1 Kings 12:4

1 Kings 12:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.
• New International Version (NIV)“Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you."
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”

Context of 1 Kings 12:4

2Now when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard about it, he was living in Egypt (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon). 3So they sent word and called for him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, “Your father made our yoke (burden) heavy; so now lighten the hard labor and the heavy yoke your father imposed on us, and we will serve you.” 5Rehoboam replied to them, “Leave for three days, then come back to me [for my decision].” So the people left. 6King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served and advised his father Solomon while he was still alive and said, “How do you advise me to answer this people?”

1 Kings 12:4 word by word

אָבִ֖יךָ הִקְשָׁ֣ה אֶת־עֻלֵּ֑נוּ וְאַתָּ֡ה עַתָּ֣ה הָקֵל֩ מֵעֲבֹדַ֨ת אָבִ֜יךָ הַקָּשָׁ֗ה וּמֵעֻלּ֧וֹ הַכָּבֵ֛ד אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥ן עָלֵ֖ינוּ וְנַעַבְדֶֽךָּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thy fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• madeקָשָׁהqâshâh · to hardenH7185
• our yokeעֹל‛ôl ‛ôl · yokeH5923
• now therefore make thou the grievousקָשֶׁהqâsheh · severeH7186
• serviceעֲבֹדָה‛ăbôdâh ‛ăbôdâh · serviceH5656
• and his heavyכָּבֵדkâbêd · heavyH3515
• which he putנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
• upon us, lighterקָלַלqâlal · to lightenH7043
• and we will serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647

Cross-references for 1 Kings 12:4

• 1 Kings 4:7Solomon had twelve deputies over all Israel, who secured provisions for the king and his household; each man had to provide for a month in the year.
• 1 Kings 9:15Now this is the account of the forced labor which King Solomon conscripted to build the house of the Lord, his own house, the Millo (fortification), the wall of Jerusalem, [and the fortress cities of] Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
• 1 Samuel 8:11He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them for himself to his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots.
• 2 Chronicles 10:4“Your father [King Solomon] made our yoke hard (heavy, difficult); so now lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”
• Matthew 11:29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls.
• Matthew 23:4The scribes and Pharisees tie up heavy loads [that are hard to bear] and place them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger [to make them lighter].
• 1 John 5:3For the [true] love of God is this: that we habitually keep His commandments and remain focused on His precepts. And His commandments and His precepts are not difficult [to obey].

Commentaries on 1 Kings 12:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4The grievous service - and - heavy yoke - They seem here to complain of two things - excessively laborious service, and a heavy taxation. At first it is supposed Solomon employed no Israelite in drudgery: afterwards, when he forsook the God of compassion, he seems to have used them as slaves, and to have revived the Egyptian bondage.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The complaint was probably twofold. The Israelites no doubt complained in part of the heavy weight of taxation laid upon them for the maintenance of the monarch and his court 1 Kings 4:19-23. But their chief grievance was the forced labor to which they had been subjected 1 Kings 5:13-14; 1 Kings 11:28. Forced labor has been among the causes leading to insurrection in many ages and countries. It helped to bring about the French Revolution, and it was for…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4the burden of your father’s service and the heavy yoke: See 1 Kings 4:7, 22–23; 5:13–18; 9:20–23; 11:27–28.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Thy father made our yoke grievous--The splendor of Solomon's court and the magnitude of his undertakings being such, that neither the tribute of dependent states, nor the presents of foreign princes, nor the profits of his commercial enterprises, were adequate to carry them on, he had been obliged, for obtaining the necessary revenue, to begin a system of heavy taxation. The people looked only to the burdens, not to the benefits they derived from…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 12:4

• Government
• Israel
• Jeroboam
• Petition
• Rehoboam
• Revolt
• Rulers
• Solomon

In the dictionaries

• Add
• Consult
• Ephraim, The tribe of
• Heavy
• Israel, Kingdom of
• Jeroboam
• Ordain
• Rehoboam
• Scorpion
• Taxes

Commentaries on 1 Kings 12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings