1 KINGS CHAPTER 12 The Israelites seek to Rehoboam for relaxation, 1
KINGS 12:1. He refusing the old men's counsel, by the advice of the
young men answereth them roughly, 1 KINGS 12:6; for which ten tribes
revolt; kill Adoram; and make Rehoboam to flee, 1 KINGS 12:16. He
raising an army is forbidden... [ Continue Reading ]
HEARD OF IT; in the Hebrew it is only _heard_, and may relate either
to Solomon's death, or to the meeting which all the tribes had
appointed at Shechem.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SENT AND CALLED HIM: when the people sent him word of Solomon's
death, they also sent a summons for him to come to Shechem. Or as soon
as he had heard the tidings of Solomon's death from others, or from
common fame; presently there came a solemn message to him from the
people, who desired his p... [ Continue Reading ]
THY FATHER MADE OUR YOKE GRIEVOUS by heavy taxes and impositions, not
only for the temple and his magnificent buildings, but for the
expenses of his numerous court, and of so many wives and concubines,
whose luxury and idolatry must needs be very costly. And Solomon
having so grossly forsaken God, i... [ Continue Reading ]
Give me that time for deliberation and advice.... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH THE OLD MEN THAT STOOD BEFORE SOLOMON; with Solomon's old
counsellors, whom age, and experience of men and things, and converse
with such a king, had made wise.... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU WILT BE A SERVANT UNTO THIS PEOPLE THIS DAY, by complying with
their desires, and condescending to them for a season, till the
troubled humours be quieted, and the opportunity they now have, and
that some of them seek, for sedition be gone, and thou be better
stablished in thy throne. They u... [ Continue Reading ]
HE FORSOOK THE COUNSEL OF THE OLD MEN; judging it unworthy of his
majesty and authority, and likely to encourage and increase the people
in their insolent demands. The young men; so called comparatively to
the old men; otherwise they were near forty years old, as the
following words imply. THAT WERE... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
Or rather, _is thicker_, and therefore stronger, and mere able to
crush you, if you proceed in these mutinous demands, THAN HIS LOINS,
in which is the principal seat of strength. My father was young and
weak, and had many enemies, when he first took the kingdom; but I am
the undoubted heir; and I fi... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL ADD TO YOUR YOKE, i.e. make it heavier and stronger, both to
punish your petulancy, and to curb and restrain you from seditious
attempts. WITH SCORPIONS, i.e. with such whips as will sting you like
scorpions: if you proceed in these courses, I will most severely
punish you for it.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CAUSE WAS FROM THE LORD; who gave up Rehoboam to so foolish and
fatal a mistake, and alienated the people's affections from him, and
ordered all circumstances by his wise providence to that end.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT PORTION HAVE WE IN DAVID, i.e. in David's family and son? we can
expect no benefit or relief from him, and therefore we renounce all
commerce with him, and subjection to him. See 2 SAMUEL 20:1. They
named David rather than Rehoboam, to signify, that they did renounce,
not Rehoboam only, but all... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH DWELT IN THE CITIES OF JUDAH; by which phrase he principally
understands the tribe of Judah; but withal, those parts and parcels of
the tribes of Levi, and Simeon, and Benjamin, whose dwellings were
within the confines of Judah, or intermixed with them.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SENT ADORAM, either,
1. To pacify the people, and promise them relief, now when it was too
late. But then he would not have sent a person so ungrateful to the
people, as that sort of men use to be. Or rather,
2. To pursue the counsel which he had resolved upon, and to execute
his office, and ex... [ Continue Reading ]
Their revolt is called _rebellion_, and therefore was sinful, because
it was contrary to God's authority, and command of subjection to
David, and his seed for ever; from which the people were not freed by
God's promise and grant made to Jeroboam, which was but a secret
transaction, not yet sufficien... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT JEROBOAM WAS COME AGAIN, to wit, from Egypt, which was known
before to the chief of the tribes, and to them who met at Shechem, and
now was more universally known by all the people. They SENT to his
tent or habitation, to which he had retired himself, as others also
generally did: see above, 1... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN, i.e. that part of it which was next to
Judah, and joined with them. SEE POOLE ON "1 KINGS 11:13". AGAINST THE
HOUSE OF ISRAEL, i.e. the families or tribes (for these words are
promiscuously used one for the other) of Israel.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MAN OF GOD, i.e. the prophet, so called, partly to distinguish him
from others of that name; see NEHEMIAH 6:10 JEREMIAH 29:31; and partly
to add the more weight to his words.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS THING IS FROM ME; this event is from my counsel and providence,
to punish Solomon's apostacy, though they procured it by sinful means;
and therefore, if you proceed, you must fight with me as well as them.
THEY HEARKENED THEREFORE TO THE WORD OF THE LORD; either from
conscience of their duty, o... [ Continue Reading ]
JEROBOAM BUILT SHECHEM, i.e. he repaired, and enlarged, and fortified
it; for it had been ruined long since, JUDGES 9:45. He might choose it
as a place both auspicious, because here the foundation of his
monarchy was laid; and commodious, as being near the frontiers of his
kingdom. PENUEL; a place b... [ Continue Reading ]
SAID IN HIS HEART, i.e. reasoned within himself: The phrase discovers
the fountain of his error, that he did not consult with God, who had
given him the kingdom; as in all reason, and justice, and gratitude he
should have done; nor believed God's promise, 1 KINGS 11:38; but his
own imaginations and... [ Continue Reading ]
This in itself might seem a prudent conjecture; for this would give
Rehoboam, and the priests and Levites, the sure and faithful friends
of David's house, many opportunities of alienating their minds from
him, and of reducing them to their former allegiance. But considering
God's providence, by whic... [ Continue Reading ]
MADE TWO CALVES OF GOLD, in imitation of Aaron's golden calf, and of
the Egyptians, from whom he was lately come. And this he the rather
presumed to do, because he knew the people of Israel were generally
very prone to superstition and idolatry, as their whole history
showeth; and that Solomon's exa... [ Continue Reading ]
Which two places he chose for his people's conveniency; BETH-EL being
in the southern, and DAN in the northern parts of his kingdom.... [ Continue Reading ]
A SIN, i.e. a cause or occasion of great wickedness among that people;
not only of idolatry, which is called _sin_ by way of eminency; nor
only of the worship of the calves, wherein they pretended to worship
the true God; but also of the worship of Baal, and of the utter
desertion of the true God, a... [ Continue Reading ]
AN HOUSE OF HIGH PLACES, or, _an house_ (i.e. houses, or chapels) _in
the high places_. Besides the famous houses, or temples, which he
built at Dan and Beth-el, he built also, for his people's better
accommodation, lesser temples upon divers high places, which were
esteemed sacred and venerable, be... [ Continue Reading ]
Either,
1. A feast of dedication, like that which was in Judah, at the
dedication of the temple. Or rather,
2. The feast of tabernacles, as may be thought,
1. Because that began on the fifteenth day of the month, LEVITICUS
23:34.
2. Because he is not blamed for devising the feast, (which thereby... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH HE HAD DEVISED OF HIS OWN HEART; which he appointed without any
warrant from God, which was superstition. Compare JEREMIAH 7:31.... [ Continue Reading ]