1 Kings 12
12
Rehoboam Loses His Kingdom
1 Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel had gathered in#tn Heb “come [to].” Shechem to make Rehoboam#tn Heb “him”; the referent (Rehoboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity. king. 2#tc Verse 2 is not included in the Old Greek translation. See the note on 11:43. When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since.#tn Heb “and Jeroboam lived in Egypt.” The parallel text in 2 Chr 10:2 reads, “and Jeroboam returned from Egypt.” In a purely consonantal text the forms “and he lived” and “and he returned” are identical (וישׁב). 3 They sent for him,#tn Heb “They sent and called for him.” and Jeroboam and the whole Israelite assembly came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “Your father made us work too hard.#tn Heb “made our yoke burdensome.” Now if you lighten the demands he made and don’t make us work as hard, we will serve you.”#tn Heb “but you, now, lighten the burdensome work of your father and the heavy yoke which he placed on us, and we will serve you.” In the Hebrew text the prefixed verbal form with vav (וְנַעַבְדֶךָ, [vÿna’avdekha] “and we will serve you”) following the imperative (הָקֵל [haqel], “lighten”) indicates purpose (or result). The conditional sentence used in the translation above is an attempt to bring out the logical relationship between these forms. 5 He said to them, “Go away for three days, then return to me.” So the people went away.
6 King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served#tn Heb “stood before.” his father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them,#tn Heb “saying.” “How do you advise me to answer these people?” 7 They said to him, “Today if you show a willingness to help these people and grant their request, they will be your servants from this time forward.”#tn Heb “If today you are a servant to these people and you serve them and answer them and speak to them good words, they will be your servants all the days.” 8 But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up.#tn Heb “He rejected the advice of the elders which they advised and he consulted the young men with whom he had grown up, who stood before him.” The referent (Rehoboam) of the initial pronoun (“he”) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 9 He asked them, “How do you advise me#tn In the Hebrew text the verb “we will respond” is plural, although it can be understood as an editorial “we.” The ancient versions have the singular here. to respond to these people who said to me, ‘Lessen the demands your father placed on us’?”#tn Heb “Lighten the yoke which your father placed on us.” 10 The young advisers with whom Rehoboam#tn Heb “he”; the referent (Rehoboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity. had grown up said to him, “Say this to these people who have said to you, ‘Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden.’#tn Heb “Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter upon us.” Say this to them: ‘I am a lot harsher than my father!#tn Heb “My little one is thicker than my father’s hips.” The referent of “my little one” is not clear. The traditional view is that it refers to the little finger. As the following statement makes clear, Rehoboam’s point is that he is more harsh and demanding than his father. 11 My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier.#tn Heb “and now my father placed upon you a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke.” My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.’”#tn Heb “My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions.” “Scorpions” might allude to some type of torture using poisonous insects, but more likely it refers to a type of whip that inflicts an especially biting, painful wound. Cf. CEV “whips with pieces of sharp metal.”
12 Jeroboam and all the people reported#tn Heb “came.” to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ordered when he said, “Return to me on the third day.” 13 The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the older men 14 and followed#tn Heb “and spoke to them according to.” the advice of the younger ones. He said, “My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier.#tn Heb “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke.” My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.”#tn Heb “My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions.” See the note on the same phrase in v. 11. 15 The king refused to listen to the people, because the Lord was instigating this turn of events#tn Heb “because this turn of events was from the Lord.” so that he might bring to pass the prophetic announcement he had made#tn Heb “so that he might bring to pass his word which the Lord spoke.” through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
16 When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king, “We have no portion in David, no share in the son of Jesse!#sn We have no portion in David; no share in the son of Jesse. Their point seems to be that they have no familial relationship with David that brings them any benefits or places upon them any obligations. They are being treated like outsiders. Return to your homes, O Israel!#tn Heb “to your tents, Israel.” The word “return” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Now, look after your own dynasty, O David!”#tn Heb “Now see your house, David.” So Israel returned to their homes.#tn Heb “went to their tents.” 17 (Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.) 18 King Rehoboam sent Adoniram,#tc The MT has “Adoram” here, but the Old Greek translation and Syriac Peshitta have “Adoniram.” Cf. 1 Kgs 4:6. the supervisor of the work crews,#sn The work crews. See the note on this expression in 4:6. out after them, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to jump into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem.#map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic dynasty to this very day. 20 When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. No one except the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the Davidic dynasty.#tn Heb “there was no one [following] after the house of David except the tribe of Judah, it alone.”
21 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he summoned 180,000 skilled warriors from all of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin#tn Heb “he summoned all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred eighty thousand chosen men, accomplished in war.” to attack Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon. 22 But God told Shemaiah the prophet,#tn Heb “and the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying.” 23 “Say this to King Rehoboam son of Solomon of Judah, and to all Judah and Benjamin, as well as the rest of the people, 24 ‘The Lord says this: “Do not attack and make war with your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you go home, for I have caused this to happen.”’”#tn Heb “for this thing is from me.” They obeyed the Lord and went home as the Lord had ordered them to do.#tn Heb “and they heard the word of the Lord and returned to go according to the word of the Lord.”
Jeroboam Makes Golden Calves
25#tc The Old Greek translation has here a lengthy section consisting of twenty-three verses that are not found in the MT. Jeroboam built up Shechem in the Ephraimite hill country and lived there. From there he went out and built up Penuel. 26 Jeroboam then thought to himself:#tn Heb “said in his heart.” “Now the Davidic dynasty could regain the kingdom.#tn Heb “Now the kingdom could return to the house of David.” The imperfect verbal form translated “could return” is understood as having a potential force here. Perhaps this is not strong enough; another option is “will return.” 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem,#map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. their loyalty could shift to their former master,#tn Heb “the heart of these people could return to their master.” King Rehoboam of Judah. They might kill me and return to King Rehoboam of Judah.” 28 After the king had consulted with his advisers,#tn The words “with his advisers” are supplied in the translation for clarification. he made two golden calves. Then he said to the people,#tn Heb “to them,” although this may be a corruption of “to the people.” Cf. the Old Greek translation. “It is too much trouble for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look, Israel, here are your gods who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” 29 He put one in Bethel#map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3. and the other in Dan. 30 This caused Israel to sin;#tn Heb “and this thing became a sin.” the people went to Bethel and Dan to worship the calves.#tc The MT reads “and the people went before the one to Dan.” It is likely that some words have been accidentally omitted and that the text originally said, “and the people went before the one at Bethel and before the one at Dan.”
31 He built temples#tn The Hebrew text has the singular, but the plural is preferable here (see 1 Kgs 13:32). The Old Greek translation and the Vulgate have the plural. on the high places and appointed as priests people who were not Levites. 32 Jeroboam inaugurated a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month,#sn The eighth month would correspond to October-November in modern reckoning. like the festival celebrated in Judah.#sn The festival he celebrated in Judah probably refers to the Feast of Tabernacles (i.e., Booths or Temporary Shelters), held in the seventh month (September-October). See also 1 Kgs 8:2. On the altar in Bethel he offered sacrifices to the calves he had made.#tn Heb “and he offered up [sacrifices] on the altar; he did this in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made.” In Bethel he also appointed priests for the high places he had made.
A Prophet from Judah Visits Bethel
33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month (a date he had arbitrarily chosen)#tn Heb “which he had chosen by himself.” Jeroboam#tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jeroboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity. offered sacrifices on the altar he had made in Bethel.#map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3. He inaugurated a festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to offer sacrifices.
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1 Kings 12
12
1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt; 3and they sent and called him), Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4“Your father made our yoke difficult. Now therefore make the hard service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you.”
5 He said to them, “Depart for three days, then come back to me.”
So the people departed.
6 King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, “What counsel do you give me to answer these people?”
7 They replied, “If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them, and answer them with good words, then they will be your servants forever.”
8 But he abandoned the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. 9He said to them, “What counsel do you give, that we may answer these people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Make the yoke that your father put on us lighter’?”
10 The young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Tell these people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter to us’—tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. 11Now my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’”
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king asked, saying, “Come to me again the third day.” 13The king answered the people roughly, and abandoned the counsel of the old men which they had given him, 14and spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.”
15 So the king didn’t listen to the people; for it was a thing brought about from the LORD, that he might establish his word, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 16When all Israel saw that the king didn’t listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? We don’t have an inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, Israel! Now see to your own house, David.” So Israel departed to their tents.
17 But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the men subject to forced labor; and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam hurried to get himself up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. 19So Israel rebelled against David’s house to this day.
20 When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was no one who followed David’s house, except for the tribe of Judah only.
21 When Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 22But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 23“Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, 24‘The LORD says, “You shall not go up or fight against your brothers, the children of Israel. Everyone return to his house; for this thing is from me.”’” So they listened to the LORD’s word, and returned and went their way, according to the LORD’s word.
25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived in it; and he went out from there and built Penuel. 26Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to David’s house. 27If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in the LORD’s house at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” 28So 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 Jerusalem. Look and behold your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 29He set the one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30This thing became a sin, for the people went even as far as Dan to worship before the one there. 31He made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi. 32Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah, and he went up to the altar. He did so in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made, and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made. 33He went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel 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 Israel, and went up to the altar to burn incense.
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