reign directly to earlier prophecies, showing how God’s plans unfold over time, even through difficult or unexpected circumstances.
  • The verse helps readers see that sometimes events that seem like political or personal failures are actually part of a larger story that God is working out, as revealed through His prophets.

Where else these words appear

“Shilonite” Hebrew H7888 · used in 6 verses

  • 1 Kings 11:29 And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:
  • 1 Kings 12:15 Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
  • 1 Chronicles 9:5 And of the Shilonites; Asaiah the firstborn, and his sons.

“Ahijah” Hebrew H281 · used in 23 verses

  • 1 Samuel 14:3 And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD'S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.
  • 1 Kings 14:4 And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age.
  • 1 Kings 21:22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

“Nebat” Hebrew H5028 · used in 25 verses

  • 1 Kings 11:26 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.
  • 1 Kings 22:52 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin:
  • 2 Kings 15:18 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

“Jeroboam” Hebrew H3379 · used in 95 verses

  • 1 Kings 11:26 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.
  • 1 Kings 14:30 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.
  • 2 Kings 15:1 In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.