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.
• 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.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)“Your father was a hard master,” they said. “Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us. Then we will be your loyal subjects.”

Context of 1 Kings 12:4

2When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt. 3So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: “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.” 5Rehoboam answered, “Go away for three days and then come back to me.” So the people went away. 6Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked.

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 over all Israel, who supplied provisions for the king and the royal household. Each one had to provide supplies for one month in the year.
• 1 Kings 9:15Here is the account of the forced labor King Solomon conscripted to build the Lord’s temple, his own palace, the terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer.
• 1 Samuel 8:11He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.
• 2 Chronicles 10:4“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.”
• Matthew 11:29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
• Matthew 23:4They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
• 1 John 5:3In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

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