1 Kings 12:9

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?

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
said	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
give	נֽוֹעָצִ֔ים no.'a.Tzim	H3289	to advise · verb, niphal active participle, masculine plural absolute
may	וְנָשִׁ֥יב ve.na.Shiv	H7725	to turn back (hence · conjunction + verb, hiphil, 1st person common plural
answer	דָּבָ֖ר da.Var	H1697	a word · noun, common masculine singular absolute
people	הָעָ֣ם ha.'Am	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
spoken	דִּבְּר֤וּ di.be.Ru	H1696	perhaps properly · verb, piel perfect, 3rd person common plural
saying	לֵאמֹ֔ר le.Mor	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
Make	הָקֵל֙ ha.Kel	H7043	to be (causatively · verb, hiphil imperative, 2nd person masculine singular
yoke	הָעֹ֔ל ha.'Ol	H5923	a yoke (as imposed on the neck) · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
father	אָבִ֖יךָ 'a.Vi.kha	H1	father · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
put	נָתַ֥ן na.Tan	H5414	to give · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
lighter	קָלַל qâlal	H7043	to be (causatively

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

2 Samuel 17:5-6 Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.
1 Kings 22:6-8 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to batt…
2 Chronicles 10:9 And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke…
2 Chronicles 18:5-7 Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Kings 12:1-15

Solomon had 1000 wives and concubines, yet we read but of one son he had to bear up his name, and he a fool. It is said (Hos 4:10), They shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase. Sin is a bad way of building up a family. Rehoboam was the son of the wisest of men, yet did not inherit his father's wisdom, and then it stood him in little stead to inherit his father's throne. Neither wisdom nor grace runs in the blood. Solomon came to the crown very young, yet he was then a wise man. Rehoboam came to the crown at forty years old, when men will be wise if ever they will, yet he was then foolish. Wisdom does not go by age, nor is it the multitude of years nor the advantage of education that r…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 12:5

he said . . . Depart yet for three days--It was prudent to take the people's demand into calm and deliberate consideration. Whether, had the advice of the sage and experienced counsellors been followed, any good result would have followed, it is impossible to say. It would at least have removed all pretext for the separation. [See on Ch2 10:7.] But he preferred the counsel of his young companions (not in age, for they were all about forty-one, but inexperienced), who recommended prompt and decisive measures to quell the malcontents.

Adam Clarke on 1 Kings 12:7

If thou wilt be a servant unto this people - This is a constitutional idea of a king: he is the servant, but not the slave of his people; every regal act of a just king is an act of service to the state. The king is not only the fountain of law and justice; but as he has the appointment of all officers and judges, consequently he is the executor of the laws; and all justice is administered in his name. Properly speaking, a good and constitutional king is the servant of his people; and in being such he is their father and their king. They will be thy servants for ever - The way to insure the obedience of the people is to hold the reins of empire with a steady and impartial hand; let the peopl…

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Dictionary and topics

Ephraim, The tribe of — Took precedence over that of Manasseh by virtue of Jacob’s blessing (Gen. 41:52; 48:1). The descendants of Joseph formed two of the tribes of Israel, whereas each of the other sons of Jacob was the…
Imla — Replenisher, the father of Micaiah the prophet (2 Chr. 18:7, 8).
Israel, Kingdom of — (B.C. 975-B.C. 722). Soon after the death of Solomon, Ahijah’s prophecy (1 Kings 11:31-35) was fulfilled, and the kingdom was rent in twain. Rehoboam, the son and successor of Solomon, was scarcely…
Jeroboam — Increase of the people. (1.) The son of Nebat (1 Kings 11:26-39), “an Ephrathite,” the first king of the ten tribes, over whom he reigned twenty-two years (B.C. 976-945). He was the son of a widow of…
Yoke — (1.) Fitted on the neck of oxen for the purpose of binding to them the traces by which they might draw the plough, etc. (Num. 19:2; Deut. 21:3). It was a curved piece of wood called ’ol. (2.) In Jer.…
Alliance And Society With The Enemies Of God · Exemplified: Rehoboam — Exemplified: Rehoboam
Counsel · .By Rehoboam — .By Rehoboam
Jeroboam · toward Rehoboam, and ma — toward Rehoboam, and ma
Kings · Who reigned over all Israel: Rehoboam (first part of his reign) — Who reigned over all Israel: Rehoboam (first part of his reign)
Petition · Rehoboam — Rehoboam
Rehoboam · Refuses to reform abuses — Refuses to reform abuses
Revolt · Of the ten tribes

1 Kings 12:9

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Kings 12:1-15

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 12:5

Adam Clarke on 1 Kings 12:7

Dictionary and topics

1 Kings 12:9

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Kings 12:1-15

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 12:5

Adam Clarke on 1 Kings 12:7

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 1 Kings 12:9

Keil & Delitzsch on 1 Kings 12:1-24

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Kings 12:8-10