1 Kings 12:9
in 1 Kings 12He 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’?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he said unto them, What counsel give ye, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that thy father did put upon us lighter?
KJV
And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?
⋯
This verse in 1 Kings 12
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders
on 1 Kings 12:8-11
Rehoboam turns to the young men, and their answer is a boast: “My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist”. The line lands as an insult because Solomon's reign was already remembered as heavy. The young men answer a real complaint with a threat.
This site's exposition
What message do you advise
At verse 6 Rehoboam asked the elders how to answer the people. Here he asks the young men what message to send, and he counts them in with himself. They had grown up with him and served him.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And he said unto them, what counsel give ye, that we may answer this people, saying,.... See Gill on 1Ki 12:4.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם | ʾaleihem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מָ֚ה | mah | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| אַתֶּ֣ם | ʾatem | [are] you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| נֽוֹעָצִ֔ים | noatzim | counseling | H3289 → | 79 times |
| וְנָשִׁ֥יב | venashiv | and we may bring back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| דָּבָ֖ר | davar | word | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָעָ֣ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הַזֶּ֑ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דִּבְּר֤וּ | diberu | they have spoken | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֵלַי֙ | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הָקֵל֙ | hakel | lighten | H7043 → | 82 times |
| מִן־ | min- | some of | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הָעֹ֔ל | haol | the yoke | H5923 → | 40 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נָתַ֥ן | natan | he put | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אָבִ֖יךָ | ʾavikha | father your | H1 → | 1212 times |
| עָלֵֽינוּ׃ | ʾaleinu | on us | H5921 → | 5755 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֲלֵיהֶ֗םto them
ʾaleihemH413 →5510 times
מָ֚הwhat?
mahH4100 →752 times
אַתֶּ֣ם[are] you
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
נֽוֹעָצִ֔יםcounseling
noatzimH3289 →79 times
וְנָשִׁ֥יבand we may bring back
venashivH7725 →1056 times
דָּבָ֖רword
davarH1697 →1440 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָעָ֣םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
הַזֶּ֑ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
דִּבְּר֤וּthey have spoken
diberuH1696 →1141 times
אֵלַי֙to me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
הָקֵל֙lighten
hakelH7043 →82 times
מִן־some of
min-H4480 →1188 times
הָעֹ֔לthe yoke
haolH5923 →40 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
נָתַ֥ןhe put
natanH5414 →2011 times
אָבִ֖יךָfather your
ʾavikhaH1 →1212 times
עָלֵֽינוּ׃on us
ʾaleinuH5921 →5755 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
3 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
2 Chronicles 10:9He 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’?”
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 10:6
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.
- 2 Samuel 17:5–6
Then Absalom said, “Summon Hushai the Archite as well, and let us hear what he too has to say.”
- 1 Kings 22:6–8
So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and the Lord will…
- 2 Chronicles 10:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Kings
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.