2 Chronicles 10:16

2Ch 10:16 And when all Israel [saw] that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and [we have] none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: [and] now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents.

Ver. 16. So all Israel went to their tents.] Revolted from Rehoboam, as likewise, upon a like discontent, did the Saracens from Heraclius the Roman emperor, soon overrunning Syria, Egypt, Persia, and other flourishing kingdoms, now in the possession of the Turks. {a}

{a} Paul. Aemyl.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10:16 The people responded using words that were the converse of a poetic saying the Chronicler had used earlier (1 Chr 12:18); there, the people of the southern tribes of Benjamin and Judah (1 Chr 12:16) showed growing support for David.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 16. To your tents, O Israel] "To your cities, O Israel." - Targum.

Now, David, see to thine own house.] "Now, David, rule over the men of thy own house." - Targum.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(16) And when all Israel saw.—Now all Israel had seen. Kings: “And all Israel saw.” The chronicler makes a new start. (The word “saw” is wanting in very many Hebrew MSS., and in LXX., Vulg., and Targ., and some Hebrew editions.)

Answered.—Returned the king—scil., a word, which Kings supplies.

Every man to your tents, O Israel.—Literally, A man (’îsh) to thy tents, &c. The word “man” is probably spurious, being due to a repetition of the letters of the preceding proper name Jesse (Heb., Yishai or Ishai). Kings, LXX., Vulg. are without it, but Syriac has it.

See to thine own house—i.e., govern Judah, thine own tribe. Vulg., “pasce domum tuam.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

16–19 (= 1Ki_12:16-19). The Revolt

16. And we have none inheritance] R.V. neither have we inheritance. Contrast the language of the ten tribes after the collapse of Absalom’s rebellion: We have ten parts in the king (2Sa_19:43).

to your tents] See note on 2Ch_7:10.

And now, David, see to thine own house] R.V. now see to thine own house, David.

went] R.V. departed.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

People. Hebrew, "and when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying: What portion have we in David?" (Protestants) --- Dwellings. Many ancient Latin manuscripts here insert 3 Kings xii. 20. (Lyranus, &c.) (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

What portion have we in David?. (see 2Sa_20:1) To your tents, O Israel; i.e. there is nothing more to be done here; all may as well go home. The use, and especially repeated use, of the names, David, Jesse, David, plainly speaks tribe rivalry, if not jealousy.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

See to thine own house - When public affairs are in a ferment, violent proceedings do but make ill worse. Many have been driven to the mischief they did not intend, by being too severely dealt with.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Israel

"Israel," the ten tribes other than Judah and Benjamin, often called "Israel" in distinction from Judah. The division of the kingdom marks an epoch of great importance in the history of the nation. Henceforth it is "a kingdom divided against itself." Mat 12:25. The two kingdoms are to be reunited in the future kingdom.; Isa 11:10-13; Jer 23:5; Jer 23:6; Eze 37:15-28. See "Kingdom" (O.T.), (See Scofield "Gen 1:26") See Scofield "Zec 12:8". (N.T.),; Luk 1:31; 1Co 15:28. "Israel,"; Gen 12:2; Gen 12:3; Rom 11:26.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

all Israel

Here "Israel" is a metonym for the men of Israel. The word "all" is a generalization. AT: "the men of Israel" (See: Metonymy and Hyperbole and Generalization)

the king did not listen to them

Here "listen to the people" represents not caring about what they said or about actually doing what they asked. AT: "the king did not do what they had asked him to do" or "the king ignored them" (See: Metonymy)

What share do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse

The people use this question and statement to imply that since they do not belong to David's family, they are not obligated to support David's grandson, King Rehoboam. AT: "We have no share in David. We will not have anything to do with the descendants of the son of Jesse" (See: Rhetorical Question and Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

What share do we have in David?

Having a share in someone represents being his descendants and receiving the good things that descendants receive. AT: "We do not belong to the family of David" (See: Metonymy)

We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse

"Son of Jesse" here is a metonym for David, a son of Jesse. Having an inheritance in someone represents being his descendants and receiving the good things that descendants receive. AT: "We will not receive any inheritance from the son of Jesse" or "We will have nothing to do with the his descendants" (See: Metonymy)

Each of you should go back to his tent

"Tent" here is a metonym representing people's homes. AT: "Go to your homes, people of Israel" (See: Metonymy)

Now see to your own house, David

Here "see to" is an idiom meaning to take care of something, and "house" is a metonym for David's lineage of power and prestige. AT: "Now take care of your own kingdom, descendant of David" (See: Idiom and Metonymy)

translationWords

Israel

David

inherit

Jesse

tent

house

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Each man to your homes, O Israel This refers back to, “What share do we have in David?” Why should we leave our homes and follow him? Not so, but all Israel, return each man to his home.

Now see your house, David This refers back to, “And no heritage in Jesse’s son,” i.e., we have no heritage in him, but in the Temple in Jerusalem, where we sacrifice and appear on the three Pilgrimage Festivals.

see your house, David We do not need it to go there. Let it be yours alone. (But all this does not appeal to me) but, “See your house, David we have no desire either in you or in your Temple.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.