838 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people,.... To lessen their taxes, and ease them of their burdens, as they desired: for the cause was from the Lord; it was according to his will and appointment; the defection of the people was willed by the Lord, and various things in Providence turned up to alienate their minds from Rehoboam, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them,.... To grant their requests: the people answered the king, saying, what portion have we in David? or in his posterity, which are not of our tribes, nor are we obliged to have a king of that family; nor can we expect any benefit or advantage from thence, as may be easily concluded from...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah,.... Either such Israelites of the ten tribes that had before dwelt, or now upon this removed, for the sake of worship, to dwell in the tribe of Judah; or else that part of Israel, the tribe of Judah, which dwelt in the cities belonging to it: Rehoboam reigned over them; they...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute,.... There was one of this name in this office in the time of David, 2 Samuel 20:24, this is the same with Adoniram, as Jarchi thinks, see 1 Kings 4:6, him he sent either to collect the tribute of the Ephraimites, to show his authority; or rather to call the people back to have some further...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. In which the writer of this book lived, and so continued until their captivity by the king of Assyria. Their revolt is called a rebellion; for though it was according to the purpose and will of God, yet the people had no command or order from God for it, and was done without consulting...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again,.... Out of Egypt; the chief men knew of it before, for he had headed them in their approach and address to Rehoboam; but the people in common had not, and especially those of the various tribes besides that of Ephraim: that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, e.] From Shechem, which was forty miles (n) from Jerusalem: he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon which not only shows...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God,.... A prophet in those days, see 2 Chronicles 12:15 and the word that came to him, as in the Targum, is called the word of prophecy: saying; as follows.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon king of Judah,.... He is called king before, but of what tribe or tribes is not expressly said, only it is implied in 1 Kings 12:17 and he is only acknowledged king of Judah by the Lord himself: and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin; which made but one house, as before but one tribe, 1 Kings 11:36 and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thus saith the Lord,.... A common preface the prophets used when they spoke in the name of the Lord: ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel; and that because they were their brethren; though that is not the only reason, another follows: return every man to his house, for this thing is from me; it was according...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then Jeroboam built Shechem in Mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein,.... Not that this city had lain in ruins from the times of Abimelech, Judges 9:45 for then it would not have been a proper place for the convention of the people, 1 Kings 12:1 but he repaired the walls of it, and fortified it, and built a palace in it for his residence: and went out...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Jeroboam said in his heart, c,] As he was musing about the state of his kingdom and the affairs of it: now shall the kingdom return to the house of David such were his fears, unless some method could be taken to prevent it, particularly with respect to religion, which was what his thoughts were employed about.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem,.... In the temple there, three times in the year, which all the males were obliged to, besides other times, when they had occasion to offer sacrifice, which they might do nowhere else: then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their Lord, even unto Rehoboam king...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Whereupon the king took counsel,.... Of some of his principal men, that had as little religion as himself, and were only concerned for the civil state; and the result of their consultation was as follows: and made two calves of gold; in imitation of that which was made by Aaron, and encouraged by his example and success; and having been in Egypt...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he set the one in Bethel,.... In the southern part of the land, on the border of Ephraim and Benjamin; and the rather he chose this place, because its name signifies the house of God, and had been a sacred place, where Jacob more than once enjoyed the divine Presence: and the other put he in Dan: in the northern part of the land, for the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And this thing became a sin,.... The cause and occasion of the sin of idolatry; it led them by degrees to leave off the worship of God, and to worship these calves as gods: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan; which was the furthest off, such was their great zeal for idolatrous worship; or they went thither before that at...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he made an house of high places,.... Or "altars" (s), built a temple at Dan, and set up several altars in it for sacrifice, both for burnt offerings, and for incense, as at Jerusalem: and made priests of the lowest of the people; this clause seems not so well rendered; for this would have been very unpopular, and brought his new form of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah,.... The feast of tabernacles, which was on the fifteenth day of the seventh month; this was done chiefly for the sake of an alteration; though Abarbinel thinks, because the fruits of the land were not so soon ripe nor so soon...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month,.... As he had done in Dan: even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; the feast of tabernacles was of God's appointing, but the time of keeping he had devised himself, changing it from the seventh month, or Tisri, which answers to our...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 13 In this chapter is an account of a man of God being sent to exclaim against Jeroboam's altar, and threaten its destruction, of which he gave a sign, which was accomplished, and with it the withering of the king's hand, which was healed upon the prophet's prayer for him, 1 Kings 13:1, who would have entertained him at his...