2 Chronicles 10: Rehoboam at Shechem, and Israel breaks away
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What happens?
All Israel comes to Shechem to make Rehoboam king, and Jeroboam, who has returned from Egypt, and all Israel speak to him and ask him to lighten the heavy yoke his father put on them. Rehoboam asks the old men who served Solomon and then the young men who grew up with him, drops the old men's counsel and answers roughly as the young men said. Israel answers that they have no portion in David, goes home to their tents, and stones Hadoram to death, and Rehoboam flees to Jerusalem.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold: God speaks no words of his own in this chapter. Jeroboam and all Israel speak in verse 4, Rehoboam in verses 5, 6, 9 and 14, the old men in verse 7, the young men in verses 10 and 11, and all Israel in verse 16. Verse 15 says that it was brought about by God so that Yahweh might establish his word spoken by Ahijah, but it gives no words of Yahweh's in quotes. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.
In plain English: Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.
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2When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.
In plain English: When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, he was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon. Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.
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3They sent and called him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came, and they spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
In plain English: They sent and called him. Jeroboam and all Israel came, and they spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
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4“Your father made our yoke grievous. Now therefore make the grievous service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you.”
In plain English: "Your father made our yoke hard. Now lighten some of your father's hard service and his heavy yoke that he put on us, and we will serve you."
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5He said to them, “Come again to me after three days.” So the people departed.
In plain English: He said to them, "Come back to me after three days." So the people went away.
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6King 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 about how to answer these people?”
In plain English: King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he was alive. He said, "What counsel do you give me about how to answer these people?"
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7They spoke to him, saying, “If you are kind to these people, please them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”
In plain English: They spoke to him, saying, "If you are kind to these people, please them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants all the days."
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8But he abandoned the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
In plain English: But he abandoned the counsel of the old men that they had given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
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9He said to them, “What counsel do you give, that we may give an answer to these people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Make the yoke that your father put on us lighter’?”
In plain English: He said to them, "What counsel do you give, so that we may answer these people, who have spoken to me, saying, 'Lighten some of the yoke that your father put on us'?"
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10The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall tell the people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter on us;’ thus you shall say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.
In plain English: The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, "This is what you shall say to the people who spoke to you, saying, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us.' This is what you shall say to them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist (literally: loins).
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11Now 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.’”
In plain English: And now, my father loaded a heavy yoke on you, and I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will do it with scorpions.'"
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12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king asked, saying, “Come to me again the third day.”
In plain English: So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had said, "Come back to me on the third day."
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13The king answered them roughly; and King Rehoboam abandoned the counsel of the old men,
In plain English: The king answered them roughly, and King Rehoboam abandoned the counsel of the old men,
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14and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.”
In plain English: and spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy (the Hebrew has: I will make your yoke heavy), but I will add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will do it with scorpions (see the note)."
The Hebrew word: "Scorpions" is aqrab, which the dictionary gives as "a scorpion; figuratively, a scourge or knotted whip". This Bible says "scorpion" in all 6 verses that use the word. The text does not say which Rehoboam meant.
What changes: Read as the animal, he threatens something worse than whips. Read as a knotted whip, he threatens a harsher whip. The same words are in .
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15So the king didn’t listen to the people; for it was brought about by God, that Yahweh might establish his word, which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
In plain English: So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of events from God, so that Yahweh would establish his word, which he had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
Good to know: has the same verse, but says it was "a thing brought about from Yahweh". This verse says "from God". The text does not explain the difference. Jeroboam's word from Ahijah the Shilonite is told in .
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16When all Israel saw that the king didn’t listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion do we have in David? We don’t have an inheritance in the son of Jesse! Every man to your tents, Israel! Now see to your own house, David.” So all Israel departed to their tents.
In plain English: When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people answered the king, saying, "What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, Israel! Now look to your own house, David." So all Israel went to their tents.
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17But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
In plain English: But as for the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
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18Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the men subject to forced labor; and the children of Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam hurried to get himself up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
In plain English: Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the forced labor, and the people of Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. King Rehoboam managed to go up (literally: proved himself strong to go up) into his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.
Good to know: tells the same stoning but calls the man "Adoram" and says "all Israel" stoned him; this verse says "Hadoram" and "the people of Israel". The text does not explain the two spellings.
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19So Israel rebelled against David’s house to this day.
In plain English: So Israel has rebelled against the house of David to this day.
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