1 Kings 12:10-20

10 And the young men, that were nourished with him (who grew up with him), said to him, Thus speak thou to this people, that spake to thee, and said, Thy father made grievous our yoke, relieve thou us; thus thou shalt speak to them, My least finger is greater than the back of my father;
11 and now (though) my father putted on you a grievous yoke, forsooth I shall add on(to) your yoke (but I shall add to your yoke); my father beat you with scourges, but I shall beat you with scorpions .
12 Therefore Jeroboam, and all the people, came to Rehoboam, in the third day, as the king spake, saying, Turn ye again to me in the third day (Come ye back to me in three days).
13 And the king answered hard things to the people, while the counsel of [the] elder men was forsaken, that they had given to him;
14 and he spake to them by the counsel of [the] young men, and said, My father made grievous your yoke, forsooth I shall add to your yoke; my father beat you with scourges, but I shall beat you with scorpions.
15 And the king assented not to the people, for the Lord had turned him away, that the Lord should raise up his word, that he had spoken in the hand of the prophet Ahijah of Shiloh to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. (And the king assented not to the people, for the Lord had turned him away from them, so that the Lord could raise up his word, which he had spoken by the prophet Ahijah of Shiloh to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat.)
16 Then the people saw, that the king would not hear them, and the people answered to the king, and said, What part is to us in David, either what heritage in the son of Jesse? Israel, turn thou again into thy tabernacles; now, David, see thou (to) thine house. And Israel went into his tabernacles. (Then the people saw that the king would not listen to them, and the people answered to the king, and said, What part is for us with David, or what inheritance with the son of Jesse? Israel, return thou to thy homes; and David, see thou to thy own house. And the people of Israel went back to their homes.)
17 Forsooth Rehoboam reigned on the sons of Israel, which dwelled in the cities of Judah. (And so Rehoboam reigned only upon those Israelites, who lived in the cities of Judah.)
18 Therefore king Rehoboam sent Adoram, that was on the tributes; and all the people of Israel stoned him, and he was dead (And so King Rehoboam sent out Adoram, who was over the taxes, or the levies; and all the people of Israel stoned him, and he died). Forsooth king Rehoboam went up hastily upon his chariot, and fled into Jerusalem;
19 and Israel departed from the house of David, till into this present day. (and so Israel, that is, the Northern Kingdom, hast been in rebellion against the house of David, unto this present day.)
20 Forsooth it was done, when all Israel had heard that Jeroboam [was] turned again, they sent, and called him, when the company was gathered together, and they made him king upon all Israel; and no man followed the house of David, except the lineage alone of Judah. (And so it was done, when all Israel had heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent for him, and when the people were gathered together, they made him king upon all Israel; and no man followed the house of David, except the tribe of Judah.)

1 Kings 12:10-20 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.