1 Kings 12:26-33

26 Yarov`am said in his heart, Now will the kingdom return to the house of David:

27 if this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Yerushalayim, then will the heart of this people turn again to their lord, even to Rechav`am king of Yehudah; and they will kill me, and return to Rechav`am king of Yehudah.

28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, It is too much for you to go up to Yerushalayim: see your gods, Yisra'el, which brought you up out of the land of Mitzrayim.

29 He set the one in Beit-El, and the other put he in Dan.

30 This thing became a sin; for the people went [to worship] before the one, even to Dan.

31 He made houses of high places, and made Kohanim from among all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

32 Yarov`am ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Yehudah, and he went up to the altar; so did he in Beit-El, sacrificing to the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beit-El the Kohanim of the high places that he had made.

33 He went up to the altar which he had made in Beit-El on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart: and he ordained a feast for the children of Yisra'el, and went up to the altar, to burn incense.

1 Kings 12:26-33 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 12

This chapter relates Rehoboam's going to Shechem to be made king, and Jeroboam's return from Egypt, 1Ki 12:1,2, the people's request to Rehoboam to be eased of their taxes, as the condition of making him king, 1Ki 12:3,4, his answer to them, after three days, having had the advice both of the old and young men, which latter he followed, and gave in a rough answer, 1Ki 12:5-15, upon which ten tribes revolted from him, and two abode by him, 1Ki 12:16-20, wherefore he meditated a war against the ten tribes, but was forbid by the Lord to engage in it, 1Ki 12:21-24 and Jeroboam, in order to establish his kingdom, and preserve the people from a revolt to the house of David, because of the temple worship at Jerusalem, devised a scheme of idolatrous worship in his own territories, 1Ki 12:25-33.