וְלֹֽא־שָׁמַ֥ע הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֶל־הָעָ֑ם כִּֽי־הָיְתָ֤ה סִבָּה֙ מֵעִ֣ם יְהוָ֔ה לְמַ֜עַן הָקִ֣ים אֶת־דְּבָר֗וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֤ר יְהוָה֙ בְּיַד֙ אֲחִיָּ֣ה הַשִּׁילֹנִ֔י אֶל־יָרָבְעָ֖ם בֶּן־נְבָֽט׃
Der König gab also kein Gehör dem Volke, denn es war also bestimmt von dem Herrn, damit er sein Wort bestätige, das der Herr geredet durch Achija aus Silo zu Jerobeam, Sohn Nebats.
From David to Destruction
So how do we explain Rechav'am's extraordinarily foolish behavior at his inauguration? The answer seems quite straightforward and obvious from Melachim I 12:15, “VeLo Shama HaMelech El Ha’Am Ki Hayetah Sibah Mei’Im Hashem LeMa’an Hakim Et Devaro Asher Dibeir Hashem BeYad Achiyah HaShiloni El Yarav’am ben Nevat,” “The king [Rechav'am] did not listen to the people for it was a design from Hashem, in order to fulfill His word that Hashem had spoken through the hand of Achiyah the Shilonite to Yarav’am the son of Nevat [to split the kingdom as a punishment to Shlomo HaMelech].”
Rashbam
דבה, the word is related to דובב, as in Song of Songs 7,10 דובב שפתי ישנים, “He makes the lips of those who sleep (in their graves) move and articulate words.” [The author quotes more verses, i.e. Proverbs 11,10 Job 20,5, but I confess that I do not understand how they relate to דבה. Ed.]