New Living Translation
1 Kings 12:4
4“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.”
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 of this, he returned from Egypt, for he had fled to Egypt to escape from King Solomon. 3The leaders of Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel went to speak with Rehoboam. “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.” 5Rehoboam replied, “Give me three days to think this over. Then come back for my answer.” So the people went away. 6Then King Rehoboam discussed the matter with the older men who had counseled his father, Solomon. “What is your advice?” he asked. “How should I answer these people?”
Read all of 1 Kings 121 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 also had twelve district governors who were over all Israel. They were responsible for providing food for the king’s household. Each of them arranged provisions for one month of the year.
- 1 Kings 9:15This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon conscripted to build the Lord’s Temple, the royal palace, the supporting terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
- 1 Samuel 8:11“This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots.
- 2 Chronicles 10:4“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.”
- Matthew 11:29Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
- Matthew 23:4They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.
- 1 John 5:3Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments 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
In the dictionaries
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
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