1 Kings 12
1 The Israelites, assembled at Shechem to crown Rehoboam, by Jeroboam make a suit of relaxation unto him.
6 Rehoboam, refusing the old men's counsel, answers them roughly.
16 Ten tribes revolting, kill Adoram, and make Rehoboam flee.
21 Rehoboam, raising an army, is forbidden by Shemaiah.
25 Jeroboam strengthens himself by cities;
26 and by the idolatry of the two calves.
Rehoboam <07346> [Rehoboam.]
Shechem ........ Shechem <07927> [Shechem.]
[Sichem.]
[Sychem.]
Jeroboam son ... Nebat <01121 05028 03379> [Jeroboam the son of Nebat.]
lighten <05923> [our yoke.]
consulted ....................... advise <03289> [consulted.]
show a willingness to help ............ servants <05650> [If thou wilt.]
said <02896 01696> [speak good.]
said .... Say ........ said ............... Say <0559 01696> [Thus shalt thou.]
harsher <06995 05666> [My little finger.]
A proverbial mode of expression: "My little finger is thicker than my father's thigh." As much as the thigh surpasses the little finger in thickness, so much does my power exceed that of my father; and the use I shall make of it to oppress and tax you shall be in proportion.
make ... even heavier <03254> [I will add.]
punished ........ punish <03256> [but I will chastise.]
Should you rebel or become disaffected, my father's whip shall be a scorpion in my hand. His was chastisement, mine shall be punishment. Celsius and Hiller conjecture that {Æ’krabbim} denotes a thorny kind of shrub, whose prickles are of a venomous nature, called by the Arabs scorpion thorns, from the exquisite pain which they inflict. But the Chaldee renders it {margenin,} and the Syriac {moragyai,} i.e., [maragnai,] scourges; and in the parallel place of Chronicles the Arabic has {saut,} a scourge. Isidore, and after him Calmet and others, assert that the scorpion was a sort of severe whip, the lashes of which were armed with knots or points that sunk into and tore the flesh.
whips that really sting your flesh <06137> [scorpions.]
Return <07725> [Come to me again.]
responded <06030> [answered.]
harshly <07186> [roughly. Heb. hardly.]
rejected <05800> [forsook.]
advice <06098> [the counsel.]
father ... heavy ............ father <01 03513> [My father made.]
turn of events <05438> [the cause.]
The cause of all this confusion and anarchy was Rehoboam's folly, cruelty, and despotic tyranny, and this was certainly not "from the Lord," nor does the original text speak this doctrine. See an elucidation of a similar passage at 2 Sa 24:1. It says, {sibbah,} (from {savav,} to turn, change,) "the change or Revolution was from the Lord;" which is consistent with all the preceding declarations. God stirred up the people to revolt from a man who had neither skill nor humanity to govern them. God serves his own wise and righteous purpose by the imprudences and iniquities of men, and snares sinners in the work of their own hands. "He maketh the wrath of man to praise him."
<06965> [that he might.]
portion <02506> [What portion.]
homes ................. homes <0168> [to your tents.]
When ...................................... look <07200> [now see.]
Israel .................................. Israel ........... Israel <03478> [So Israel.]
Israelites <01121> [the children.]
Adoniram <0151> [Adoram.]
[Adoniram.]
[Hadoram. all Israel.]
managed <0553> [made speed. Heb. strengthened himself. flee to Jerusalem.]
Israel <03478> [Israel.]
rebellion against <06586> [rebelled. or, fell away.]
day <03117> [unto this day.]
king <04427> [and made him.]
<0310> [none that followed.]
Rehoboam ........................... Rehoboam <07346> [when Rehoboam.]
180,000 <03967> [an hundred.]
Shemaiah <08098> [Shemaiah.]
prophet <0376> [the man.]
[See on]
attack <05927> [Ye shall not go up.]
caused ............ as ..... ordered <01697> [for this thing.]
obeyed <08085> [They hearkened.]
built .................. built <01129> [built.]
Shechem <07927> [Shechem.]
Penuel <06439> [Penuel.]
himself <0559 03820> [said in his heart.]
kingdom <04467> [Now shall.]
up <05927> [go up.]
kill <02026> [and they shall.]
consulted <03289> [took counsel.]
two golden calves <08147 05695 02091> [two calves of gold.]
He invented a political religion, and instituted feasts in his own times, different from those appointed by Jehovah; gave the people certain objects of adoration, and pretended to think that it would be both inconvenient and oppressive to them to go up to Jerusalem to worship. These calves were doubtless of the same kind as the calf which was set up by Aaron; and it is remarkable, that in pointing them out to the people he should use the same words that Aaron used on that occasion, when they must have heard what terrible judgments fell upon their forefathers for this idolatry. Solomon's idolatry, however, had prepared the people for Jeroboam's abominations.
people .... too much <07227> [It is too much.]
gods <0430> [behold.]
Bethel <01008> [Beth-el.]
Dan <01835> [Dan.]
sin <02403> [became a sin.]
temples <01004> [an house.]
priests <03548> [priests.]
festival ............ festival <02282> [like unto.]
altar <04196 05927> [offered upon the altar. or, went up to the altar. sacrificing. or, to sacrifice. he placed.]
offered sacrifices .... altar ............... went up .... altar <04196 05927> [offered upon the altar. or, went up to the altar, etc.]
month <02320> [in the month.]
offered sacrifices .................. went up <05927> [he offered.]
offer sacrifices <06999> [and burnt incense. Heb. to burn incense.]
