1 Kings 12:7

7 And they spoke unto him, saying, "If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them and answer them and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever."

1 Kings 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 Kings 12:7 In-Context

5 And he said unto them, "Depart yet for three days, then come again to me." And the people departed.

6 And King Rehoboam consulted with the old men who stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, "How do ye advise that I may answer this people?"

7 And they spoke unto him, saying, "If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them and answer them and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever."

8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him, and who stood before him.

9 And he said unto them, "What counsel give ye that we may answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, `Make the yoke which thy father put upon us lighter'?"