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

2When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since. 3They sent for him, and Jeroboam and the whole Israelite assembly came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, “Your father made us work too hard. Now if you lighten the demands he made and don’t make us work as hard, we will serve you.” 5He said to them, “Go away for three days, then return to me.” So the people went away. 6King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served his father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them, “How do you advise me to answer these 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 district governors appointed throughout Israel who acquired supplies for the king and his palace. Each was responsible for one month in the year.
• 1 Kings 9:15Here are the details concerning the work crews King Solomon conscripted to build the Lord’s temple, his palace, the terrace, the wall of Jerusalem, and the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
• 1 Samuel 8:11He said, “Here are the policies of the king who will rule over you: He will conscript your sons and put them in his chariot forces and in his cavalry; they will run in front of his chariot.
• 2 Chronicles 10:4“Your father made us work too hard! Now if you lighten the demands he made and don’t make us work as hard, we will serve you.”
• Matthew 11:29Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
• Matthew 23:4They tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them.
• 1 John 5:3For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments. And his commandments do not weigh us down,

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