And when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. None followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah alone — The northern secession becomes formalized with Jeroboam's acclamation. The phrase וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ וַיִּקְרְאוּ־לוֹ (vayishlahu vayikr'u-lo, they sent and called for him) shows the deliberate popular choice. Only Judah cleaves to the Davidic house, making the south the remnant kingdom, the heir of David's promises. The phrase "Judah alone" emphasizes the south's isolation and, implicitly, its fidelity—a frame the Deuteronomistic historian favors.

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