1 Reis 12:7

7 Eles lhe disseram: Se hoje te tornares servo deste povo, e o servires, e, respondendo-lhe, lhe falares boas palavras, eles serão para sempre teus servos.

1 Reis 12:7 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 12:7

And they spake unto him, saying
They gave their advice as follows:

if thou wilt be servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them;
condescend to them, behave in an humble manner towards them, for this day however, and gratify and oblige them; though indeed a king is but a servant to his people, and his administration of government a doing service to them; hence Antigonus ^F6, a king, mild, humble, and gentle, perceiving his son to behave in a fierce and violent manner towards his subjects, said to him, my son, dost thou not know that our glorious kingdom is a servitude?

and answer them, and speak good words unto them;
give them a soft answer, and speak kindly and gently to them, and make them fair promises, and give them reason to expect that their requests will be granted:

then they will be thy servants for ever;
such conduct would so win upon them, and make such an impressions upon them, that they would for ever after entertain high opinion of him, and be strongly affected and attached to him, and readily serve him.

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 Apud Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 2. c. 20.

1 Reis 12:7 In-Context

5 Ele lhes respondeu: Ide-vos até o terceiro dia, e então voltai a mim. E o povo se foi.

6 Teve o rei Roboão conselho com os anciãos que tinham assistido diante de Salomão, seu pai, quando este ainda vivia, e perguntou-lhes: como aconselhais vós que eu responda a este povo?

7 Eles lhe disseram: Se hoje te tornares servo deste povo, e o servires, e, respondendo-lhe, lhe falares boas palavras, eles serão para sempre teus servos.

8 Ele, porém, deixou o conselho que os anciãos lhe deram, e teve conselho com os mancebos que haviam crescido com ele, e que assistiam diante dele,

9 perguntando-lhes: Que aconselhais vós que respondamos a este povo, que me disse: Alivia o jugo que teu pai nos impôs?