1 Kings 12:10

12:10 The young advisers with whom Rehoboam ¹  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.’ ²  Say this to them: ‘I am a lot harsher than my father! ³ 

1 Kings 20:31-32

20:31 His advisers ⁴  said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of the Israelite dynasty are kind. ⁵  Allow us to put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads ⁶  and surrender ⁷  to the king of Israel. Maybe he will spare our lives.” 20:32 So they put sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel. They said, “Your servant ⁸  Ben Hadad says, ‘Please let me live!’” Ahab ⁹  replied, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” ¹⁰ 

[12:10]  ¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Rehoboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:10]  ² tn Heb “Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter upon us.”

[12:10]  ³ 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.

[20:31]  ⁴ tn Or “servants.”

[20:31]  ⁵ tn Or “merciful.” The word used here often means “devoted” or “loyal.” Perhaps the idea is that the Israelite kings are willing to make treaties with other kings.

[20:31]  ⁶ sn Sackcloth was worn as a sign of sorrow and repentance. The precise significance of the ropes on the head is uncertain, but it probably was a sign of submission. These actions were comparable to raising a white flag on the battlefield or throwing in the towel in a boxing match.

[20:31]  ⁷ tn Heb “go out.”

[20:32]  ⁷ sn Your servant. By referring to Ben Hadad as Ahab’s servant, they are suggesting that Ahab make him a subject in a vassal treaty arrangement.

[20:32]  ⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:32]  ⁹ sn He is my brother. Ahab’s response indicates that he wants to make a parity treaty and treat Ben Hadad as an equal partner.