1 Kings 12:14
in 1 Kings 12and 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
KJV
And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
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This verse in 1 Kings 12
Commentary
4 notes on this verseNever, surely, was man so blinded by pride and affectation of arbitrary power, than which nothing is more fatal. How God's counsels were hereby fulfilled.
This site's exposition
came to Rehoboam the third day
on 1 Kings 12:12-14
The third day arrives exactly as appointed, and Rehoboam repeats the young men's words to the letter, whips for scorpions included, choosing their language over any of his own. The old men's counsel is named a second time only to be set aside a second time, so the narrator makes plain this was not a lapse but a decision, held and confirmed across three days. A king given a week to reconsider gives the people the same answer he was warned against on day one.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
[Not only by reason of wealth] but also because of political honors do people exalt themselves beyond what is due their nature.… The position they occupy is entirely out of keeping with reason, for they possess a glory more unsubstantial than a dream. They are surrounded with a splendor more unreal than the phantoms of the night, since it comes into being or is swept away at the nod of the populace.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And spake to them after the counsel of the young men,.... And in the very language in which they gave it: saying, my father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke; my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions; see Gill on 1Ki 12:11.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר | vaydaber | and he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם | ʾaleihem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כַּעֲצַ֤ת | kaatzat | according to [the] counsel of | H6098 → | 89 times |
| הַיְלָדִים֙ | hayladim | the young men | H3206 → | 89 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אָבִי֙ | ʾavi | father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
| הִכְבִּ֣יד | hikhbid | he made heavy | H3513 → | |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֻלְּכֶ֔ם | ʾulekhem | yoke your | H5923 → | 40 times |
| וַאֲנִ֖י | vaani | and I | H589 → | 874 times |
| אֹסִ֣יף | ʾosif | I will add | H3254 → | 212 times |
| עַֽל־ | ʾal- | to | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| עֻלְּכֶ֑ם | ʾulekhem | yoke your | H5923 → | 40 times |
| אָבִ֗י | ʾavi | father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
| יִסַּ֤ר | yisar | he disciplined | H3256 → | 43 times |
| אֶתְכֶם֙ | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בַּשּׁוֹטִ֔ים | bashotim | with <the> whips | H7752 → | |
| וַאֲנִ֕י | vaani | and I | H589 → | 874 times |
| אֲיַסֵּ֥ר | ʾayaser | I will discipline | H3256 → | 43 times |
| אֶתְכֶ֖ם | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בָּעַקְרַבִּֽים׃ | baakrabim | with <the> scorpions | H6137 → |
וַיְדַבֵּ֣רand he spoke
vaydaberH1696 →1141 times
אֲלֵיהֶ֗םto them
ʾaleihemH413 →5510 times
כַּעֲצַ֤תaccording to [the] counsel of
kaatzatH6098 →89 times
הַיְלָדִים֙the young men
hayladimH3206 →89 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
אָבִי֙father my
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
הִכְבִּ֣ידhe made heavy
hikhbidH3513 →
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֻלְּכֶ֔םyoke your
ʾulekhemH5923 →40 times
וַאֲנִ֖יand I
vaaniH589 →874 times
אֹסִ֣יףI will add
ʾosifH3254 →212 times
עַֽל־to
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
עֻלְּכֶ֑םyoke your
ʾulekhemH5923 →40 times
אָבִ֗יfather my
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
יִסַּ֤רhe disciplined
yisarH3256 →43 times
אֶתְכֶם֙<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
בַּשּׁוֹטִ֔יםwith <the> whips
bashotimH7752 →
וַאֲנִ֕יand I
vaaniH589 →874 times
אֲיַסֵּ֥רI will discipline
ʾayaserH3256 →43 times
אֶתְכֶ֖ם<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
בָּעַקְרַבִּֽים׃with <the> scorpions
baakrabimH6137 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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 16:18Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
it leads to
- Proverbs 11:2
When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.
- Isaiah 2:11–12
The proud look of man will be humbled, and the loftiness of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
- Proverbs 18:12
Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.
- Obadiah 1:3–4
The pride of your heart has deceived you, O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks whose habitation is the heights, who say in your heart, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’
- Proverbs 29:23
A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.
- Proverbs 11:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Kings
This page draws on Basil of Caesarea, ON HUMILITY; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.