1 Kings 12:5

And hee said vnto them, Depart yet for three daies, then come againe to me. And the people departed. 1 Kings 12:5 (KJV)

And he said unto them, Depart yet

for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed. 1 Kings 12:5 (KJV)

The passage 1 Kings 12:5 records a pivotal moment in the early reign of Rehoboam, son of King Solomon. Upon Solomon’s death, Rehoboam assumed the throne of Israel. The people of the northern tribes, burdened by the heavy yoke of taxes and forced labour that Solomon had imposed, approached the new king seeking relief. They gathered before Rehoboam, pleading for a lighter burden and asking that the oppressive demands be eased.

In response, Rehoboam did not give an immediate answer. He first turned to the seasoned counselors who had served his father, seeking their advice on how to handle the petition. After hearing their counsel, Rehoboam’s initial reply to the crowd was to ask for a brief postponement: he instructed them to depart for three days and then return. By doing so, he requested time to deliberate, to consider the people’s request, and to weigh the counsel he had received.

This measured pause reveals Rehoboam’s desire to avoid a hasty decision that might either alienate the people or undermine his authority. Rather than granting instant relief or outright rejecting the plea, he chose to give the nation a period of waiting, signaling that the matter would be taken seriously. The people complied with his instruction and left, trusting that the king would return with a considered response.

The episode underscores the tension between royal authority and popular demand in the early divided kingdom. It also sets the stage for the subsequent decisions that would lead to the eventual split of Israel into the northern and southern kingdoms. Rehoboam’s request for three days of deliberation becomes a critical turning point, illustrating the importance of wise counsel, patient judgment, and the consequences of leadership choices in the biblical narrative.