1 Kingschapter 12

A.My little finger is thicker than my father's loinsvv. 1-15

1 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he was still in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since. 3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel came to Rehoboam and said, 4 “Your father put a heavy yoke on us. But now you should lighten the burden of your father’s service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.” 5 Rehoboam answered, “Go away for three days and then return to me.” So the people departed. 6 Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How do you advise me to respond to these people?” he asked. 7 They replied, “If you will be a servant to these people and serve them this day, and if you will respond by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.” 8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him. 9 He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to these people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?” 10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you should make it lighter.’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! 11 Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.’” 12 After three days, Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, since the king had said, “Come back to me on the third day.” 13 And the king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the elders 14 and spoke to them as the young men had advised, saying, “Whereas my father made your yoke heavy, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word He had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.

B.To your tents, O Israel — ten tribes walk awayvv. 16-20

16 When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So the Israelites went home, 17 but Rehoboam still reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent out Adoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste and escaped to Jerusalem. 19 So to this day Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David. 20 When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.

C.Ye shall not fight against your brethrenvv. 21-24

21 And when Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the whole house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—to fight against the house of Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon. 22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: 23 “Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and the rest of the people 24 that this is what the LORD says: ‘You are not to go up and fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you must return home, for this word is from Me.’” So they listened to the word of the LORD and turned back according to the word of the LORD.

D.Behold thy gods — golden calves at Bethel and at Danvv. 25-33

25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And from there he went out and built Penuel. 26 Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom might revert to the house of David. 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, their hearts will return to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah; then they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” 28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” 29 One calf he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin; the people walked as far as Dan to worship before one of the calves. 31 Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places and appointed from every class of people priests who were not Levites. 32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar; he made this offering in Bethel to sacrifice to the calves he had set up, and he installed priests in Bethel for the high places he had set up. 33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar he had set up in Bethel. So he ordained a feast for the Israelites, offered sacrifices on the altar, and burned incense.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

All Israel gathers at Shechem to make Rehoboam king and asks only that the heavy yoke be lightened.

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All Israel gathers at Shechem to make Rehoboam king and asks only that the heavy yoke be lightened. The old men counsel him to be a servant to the people and they will be his servants forever; the young men he grew up with counsel swagger, and he takes it: 'my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.' The answer comes back as a war-cry ('What portion have we in David?') Adoram the taskmaster is stoned, and the ten tribes go home. To keep them from Jerusalem, Jeroboam makes two calves of gold for Bethel and Dan: 'Behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.'

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Jeremiah — 1 Kings overview

A. 1–15 My little finger is thicker than my father's loins
B. 16–20 To your tents, O Israel — ten tribes walk away
C. 21–24 Ye shall not fight against your brethren
D. 25–33 Behold thy gods — golden calves at Bethel and at Dan

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

1 Kings 116 verses
- 1 Kings 11:13Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom away from him. I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”
- 1 Kings 11:26Now Jeroboam son of Nebat was an Ephraimite from Zeredah whose mother was a widow named Zeruah. Jeroboam was a servant of Solomon, but he rebelled against the king,
- 1 Kings 11:32But one tribe will remain for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.
- 1 Kings 11:36I will give one tribe to his son, so that My servant David will always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put My Name.
- 1 Kings 11:38If you listen to all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight in order to keep My statutes and commandments as My servant David did, then I will be with you. I will build you a lasting dynasty just as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.
- 1 Kings 11:40Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, where he remained until the death of Solomon.
- Read 1 Kings 11 →
2 Chronicles 106 verses
- 2 Chronicles 10:1Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king.
- 2 Chronicles 10:2When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he returned from Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon.
- 2 Chronicles 10:6Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How do you advise me to respond to these people?” he asked.
- 2 Chronicles 10:10The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you should make it lighter.’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!
- 2 Chronicles 10:12After three days, Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, since the king had said, “Come back to me on the third day.”
- 2 Chronicles 10:19So to this day Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David.
- Read 2 Chronicles 10 →
1 Kings 126 verses
- 1 Kings 12:5Rehoboam answered, “Go away for three days and then return to me.” So the people departed.
- 1 Kings 12:10The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you should make it lighter.’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!
- 1 Kings 12:12After three days, Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, since the king had said, “Come back to me on the third day.”
- 1 Kings 12:15So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word He had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.
- 1 Kings 12:17but Rehoboam still reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.
- 1 Kings 12:24that this is what the LORD says: ‘You are not to go up and fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you must return home, for this word is from Me.’” So they listened to the word of the LORD and turned back according to the word of the LORD.
- Read 1 Kings 12 →
2 Chronicles 114 verses
- 2 Chronicles 11:1When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the house of Judah and Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—to fight against Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
- 2 Chronicles 11:2But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God:
- 2 Chronicles 11:4that this is what the LORD says: ‘You are not to go up and fight against your brothers. Each of you must return home, for this word is from Me.’” So they listened to the words of the LORD and turned back from going against Jeroboam.
- 2 Chronicles 11:13Moreover, the priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel stood with Rehoboam.
- Read 2 Chronicles 11 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

1 Kings 133 verses
- 1 Kings 13:1Suddenly, as Jeroboam was standing beside the altar to burn incense, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD.
- 1 Kings 13:32for the message that he cried out by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines on the high places in the cities of Samaria will surely come to pass.”
- 1 Kings 13:34And this was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its extermination and destruction from the face of the earth.
- Read 1 Kings 13 →
2 Kings 172 verses
- 2 Kings 17:21When the LORD had torn Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king, and Jeroboam led Israel away from following the LORD and caused them to commit a great sin.
- 2 Kings 17:32So the new residents worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed for themselves priests of all sorts to serve in the shrines of the high places.
- Read 2 Kings 17 →
Judges 92 verses
- Judges 9:6Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo gathered beside the oak at the pillar in Shechem and proceeded to make Abimelech their king.
- Judges 9:45And all that day Abimelech fought against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.
- Read Judges 9 →
1 Samuel 82 verses
- 1 Samuel 8:11He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to his own chariots and horses, to run in front of his chariots.
- 1 Samuel 8:18When that day comes, you will beg for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you on that day.”
- Read 1 Samuel 8 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.