1 Kings 12:32
in 1 Kings 12And 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he went up unto the altar; so did he in Beth-el, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the priests of the high places that he had made.
KJV
And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Beth–el, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth–el the priests of the high places which he had made.
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This verse in 1 Kings 12
Commentary
4 notes on this verseOrdained a feast - The Jews held their feast of tabernacles on the fifteenth day of the seventh month; Jeroboam, who would meet the prejudices of the people as far as he could, appointed a similar feast on the fifteenth of the eighth month; thus appearing to hold the thing while he subverted the ordinance.
This site's exposition
like unto the feast that is in Judah
on 1 Kings 12:32-33
Jeroboam sets his feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, one month later than the feast of tabernacles the law fixed for the seventh, close enough to feel familiar and different enough to mark his subjects as his own. He offers on the altar at Bethel himself, priest and king together, a combination Uzziah will later be struck with leprosy for attempting in Judah. The chapter's last clause names the whole project for what it is, a feast which he had devised of his own heart, no word of the Lord behind any part of it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
So he would keep God's feast, not in God's time, which was the fifteenth day of the seventh month, and so onward, Levit xxiii, 34, but on the fifteenth day of the eighth month. And this alteration he made, either, 1. to keep up the difference between his subjects, and those of Judah as by the differing manners, so by the distinct times of their worship.
on 1 Kings 12:32-33
And thus, [1.] Jeroboam sinned himself, yet perhaps excused himself to the world and his own conscience with this, that he did not do so ill as Solomon did, who worshipped other gods. [2.] He made Israel to sin, drew them off from the worship of God and entailed idolatry upon their seed.
The words behind it
31 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֣עַשׂ | vaiyaas | and he appointed | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| יָרָבְעָ֣ם׀ | yaraveam | Jeroboam | H3379 → | 104 times |
| חָ֡ג | chag | a festival | H2282 → | 62 times |
| בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ | bachodesh | in the month | H2320 → | 284 times |
| הַשְּׁמִינִ֣י | hashemini | <the> eighth | H8066 → | 28 times |
| בַּחֲמִשָּֽׁה־ | bachamishah- | on [the] fif- | H2568 → | 343 times |
| עָשָׂר֩ | ʾasar | teen | H6240 → | 338 times |
| י֨וֹם׀ | yom | day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| לַחֹ֜דֶשׁ | lachodesh | of the month | H2320 → | 284 times |
| כֶּחָ֣ג׀ | kechag | like the festival | H2282 → | 62 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בִּיהוּדָ֗ה | bihudah | [was] in Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וַיַּ֙עַל֙ | vaiyaal | and he offered up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| כֵּ֤ן | ken | so | H3651 → | 771 times |
| עָשָׂה֙ | ʾasah | he did | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| בְּבֵֽית־ | beveit- | in Beth- | H1008 → | 142 times |
| אֵ֔ל | ʾel | -el | H1008 → | 142 times |
| לְזַבֵּ֖חַ | lezabeach | to sacrifice | H2076 → | 134 times |
| לָעֲגָלִ֣ים | laagalim | to the calves | H5695 → | |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשָׂ֑ה | ʾasah | he had made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וְהֶעֱמִיד֙ | veheemid | and he stationed | H5975 → | 521 times |
| בְּבֵ֣ית | beveit | in Beth- | H1008 → | 142 times |
| אֵ֔ל | ʾel | -el | H1008 → | 142 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כֹּהֲנֵ֥י | kohanei | [the] priests of | H3548 → | 750 times |
| הַבָּמ֖וֹת | habamot | the high places | H1116 → | 102 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשָֽׂה׃ | ʾasah | he had made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
וַיַּ֣עַשׂand he appointed
vaiyaasH6213 →2628 times
יָרָבְעָ֣ם׀Jeroboam
yaraveamH3379 →104 times
חָ֡גa festival
chagH2282 →62 times
בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁin the month
bachodeshH2320 →284 times
הַשְּׁמִינִ֣י<the> eighth
hasheminiH8066 →28 times
בַּחֲמִשָּֽׁה־on [the] fif-
bachamishah-H2568 →343 times
עָשָׂר֩teen
ʾasarH6240 →338 times
י֨וֹם׀day
yomH3117 →2304 times
לַחֹ֜דֶשׁof the month
lachodeshH2320 →284 times
כֶּחָ֣ג׀like the festival
kechagH2282 →62 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בִּיהוּדָ֗ה[was] in Judah
bihudahH3063 →819 times
וַיַּ֙עַל֙and he offered up
vaiyaalH5927 →890 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
כֵּ֤ןso
kenH3651 →771 times
עָשָׂה֙he did
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
בְּבֵֽית־in Beth-
beveit-H1008 →142 times
אֵ֔ל-el
ʾelH1008 →142 times
לְזַבֵּ֖חַto sacrifice
lezabeachH2076 →134 times
לָעֲגָלִ֣יםto the calves
laagalimH5695 →
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
עָשָׂ֑הhe had made
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
וְהֶעֱמִיד֙and he stationed
veheemidH5975 →521 times
בְּבֵ֣יתin Beth-
beveitH1008 →142 times
אֵ֔ל-el
ʾelH1008 →142 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כֹּהֲנֵ֥י[the] priests of
kohaneiH3548 →750 times
הַבָּמ֖וֹתthe high places
habamotH1116 →102 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עָשָֽׂה׃he had made
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Kings 8:5There, before the ark, King Solomon and the whole congregation of Israel who had assembled with him sacrificed so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 6:13
When those carrying the ark of the LORD had advanced six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.
- 1 Kings 8:62–63
Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the LORD.
- 1 Chronicles 16:1
So they brought the ark of God and placed it inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.
- 2 Samuel 6:13
Through
1 Kings 8:2And all the men of Israel came together to King Solomon at the feast in the seventh month, the month of Ethanim.
it leads to
- Leviticus 23:34
“Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Feast of Tabernacles to the LORD begins, and it continues for seven days.
- 2 Chronicles 7:8–10
So at that time Solomon and all Israel with him—a very great assembly of people from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt—kept the feast for seven days.
- John 7:2
However, the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near.
- Numbers 29:12–40
On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, you are to hold a sacred assembly; you must not do any regular work, and you shall observe a feast to the LORD for seven days.
- Ezra 3:4
They also celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles in accordance with what is written, and they offered burnt offerings daily based on the number prescribed for each day.
- Leviticus 23:34
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Kings

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PlaceCentral hill countryBethelThe house of God, where Jacob saw the ladder and heard the promise, where he returned to raise an altar, and where Jeroboam’s gold…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
