1 Kings 11:28
in 1 Kings 11Now Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. So when Solomon noticed that the young man was industrious, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon saw the young man that he was industrious, and he gave him charge over all the labor of the house of Joseph.
KJV
And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.
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This verse in 1 Kings 11
Commentary
4 notes on this verseAnd the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour,.... A man of great strength of body, and fortitude of mind: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious; in what he was set about in the above buildings and repairs: he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph; the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, to be a prince or a deputy governor of them; or rather to collect the king's tax from them, or the revenues of that part of the country, see Pro 22:29.
This site's exposition
Jeroboam the son of Nebat
on 1 Kings 11:26-28
Jeroboam is introduced by tribe, town, and a widow's son's poverty, then by Solomon's own promotion of him, ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph, on the strength of his industry. The third adversary is not foreign but homegrown, raised by the king's own hand before he is raised against it. Solomon builds Millo and repairs the breaches of the city of David in these same verses, public works that will shortly be paid for in forced labor, the grievance Jeroboam's own tribe carries into chapter 12.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
A mighty man of valor - Here “a man of strength and activity.” It is a vague term of commendation, the exact force of which must be fixed by the context. See Rth 2:1; 1Sa 9:1, etc. Solomon made Jeroboam superintendent of all the forced labor (“the charge”) exacted from his tribe - the tribe of Ephraim - during the time that he was building Millo and fortifying the city of Jerusalem 1Ki 9:15.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
He was a young man of talent and energy, who, having been appointed by Solomon superintendent of the engineering works projected around Jerusalem, had risen into public notice, and on being informed by a very significant act of the prophet Ahijah of the royal destiny which, by divine appointment, awaited him, his mind took a new turn.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָאִ֥ישׁ | vehaish | and the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| יָרָבְעָ֖ם | yaraveam | Jeroboam | H3379 → | 104 times |
| גִּבּ֣וֹר | gibor | [was] a mighty [man] of | H1368 → | 158 times |
| חָ֑יִל | chayil | strength | H2428 → | 246 times |
| וַיַּ֨רְא | vaiyar' | and he saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| שְׁלֹמֹ֜ה | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַנַּ֗עַר | hanaar | the young man | H5288 → | 239 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עֹשֵׂ֤ה | ʾoseh | [was] doing | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| מְלָאכָה֙ | melakhah | work | H4399 → | 167 times |
| ה֔וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וַיַּפְקֵ֣ד | vaiyafked | and he appointed | H6485 → | 303 times |
| אֹת֔וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| סֵ֖בֶל | sevel | [the] forced labor of | H5447 → | |
| בֵּ֥ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יוֹסֵֽף׃ ס | yosef | Joseph | H3130 → |
וְהָאִ֥ישׁand the man
vehaishH376 →1663 times
יָרָבְעָ֖םJeroboam
yaraveamH3379 →104 times
גִּבּ֣וֹר[was] a mighty [man] of
giborH1368 →158 times
חָ֑יִלstrength
chayilH2428 →246 times
וַיַּ֨רְאand he saw
vaiyar'H7200 →1300 times
שְׁלֹמֹ֜הSolomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַנַּ֗עַרthe young man
hanaarH5288 →239 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
עֹשֵׂ֤ה[was] doing
ʾosehH6213 →2628 times
מְלָאכָה֙work
melakhahH4399 →167 times
ה֔וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
וַיַּפְקֵ֣דand he appointed
vaiyafkedH6485 →303 times
אֹת֔וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
לְכָל־to all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
סֵ֖בֶל[the] forced labor of
sevelH5447 →
בֵּ֥ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
יוֹסֵֽף׃ סJoseph
yosefH3130 →
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
Proverbs 22:29Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will be stationed in the presence of kings; he will not stand before obscure men.
it leads to
- Matthew 25:21
His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’
- Proverbs 12:24
The hand of the diligent will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.
- Proverbs 10:4
Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.
- Matthew 25:23
His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’
- Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
- Matthew 25:21
Through
Isaiah 14:25I will break Assyria in My land; I will trample him on My mountain. His yoke will be taken off My people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 9:4
For as in the day of Midian You have shattered the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor.
- Nahum 1:13
For I will now break their yoke from your neck and tear away your shackles.”
- Isaiah 9:4
Through
1 Kings 5:16not including his 3,300 foremen who supervised the workers.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 9:23
They were also the chief officers over Solomon’s projects: 550 supervisors over the people who did the work.
- 1 Kings 9:23
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.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); F. W. Farrar, The First Book of Kings (Expositor's Bible); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament.
