1 Kings 12:33

33 And he went up upon the altar, which he had builded in Bethel, in the fifteenth day of the eighth month, which he had feigned of his heart; and he made a solemnity to the sons of Israel, and he went upon the altar, that he should burn incense. (And so he went up to the altar, which he had built in Bethel, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, which month he had chosen out of his own heart; and he made a feast for the sons of Israel, and he went up to the altar, so that he could burn incense on it.)

1 Kings 12:33 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 12:33

So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the
fifteenth day of the eighth month
As he had done in Dan:

even in the month which he had devised of his own heart;
the feast of tabernacles was of God's appointing, but the time of keeping he had devised himself, changing it from the seventh month, or Tisri, which answers to our September and October, to the eighth month, or Marchesvan, which answers to part of October and part of November:

and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel;
to be observed by them as the feast of tabernacles was by the priests of Judah and Benjamin:

and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense;
which none but the priests should do; perhaps the reason why the same resentment was not shown as to Uzziah was, because this was not at the altar of the Lord: whether he burnt incense after the manner of the Jewish priests, or as the priests of Egypt did to the sun, where he had been for some time, is not certain; the former burnt incense only twice a day, morning and evening, the latter three times; at sunrising they burnt rosin, about noon myrrh, and about sun setting "kuphi", which was a compound of sixteen sorts F23.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 Plutarch de lside & Osiride.

1 Kings 12:33 In-Context

31 And Jeroboam made temples in high places (And Jeroboam made temples at the hill shrines), and he made priests (out) of the last men of the people, the which were not of the sons of Levi.
32 And the king ordained a solemn day in the eighth month, in the fifteen day of the month, by [the] likeness of the solemnity that was hallowed in Judah. And the king went up, and made in like manner an altar in Bethel, that he should offer to the calves, which he had made; and he ordained in Bethel priests of the high places, which he had made. (And the king ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteen day of the month, like the feast that was kept in Judah. And the king went up to Bethel, and offered on the altar that he had made to the calves, which he had made; and he ordered the priests of the hill shrines, to serve at the altar in Bethel, which he had made.)
33 And he went up upon the altar, which he had builded in Bethel, in the fifteenth day of the eighth month, which he had feigned of his heart; and he made a solemnity to the sons of Israel, and he went upon the altar, that he should burn incense. (And so he went up to the altar, which he had built in Bethel, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, which month he had chosen out of his own heart; and he made a feast for the sons of Israel, and he went up to the altar, so that he could burn incense on it.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.