Bible Strands
1 Kings 11:30
And Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing, tore it into twelve pieces,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Ahijah the prophet confronts Jeroboam alone in an open field as Jeroboam departs Jerusalem. He seizes the new cloak he is wearing to perform a visible sign.
The words — The verb וַ/יִּקְרָעֶ֔/הָ (va/i.Yik.ra.'E./ha) means "and he tore it," denoting the violent ripping of the fabric. The noun בַּ/שַּׂלְמָ֥ה (ba./sal.Mah) translates as "the cloak," identifying the specific garment Ahijah handles.
The thread — The act of tearing a garment functions as a prophetic sign elsewhere in Scripture, notably in 1 Samuel 15:27 and 1 Samuel 24:4. The division of the cloak into twelve pieces directly mirrors the impending split of the united monarchy into ten tribes and the remnant of Judah.
Why it lands — The text records a physical action that precedes a spoken decree, grounding divine judgment in observable reality. It requires the reader to recognize that prophetic symbols are not decorative but carry immediate political and theological weight.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 15:27 As Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the hem of his robe, and it tore.
- 1 Samuel 24:4 So David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do with him as you wish.’” Then David crept up and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.