1 Kings 12:31-33

12:31 He built temples on the high places and appointed as priests people who were not Levites. 12:32 Jeroboam inaugurated a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival celebrated in Judah. On the altar in Bethel he offered sacrifices to the calves he had made. In Bethel he also appointed priests for the high places he had made.

A Prophet from Judah Visits Bethel

12:33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month (a date he had arbitrarily chosen) Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar he had made in Bethel. He inaugurated a festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to offer sacrifices.

1 Kings 12:2

12:2 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.

1 Kings 11:15

11:15 During David’s campaign against Edom, 10  Joab, the commander of the army, while on a mission to bury the dead, killed every male in Edom.

1 Kings 13:9

13:9 For the Lord gave me strict orders, 11  ‘Do not eat or drink 12  there and do not go home the way you came.’”

Amos 6:11

6:11 Indeed, look! The Lord is giving the command. 13 

He will smash the large house to bits,

and the small house into little pieces.


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.

sn The eighth month would correspond to October-November in modern reckoning.

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.

tn Heb “and he offered up [sacrifices] on the altar; he did this in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made.”

tn Heb “which he had chosen by himself.”

tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jeroboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.

tc Verse 2 is not included in the Old Greek translation. See the note on 11:43.

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).

10 tn Heb “when David was [fighting (?)] with Edom.”

11 tn Heb “for this he commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying.”

12 tn Heb “eat food and drink water.”

13 tn Or “is issuing the decree.”