1 Kings 12:7

7 They told him, "If you will serve these people today, humble yourself, and speak gently, then they will always be your servants."

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.

---

FOOTNOTES:

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

1 Kings 12:7 In-Context

5 He said to them, "Leave and come back the day after tomorrow." So the people left.

6 King Rehoboam sought advice from the older leaders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive. He asked, "What do you advise? How should I respond to these people?"

7 They told him, "If you will serve these people today, humble yourself, and speak gently, then they will always be your servants."

8 But he ignored the advice the older leaders gave him. He sought advice from the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.

9 He asked them, "What is your advice? How should we respond to these people who are asking me to lighten the burden my father put on them?"