Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
1 Kings 12:4
“ Your father made our yoke grievous. Now therefore you make the grievous service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you.”
The Israelites then sent a deputation to put their requirements to Rehoboam, which no doubt included Jeroboam. Their terms were very simple. They were prepared to acknowledge Rehoboam as their king on condition that he could assure them that he would lighten the yoke that his father had put on them with his building schemes and constant demands. They wanted a relaxation of the pressure on them so that they could concentrate more on their own welfare and their families.
‘ And he said to them, “Depart yet for three days, then come to me again.” And the people departed.'
Rehoboam then asked for three days in which he could consider the matter before he gave his reply. This was not unreasonable as they would want him to come forward with some concrete proposals. They saw kingship in Israel as something resulting from a covenant between the king and the people. Even in the case of Solomon he had been made king while the Hebron covenant with David had still been active, and his kingship was later renewed and acknowledged by Israel (1 Chronicles 29:22). So they went away feeling quite hopeful. Concessions on taxes and on labour levies were often a regular feature on the accession of a new ruler, something evidenced in inscriptions.
‘ And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, “What counsel do you give me so as to return answer to this people?” '
Rehoboam then called together his father's old counsellors, men of wide experience and politically astute, and asked them how, in their view, he should reply.
‘ And they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to this people this day, and will serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants for ever.” '
Their reply was that in their view if he was willing to meet the men of Israel half way, with a little humility, and consider Israel's genuine grievances, recognising at the same time that one of his duties as king was to serve his people, he would win them over and they would become his loyal subjects permanently. They recognised the goodwill and sense of loyalty that Israel had towards Solomon's son, and that Israel had a genuine grievance.
‘ But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men who were grown up with him, who stood before him.'
But Rehoboam was not happy with their advice. His ‘wise' father had not brought him up to consider the good of the people. Rather he had brought him up with an overbearing attitude of arrogance and self-interest. An arrogant and despotic father rarely produces a considerate son. So Rehoboam did not feel that what his counsellor's were advising was a good idea. He felt that it was too humiliating, and giving too much away. Thus he then turned to the younger men who had grown up with him at court, and who were constantly in his presence.
‘ And he said to them, “What counsel do you give, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Make the yoke that your father put on us lighter?' ”
He asked them how they felt that he should reply to Israel's request for their yoke to be made lighter. The answer was really a foregone conclusion, for to a man they were as arrogant and despotic as Rehoboam himself. They were the younger aristocrats of the court who saw themselves as being God's gift to the world in the wrong sense, and they had grown up under Solomon's despotic rule.
‘ And the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus shall you say to this people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but do you make it lighter to us', thus shall you speak to them, “My little finger is thicker than my father's loins. And now whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.”
These younger men (men of military age and therefore young in contrast with the aged counsellors, but probably mature in age, for Rehoboam himself was 41 years of age (1 Kings 14:21) and had eighteen wives, sixty concubines, twenty eight sons and sixty daughters - 2 Chronicles 11:21) had grown up with him at court, and they gave him the answer that fitted in with his own attitude. Let him show the men of Israel who was in charge, and let them know that he was even more of a man, and even stronger, than his father and that he would do precisely as he liked. Let him inform the rebellious people that his little finger was thicker than his father's thighs. In other words that he was tougher than his father and would do precisely as he liked. So whereas his father had simply beaten them with whips, he would beat them with scorpions. The intention was to frighten them into submission. And if they would not submit, so much the worse for them.
By this he was, of course, negating God's covenant with David which had been based on his walking in YHWH's ways and doing what was right in his eyes. He was basically declaring that did not intend to walk by that covenant. He was going to walk in his own ways.
‘ So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had bidden saying, “Come to me again the third day.” '
Thus when Jeroboam and all the elders of Israel came on the third day to receive Rehoboam's reply he was in no mood for compromise.
‘ And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.” '
And he answered the people roughly, ignoring the advice of the wiser old men, and relying on the counsel of his contemporaries. Let Israel recognise that they were not dealing with any soft option. If his father had made their yoke heavy, he would add to it and make it heavier. His father may have chastened them with whips, but he would beat them with scorpions, the creatures whose painful sting was almost beyond bearing. They would be made to pay for their insubordination.
Some see ‘scorpions' as referring to a special kind of whip into which were woven sharp pieces of bone or metal which increased the potency of the whip. But there is really no need to destroy the typically vivid metaphor.
‘ So the king did not listen to the people, for it was something brought about of YHWH, that he might establish his word, which YHWH spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.'
The reply was so foolish that the prophetic author knew that there could only be one explanation for it. It was of YHWH, so as to bring about His purposes. It was in order that He might establish the word that He had spoken to Ahijah the Shilonite, to be passed on to Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:35). That did not, of course, excuse Rehoboam, whose behaviour was simply that of a spoiled and very arrogant person. He had behaved as he had been brought up to behave, following the example of his father. But the prophetic author points out that YHWH takes up such folly and uses it to bring about His purposes.
‘ And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel. Now see to your own house, David.” So Israel departed to their tents.'
The people of Israel, however, were in a determined mood. They had been prepared to cooperate, but their lives had become so unbearable that what Rehoboam threatened could only take them over the edge. So when they saw that he had not listened to them, they boldly declared that they no longer ‘had any portion in David'. They no longer saw themselves as being in the Davidic covenant, or saw the Davidic house as having authority over them. They no longer saw the son of Jesse as their inheritance. From now on ‘David' (Rehoboam) could look after his own house. They would return to the freedom of their own homes no longer under ‘David's' yoke. It was a total rejection of any covenant that they had had with David or his house.
“What portion have we in David? Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel.” For this compare 2 Samuel 20:1. This was seemingly a regular way of indicating a withdrawal from negotiations and from any covenant which might be seen as binding them. It also indicates that they did not see their relationship with the house of David as having been too binding. It was dependent on mutual response. Covenants were two-sided.
We have a clear indication here that the representative of the Davidic house could be spoken of as ‘David', something to be borne in mind whenever ‘David' is mentioned in the future. (Thus ‘for David' in the Psalms may sometimes simply refer to the current member of the Davidic house, while the mention of ‘David' in the prophets looked forward to the future king).
The consequence of all this was that Israel returned to their homes (‘departed to their tents', i.e. their places of abode, a phrase carried over from their wilderness days). They would choose their own king. Considering the forces that were at Rehoboam's disposal it was a decision that required some bravery. But they clearly felt that they had had enough, come what may. Such had been the wisdom that Solomon had inculcated in his son.