1 Kings 12:10
in 1 Kings 12The 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!
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou say unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou speak unto them, My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins.
KJV
And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.
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This verse in 1 Kings 12
Commentary
6 notes on this verseShall be thicker - Or rather, is thicker, and therefore stronger, and more able to crush you, if you proceed in these mutinous demands, than his loins, in which is the principal seat of strength.
This site's exposition
Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders
on 1 Kings 12:8-11
Rehoboam turns to the young men who grew up with him, and their answer is a boast: “My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist”, with whips traded for scorpions. 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
My little finger is thicker
The waist was counted the seat of a man's strength, so the boast makes the son's smallest finger stronger than his father's body. John Wesley reads the words as a threat to crush the people if they press their demands. It answers a plea for relief with force.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the young men that were grown up with him, spake unto him, saying,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
And the young men that were grown up with him - It was a custom in different countries to educate with the heir to the throne young noblemen of nearly the same age. This, as Calmet observes, answered two great and important ends: - 1. It excited the prince to emulation; that he might, as far as possible, surpass in all manly exercises, and in all acts of prudence and virtue, those whom one day he was to surpass in the elevation and dignity of his station.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
My little finger ... - i. e., “You shall find my hand heavier on you than my father’s - as much heavier as if my little finger were thicker than his loins.”
The words behind it
29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְדַבְּר֣וּ | vaydaberu | and they spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֵלָ֗יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַיְלָדִים֙ | hayladim | the young men | H3206 → | 89 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| גָּדְל֣וּ | gadelu | they had grown up | H1431 → | 117 times |
| אִתּוֹ֮ | ʾito | with him | H854 → | 929 times |
| לֵאמֹר֒ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| כֹּֽה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| תֹאמַ֣ר | tomar | you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָעָ֣ם | laam | to the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הַזֶּ֡ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דִּבְּר֨וּ | diberu | they have spoken | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֵלֶ֜יךָ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לֵאמֹ֗ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אָבִ֙יךָ֙ | ʾavikha | father your | H1 → | 1212 times |
| הִכְבִּ֣יד | hikhbid | he made heavy | H3513 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֻלֵּ֔נוּ | ʾulenu | yoke our | H5923 → | 40 times |
| וְאַתָּ֖ה | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| הָקֵ֣ל | hakel | lighten | H7043 → | 82 times |
| מֵעָלֵ֑ינוּ | mealeinu | from on <the> us | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כֹּ֚ה | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| תְּדַבֵּ֣ר | tedaber | you will speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם | ʾaleihem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| קָֽטָנִּ֥י | katani | little finger my | H6995 → | |
| עָבָ֖ה | ʾavah | it is thick | H5666 → | |
| מִמָּתְנֵ֥י | mimatenei | more than [the] loins of | H4975 → | 47 times |
| אָבִֽי׃ | ʾavi | father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
וַיְדַבְּר֣וּand they spoke
vaydaberuH1696 →1141 times
אֵלָ֗יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
הַיְלָדִים֙the young men
hayladimH3206 →89 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
גָּדְל֣וּthey had grown up
gadeluH1431 →117 times
אִתּוֹ֮with him
ʾitoH854 →929 times
לֵאמֹר֒<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
כֹּֽה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
תֹאמַ֣רyou will say
tomarH559 →5305 times
לָעָ֣םto the people
laamH5971 →1873 times
הַזֶּ֡ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
אֲשֶׁר֩which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
דִּבְּר֨וּthey have spoken
diberuH1696 →1141 times
אֵלֶ֜יךָto you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
לֵאמֹ֗ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
אָבִ֙יךָ֙father your
ʾavikhaH1 →1212 times
הִכְבִּ֣ידhe made heavy
hikhbidH3513 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֻלֵּ֔נוּyoke our
ʾulenuH5923 →40 times
וְאַתָּ֖הand you
veatahH859 →1094 times
הָקֵ֣לlighten
hakelH7043 →82 times
מֵעָלֵ֑ינוּfrom on <the> us
mealeinuH5921 →5755 times
כֹּ֚הthus
kohH3541 →577 times
תְּדַבֵּ֣רyou will speak
tedaberH1696 →1141 times
אֲלֵיהֶ֔םto them
ʾaleihemH413 →5510 times
קָֽטָנִּ֥יlittle finger my
kataniH6995 →
עָבָ֖הit is thick
ʾavahH5666 →
מִמָּתְנֵ֥יmore than [the] loins of
mimateneiH4975 →47 times
אָבִֽי׃father my
ʾaviH1 →1212 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
Proverbs 29:23A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.
it leads to
- Matthew 23:12
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
- Luke 14:11
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Proverbs 11:2
When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.
- Isaiah 66:2
Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles…
- James 4:6–10
But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Matthew 23:12
Through
Proverbs 28:25A greedy man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.
it leads to
- Proverbs 11:25
A generous soul will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
- 1 Timothy 6:6
Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.
- Proverbs 11:25
Through
Isaiah 47:6I was angry with My people; I profaned My heritage, and I placed them under your control. You showed them no mercy; even on the elderly you laid a most heavy yoke.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 28:9
But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army that returned to Samaria. “Look,” he said to them, “because of His wrath against Judah, the…
- 2 Chronicles 28:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Kings
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.