The tearing apart of the united kingdom reaches the point of no return. The people officially crown their veteran opposition leader, leaving the royal dynasty of David with control over a vastly reduced territory.
The sequence of events presents a challenge, as the nation is described as hearing about the return of Jeroboam and sending for him to lead, yet he had already been openly present during the earlier negotiations with the king. One perspective resolves this by drawing a line between the national leadership and the everyday citizens. At first, only the elders and heads of the nation knew that Jeroboam had come back from Egypt. They were the ones who brought him to represent their demands. It was only after those talks broke down and a three-day waiting period passed that the news of his return spread to the general public. At that point, the masses sent for him to make him their king [מצודת דוד, אלשיך].
Another approach looks at the physical and political movements of the moment. Jeroboam had been known as a potential rebel since the previous administration [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. After the tense confrontation with the king ended and the crowds scattered, Jeroboam simply went back to his hometown and family. Only later did the entire nation gather again, likely in Shechem, to officially offer him the crown [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. This second summons represents a critical turning point: the exact moment the people abandoned their hesitation, finalizing their rebellion against the royal family to give Jeroboam the throne [מלבי״ם].
As the divided nation settles into its new reality, the loyalists of the Davidic dynasty are described as consisting solely of the tribe of Judah. However, there is broad agreement that the tribe of Benjamin also remained loyal. Their omission is a matter of politics and geography. Benjamin was essentially absorbed into Judah's massive territory, becoming secondary to Judah's dominant status and honor [רלב״ג, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. Furthermore, the capital city of Jerusalem sat directly on the border between these two tribes. It was an accepted reality that whoever held power in Jerusalem naturally ruled over both tribes together as a single, unified entity [רד״ק, מצודת דוד].