1 Reis 12:7

7 Eles responderam: “Se hoje fores um servo deste povo e servi-lo, dando-lhe uma resposta favorável, eles sempre serão 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 Roboão respondeu: “Voltem a mim daqui a três dias”. Então o povo foi embora.

6 O rei Roboão perguntou às autoridades que haviam servido ao seu pai, Salomão, durante a vida dele: “Como vocês me aconselham a responder a este povo?”

7 Eles responderam: “Se hoje fores um servo deste povo e servi-lo, dando-lhe uma resposta favorável, eles sempre serão teus servos”.

8 Roboão, contudo, rejeitou o conselho que as autoridades de Israel lhe tinham dado e consultou os jovens que haviam crescido com ele e o estavam servindo.

9 Perguntou-lhes: “Que conselho vocês me dão? Como devemos responder a este povo, que me diz: ‘Diminui o jugo que teu pai colocou sobre nós’?”