2 Chronicles 10
10
The Northern Tribes Rebel
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 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 3 They sent for him#tn Heb “They sent and called for him.” and Jeroboam and all Israel 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/result. The conditional sentence used in the present translation 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, “If you are fair to these people, grant their request, and are cordial to them, they will be your servants from this time forward.”#tn Heb “If today you are for good to these people and you are favorable to 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 “Rehoboam 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.” 9 He asked them, “How do you advise me 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 (so NEB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). 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, but more likely it refers to a type of whip that inflicts an especially biting, painful wound.
12 Jeroboam and all the people reported 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#tn Heb “Rehoboam.” The pronoun “he” has been used in the translation in place of the proper name in keeping with contemporary English style. rejected the advice of the older men 14 and followed the advice of the younger ones. He said, “My father imposed heavy demands on you;#tc The Hebrew text reads, “I will make heavy your yoke,” but many medieval Hebrew mss and other ancient textual witnesses have, “my father made heavy your yoke.” I will make them even heavier.#tn Heb “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, but more likely it refers to a type of whip that inflicts an especially biting, painful wound. 15 The king refused to listen to the people, because God was instigating this turn of events#tn Heb “because this turn of events was from God.” so that he might bring to pass the prophetic announcement he had made#tn Heb “so that the Lord might bring to pass his word which he 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 The people’s 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 “each one 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 all 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 Hadoram,#sn In the parallel account in 1 Kgs 12:18 this name appears as “Adoniram.” the supervisor of the work crews, out after them, but the Israelites 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.
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2 Chronicles 10
10
Rehoboam’s Debacle
1Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2And it happened that when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it—now he was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon—Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 3And they sent and called him. Then Jeroboam and all Israel went, and they spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4“Your father made our yoke heavy. Now, therefore, lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, and we will serve you.” 5And he said to them, “In three days return to me again.” And the people went away.
6Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the elders who had been serving#Literally “standing” before Solomon his father when he was alive, saying, “What word do you advise to answer this people?” 7And they said to him, “If you will be good to this people and please them, then speak good words to them. Then they will be your servants forever.”#Literally “all the days” 8But he forsook the advice of the elders that advised him and took counsel of the young men who had grown up with him who were serving#Literally “standing” before him. 9And he said to them, “What do you advise that we should say in return to this people, who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father has put upon us’?” 10Then the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus you should say to this people who have said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, so you yourself should lighten it for us.’ Thus you should say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than the loins of my father. 11So now, my father laid upon you a heavy yoke, but I myself will add to the yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I myself will do so with scorpions.’ ”
12Then Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had spoken, saying, “Return to me on the third day.” 13And the king answered them harshly, and King Rehoboam forsook the advice of the elders. 14And he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “I will make your yoke heavy, and I myself will add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will do so with scorpions.” 15So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turning of events from God, so that Yahweh might fulfill his word that he had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. 16So all Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, and the people answered the king, saying, “What portion is there for us in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Each to your tents, O Israel! Now look to your own house, David!” And all Israel went to their own tents. 17But as for the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” who were living in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam ruled over them. 18Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of#Literally “over” the forced labor, but the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” stoned him with stones, and he died. Then King Rehoboam hastily went up into the chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19So Israel has rebelled against the house of David until this day.
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