CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>1 Kings 12:28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, "Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt."</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/1_kings/12-28.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/20/11_1Ki_12_28.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="1 Kings 12:28 - Jeroboam's Idolatry" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script> <script src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/biblehub.js' type='text/javascript'></script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/1_kings/12-28.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/1_kings/12-28.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/1_kings/">1 Kings</a> > <a href="/1_kings/12.htm">Chapter 12</a> > Verse 28</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad1.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/1_kings/12-27.htm" title="1 Kings 12:27">◄</a> 1 Kings 12:28 <a href="/1_kings/12-29.htm" title="1 Kings 12:29">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Study Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Crossref </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Hebrew </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv">Verse<a href="/bsb/1_kings/12.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><a href="/niv/1_kings/12.htm">New International Version</a> After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, &#8220It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.&#8221 <a href="/nlt/1_kings/12.htm">New Living Translation</a> So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people, “It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!” <a href="/esv/1_kings/12.htm">English Standard Version</a> So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” <a href="/bsb/1_kings/12.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a> After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” <a href="/kjv/1_kings/12.htm">King James Bible</a> Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. <a href="/nkjv/1_kings/12.htm">New King James Version</a> Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” <a href="/nasb_/1_kings/12.htm">New American Standard Bible</a> So the king consulted, and he made two golden calves; and he said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.” <a href="/nasb/1_kings/12.htm">NASB 1995</a> So the king consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them, &#8220It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.&#8221 <a href="/nasb77/1_kings/12.htm">NASB 1977 </a> So the king consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.” <a href="/lsb/1_kings/12.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a> So the king took counsel, and made two golden calves, and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.” <a href="/amp/1_kings/12.htm">Amplified Bible</a> So the king took counsel [and followed bad advice] and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “It is too much for you to go [all the way] up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” <a href="/csb/1_kings/12.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a> So the king sought advice. Then he made two golden calves, and he said to the people, “Going to Jerusalem is too difficult for you. Israel, here are your gods who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” <a href="/hcsb/1_kings/12.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a> So the king sought advice. Then he made two golden calves, and he said to the people, &#8220Going to Jerusalem is too difficult for you. Israel, here is your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.&#8221 <a href="/asv/1_kings/12.htm">American Standard Version</a> Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. <a href="/cev/1_kings/12.htm">Contemporary English Version</a> Jeroboam asked for advice and then made two gold statues of calves. He showed them to the people and said, "Listen everyone! You won't have to go to Jerusalem to worship anymore. Here are your gods who rescued you from Egypt." <a href="/erv/1_kings/12.htm">English Revised Version</a> Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. <a href="/gwt/1_kings/12.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a> After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said, "You've been worshiping in Jerusalem long enough. Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt." <a href="/gnt/1_kings/12.htm">Good News Translation</a> After thinking it over, he made two bull-calves of gold and said to his people, "You have been going long enough to Jerusalem to worship. People of Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt!" <a href="/isv/1_kings/12.htm">International Standard Version</a> So the king sought some advice and then built two golden calves and announced, "It's too difficult for you to travel to Jerusalem. So here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!" <a href="/msb/1_kings/12.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a> After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” <a href="/net/1_kings/12.htm">NET Bible</a> After the king had consulted with his advisers, he made two golden calves. Then he said to the people, "It is too much trouble for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look, Israel, here are your gods who brought you up from the land of Egypt." <a href="/nheb/1_kings/12.htm">New Heart English Bible</a> Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and see your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt." <a href="/wbt/1_kings/12.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a> Upon which the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said to them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt. <a href="/web/1_kings/12.htm">World English Bible</a> So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and behold your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” <div class="vheading2">Literal Translations</div><a href="/lsv/1_kings/12.htm">Literal Standard Version</a> And the king takes counsel, and makes two calves of gold, and says to them, “Enough of you from going up to Jerusalem; behold, your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” <a href="/ylt/1_kings/12.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a> And the king taketh counsel, and maketh two calves of gold, and saith unto them, 'Enough to you of going up to Jerusalem; lo, thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.' <a href="/slt/1_kings/12.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a> And the king will consult and make two calves of gold, and he will say to them, Much for you going up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.<div class="vheading2">Catholic Translations</div><a href="/drb/1_kings/12.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a> And finding out a device he made two golden calves, and said to them: Go ye up no more to Jerusalem: Behold thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt. <a href="/cpdv/1_kings/12.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a> And devising a plan, he made two golden calves. And he said to them: “No longer choose to ascend to Jerusalem. Behold, these are your gods, O Israel, who led you away from the land of Egypt!” <a href="/nabre/1_kings/12.htm">New American Bible</a> The king took counsel, made two calves of gold, and said to the people: “You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” <a href="/nrsvce/1_kings/12.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a> So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold. He said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”<div class="vheading2">Translations from Aramaic</div><a href="/lamsa/1_kings/12.htm">Lamsa Bible</a> So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said to all Israel, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!<CL>And he went and found the corpse cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing beside the corpse; the lion had not eaten the corpse nor torn the ass. <a href="/hpbt/1_kings/12.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a> And the King took counsel and made two calves of gold, and he said to all Israel: “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem!” And he said, “Behold your gods, Israel, which brought you out from the land of Egypt!”<div class="vheading2">OT Translations</div><a href="/jps/1_kings/12.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a> Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said unto them: 'Ye have gone up long enough to Jerusalem; behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.' <a href="/sep/1_kings/12.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a> And the king took counsel, and went, and made two golden heifers, and said to the people, Let it suffice you to have gone hitherto to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. <a href="/parallel/1_kings/12-28.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheadingv">Audio Bible</div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xx9A0AxPaoQ?start=5028" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="vheadingv">Context</div><a href="/bsb/1_kings/12.htm">Jeroboam's Idolatry</a> …27If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, their hearts will return to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah; then they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” 28<a href="/hebrew/3289.htm" title="3289: way·yiw·wā·‘aṣ (Conj-w:: V-Nifal-ConsecImperf-3ms) -- To advise, counsel. A primitive root; to advise; reflexively, to deliberate or resolve.">After seeking advice,</a> <a href="/hebrew/4428.htm" title="4428: ham·me·leḵ (Art:: N-ms) -- King. From malak; a king.">the king</a> <a href="/hebrew/6213.htm" title="6213: way·ya·‘aś (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms) -- To do, make. A primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application.">made</a> <a href="/hebrew/8147.htm" title="8147: šə·nê (Number-mdc) -- Two (a card. number). Dual of sheniy; feminine shttayim; two; also twofold.">two</a> <a href="/hebrew/2091.htm" title="2091: zā·hāḇ (N-ms) -- Gold. From an unused root meaning to shimmer; gold, figuratively, something gold-colored, as oil, a clear sky.">golden</a> <a href="/hebrew/5695.htm" title="5695: ‘eḡ·lê (N-mpc) -- A calf. From the same as agol; a calf, especially one nearly grown.">calves</a> <a href="/hebrew/559.htm" title="559: way·yō·mer (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms) -- To utter, say. A primitive root; to say.">and said</a> <a href="/hebrew/413.htm" title="413: ’ă·lê·hem (Prep:: 3mp) -- To, into, towards. ">to the people,</a> <a href="/hebrew/5927.htm" title="5927: mê·‘ă·lō·wṯ (Prep-m:: V-Qal-Inf) -- A primitive root; to ascend, intransitively or actively; used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative.">“Going up</a> <a href="/hebrew/3389.htm" title="3389: yə·rū·šā·lim (N-proper-fs) -- Probably foundation of peace, capital city of all Isr. ">to Jerusalem</a> <a href="/hebrew/7227.htm" title="7227: raḇ- (Adv) -- Much, many, great. By contracted from rabab; abundant.">is too much</a> <a href="/hebrew/lā·ḵem (Prep:: 2mp) -- ">for you.</a> <a href="/hebrew/2009.htm" title="2009: hin·nêh (Interjection) -- Lo! behold! Prolongation for hen; lo!">Here,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3478.htm" title="3478: yiś·rā·’êl (N-proper-ms) -- From sarah and 'el; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also of his posterity.">O Israel,</a> <a href="/hebrew/430.htm" title="430: ’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā (N-mpc:: 2ms) -- Plural of 'elowahh; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used of the supreme God">are your gods,</a> <a href="/hebrew/834.htm" title="834: ’ă·šer (Pro-r) -- Who, which, that. A primitive relative pronoun; who, which, what, that; also when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.">who</a> <a href="/hebrew/5927.htm" title="5927: he·‘ĕ·lū·ḵā (V-Hifil-Perf-3cp:: 2ms) -- A primitive root; to ascend, intransitively or actively; used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative.">brought you up</a> <a href="/hebrew/776.htm" title="776: mê·’e·reṣ (Prep-m:: N-fsc) -- Earth, land. From an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth.">out of the land</a> <a href="/hebrew/4714.htm" title="4714: miṣ·rā·yim (N-proper-fs) -- A son of Ham, also his desc. and their country in N.W. Africa. Dual of matsowr; Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt.">of Egypt.”</a> 29One calf he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div> <a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><a href="/exodus/32-4.htm">Exodus 32:4</a> He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” <a href="/exodus/32-8.htm">Exodus 32:8</a> How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it. They have sacrificed to it and said, ‘These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’” <a href="/2_kings/10-29.htm">2 Kings 10:29</a> but he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. <a href="/2_chronicles/11-15.htm">2 Chronicles 11:15</a> And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made. <a href="/hosea/8-4.htm">Hosea 8:4-6</a> They set up kings, but not by Me. They make princes, but without My approval. With their silver and gold they make themselves idols, to their own destruction. / He has rejected your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence? / For this thing is from Israel—a craftsman made it, and it is not God. It will be broken to pieces, that calf of Samaria. <a href="/hosea/13-2.htm">Hosea 13:2</a> Now they sin more and more and make for themselves cast images, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say of them, “They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves!” <a href="/amos/8-14.htm">Amos 8:14</a> Those who swear by the guilt of Samaria and say, ‘As surely as your god lives, O Dan,’ or, ‘As surely as the way of Beersheba lives’—they will fall, never to rise again.” <a href="/2_chronicles/13-8.htm">2 Chronicles 13:8-9</a> And now you think you can resist the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David’s descendants. You are indeed a vast army, and you have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods. / But did you not drive out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites? And did you not make priests for yourselves as do the peoples of other lands? Now whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of things that are not gods. <a href="/deuteronomy/9-16.htm">Deuteronomy 9:16</a> And I saw how you had sinned against the LORD your God; you had made for yourselves a molten calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the LORD had commanded you. <a href="/nehemiah/9-18.htm">Nehemiah 9:18</a> Even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and when they committed terrible blasphemies, <a href="/psalms/106-19.htm">Psalm 106:19-20</a> At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped a molten image. / They exchanged their Glory for the image of a grass-eating ox. <a href="/acts/7-41.htm">Acts 7:41</a> At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands. <a href="/romans/1-23.htm">Romans 1:23</a> and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. <a href="/1_corinthians/10-7.htm">1 Corinthians 10:7</a> Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” <a href="/revelation/2-14.htm">Revelation 2:14</a> But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.</div> <a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div>Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said to them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.took counsel<a href="/1_kings/12-8.htm">1 Kings 12:8,9</a> But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him: … <a href="/exodus/1-10.htm">Exodus 1:10</a> Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.<a href="/isaiah/30-1.htm">Isaiah 30:1</a> Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:<a href="/exodus/20-4.htm">Exodus 20:4</a> Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:<a href="/deuteronomy/4-14.htm">Deuteronomy 4:14-18</a> And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it… <a href="/2_kings/10-29.htm">2 Kings 10:29</a> Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.It is too much<a href="/isaiah/30-10.htm">Isaiah 30:10</a> Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:<a href="/2_peter/2-19.htm">2 Peter 2:19</a> While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.behold<a href="/exodus/32-4.htm">Exodus 32:4,8</a> And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt… <div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/1_kings/1-19.htm">Calves</a> <a href="/1_kings/12-8.htm">Consulted</a> <a href="/1_kings/12-14.htm">Counsel</a> <a href="/1_kings/12-2.htm">Egypt</a> <a href="/1_kings/11-10.htm">Gods</a> <a href="/1_kings/10-25.htm">Gold</a> <a href="/1_kings/7-48.htm">Golden</a> <a href="/1_kings/12-24.htm">Israel</a> <a href="/1_kings/12-27.htm">Jerusalem</a> <a href="/1_kings/11-22.htm">Seeking</a> <a href="/1_kings/12-26.htm">Thought</a> <a href="/1_kings/7-48.htm">Whereupon</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/1_kings/12-32.htm">Calves</a> <a href="/1_chronicles/10-13.htm">Consulted</a> <a href="/1_kings/22-5.htm">Counsel</a> <a href="/1_kings/14-25.htm">Egypt</a> <a href="/1_kings/14-9.htm">Gods</a> <a href="/1_kings/14-26.htm">Gold</a> <a href="/2_kings/10-29.htm">Golden</a> <a href="/1_kings/12-30.htm">Israel</a> <a href="/1_kings/14-21.htm">Jerusalem</a> <a href="/1_kings/20-7.htm">Seeking</a> <a href="/1_kings/18-27.htm">Thought</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/12-6.htm">Whereupon</a><div class="vheading2">1 Kings 12</div>1. <a href="/1_kings/12-1.htm">The Israelites, assembled at Shechem to crown Rehoboam, </a> 4. <a href="/1_kings/12-4.htm">by Jeroboam make a suit of relaxation unto him</a> 6. <a href="/1_kings/12-6.htm">Rehoboam, refusing the old men's counsel, answers them roughly</a> 16. <a href="/1_kings/12-16.htm">Ten tribes revolting, kill Adoram, and make Rehoboam flee</a> 21. <a href="/1_kings/12-21.htm">Rehoboam, raising an army, is forbidden by Shemaiah</a> 25. <a href="/1_kings/12-25.htm">Jeroboam strengthens himself by cities</a> 26. <a href="/1_kings/12-26.htm">and by idolatry of the two calves</a> </div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading"><a href="/study/1_kings/12.htm">Berean Study Bible</a></div>After seeking advice This phrase indicates that King Jeroboam did not act impulsively but sought counsel before making his decision. The Hebrew root for "seeking advice" is "ya'ats," which implies deliberation and consultation. Historically, this reflects the common practice of ancient Near Eastern kings who often relied on advisors. However, the advice Jeroboam received led to idolatry, highlighting the importance of seeking godly counsel, as emphasized in <a href="/proverbs/11-14.htm">Proverbs 11:14</a>, "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety."the king made Jeroboam, as king, had the authority to shape the religious practices of his people. The Hebrew word "asah" means "to make" or "to do," indicating deliberate action. This decision marks a pivotal moment in Israel's history, as it led to the division and spiritual decline of the northern kingdom. It serves as a cautionary tale about the misuse of power and the responsibility of leaders to uphold God's commandments.two golden calves The creation of "two golden calves" is reminiscent of the golden calf made by Aaron in <a href="/exodus/32.htm">Exodus 32</a>. The Hebrew word for "calves" is "egel," which can also mean a young bull, a common symbol of strength and fertility in ancient Near Eastern cultures. Jeroboam's choice to use golden calves as objects of worship was a direct violation of the second commandment (<a href="/exodus/20-4.htm">Exodus 20:4-5</a>) and reflects a syncretism that blended Canaanite religious practices with Israelite tradition.and said to the people Jeroboam's address to the people signifies his role in leading them astray. The Hebrew verb "amar" means "to say" or "to speak," indicating that his words carried authority and influence. This highlights the power of leadership and communication in shaping the spiritual direction of a community. It serves as a reminder of the responsibility leaders have to speak truth and guide others toward righteousness.'Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you This statement reveals Jeroboam's political strategy to prevent the people from returning to Jerusalem, the center of true worship. The phrase "too much for you" suggests a concern for the people's convenience, but it masks a deeper motive of consolidating his own power. This reflects a common temptation to prioritize personal or political gain over spiritual integrity.Here are your gods, O Israel Jeroboam's declaration, "Here are your gods," is a direct affront to the monotheistic faith of Israel. The Hebrew word "elohim" can mean "gods" or "God," but in this context, it is a plural form used to denote multiple deities, which contradicts the Shema in <a href="/deuteronomy/6-4.htm">Deuteronomy 6:4</a>, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." This phrase underscores the danger of idolatry and the ease with which people can be led away from true worship.who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.' By attributing the deliverance from Egypt to the golden calves, Jeroboam distorts Israel's foundational narrative. The phrase "brought you up" echoes the language of the Exodus, a central event in Israel's history that demonstrated God's power and faithfulness. This distortion serves as a warning against rewriting history to serve false narratives and emphasizes the importance of remembering and honoring God's true acts of deliverance.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/1_kings/12.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(28) Calves of gold.--The choice of this symbol of the Divine Nature--turning, as the Psalmist says with indignant scorn, "the glory of God into the similitude of a calf that eateth hay" (<a href="/psalms/106-20.htm" title="Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eats grass.">Psalm 106:20</a>)--was probably due to a combination of causes. First, the very repetition of Aaron's words (<a href="/exodus/32-8.htm" title="They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be your gods, O Israel, which have brought you up out of the land of Egypt.">Exodus 32:8</a>) indicates that it was a revival of that ancient idolatry in the wilderness. Probably, like it, it was suggested by the animal worship of Egypt, with which Jeroboam had been recently familiar, and which (as is well known) varied from mere symbolism to gross creature worship. Next, the bull, as the emblem of Ephraim, would naturally become a religious cognisance of the new kingdom. Lastly, there is some reason to believe that the figure of the cherubim was that of winged bulls, and the form of the ox was undoubtedly used in the Temple, as for example, under the brazen sea. It has been thought that the "calves" were reproductions of the sacred cherubim,--made, however, symbols, not of the natural powers obeying the Divine word, but of the Deity itself.It is, of course, to be understood that this idolatry, against which the prohibition of many sanctuaries was meant to guard, was a breach, not of the First Commandment, but of the Second--that making of "a similitude" of the true God, so emphatically forbidden again and again in the Law. (See, for example, <a href="/context/deuteronomy/4-15.htm" title="Take you therefore good heed to yourselves; for you saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spoke to you in Horeb out of the middle of the fire:">Deuteronomy 4:15-18</a>.) Like all such veneration of images, it probably degenerated. From looking on the image as a mere symbol it would come to attach to it a local presence of the Deity and an intrinsic sacredness; and so would lead on, perhaps to a veiled polytheism, certainly to a superstitious and carnal conception of the Godhead.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/1_kings/12.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div>Verse 28. - Whereupon the king took counsel ["With his counsellors, or the heads of the nation who had helped him to the throne" (Keil). Bahr understands, "he reflected about it alone" (et excogitato consilio, Vulgate), alleging that so important a circumstance as the concurrence of the heads of the people in changing the system of worship would not have been passed over in silence. But while the text does not perhaps imply any formal deliberation with the elders, it is reasonable to suppose that Jeroboam, who owed his position to popular election, and who was far too sagacious not to follow the example of Rehoboam (vers. 6, 9), would summon others to advise him as to this critical and momentous step. Wordsworth refers to <a href="/isaiah/30-1.htm">Isaiah 30:1</a>, and says that "Jeroboam is the image and pattern of Machiavellian politicians." "Next to Ahithophel, I do not find that Israel yielded a craftier head than Jeroboam's" (Hall)], and made two calves [It is generally held that these were in imitation of, or were suggested by, the "golden calf" of Aaron (<a href="/exodus/32-2.htm">Exodus 32:2</a>), and the close resemblance of Jeroboam's words (below), in inaugurating this new cultus, to Aaron's have been thought to prove it. But surely it has been overlooked that Jeroboam could hardly be so shortsighted and unwise as deliberately to reintroduce a worship which had provoked the "fierce wrath" (ver. 12) of God, and had nearly resulted in the extermination of the Jewish race. For of course neither Jeroboam nor his people could have forgotten the stern condemnation which Aaron's calf worship had received. The molten image ground to powder, the ashes mixed in the drink of the people, the slaughter of three thousand worshippers, etc., would assuredly have lived in the memories of the nation. A more impolitic step, consequently - one more certain to precipitate his ruin, by driving the whole nation into the arms of Judah - Jeroboam could not have taken, than to attempt any revival or imitation of the forbidden cultus of the desert. And it is as little likely that the worship of the calves was derived from the worship of Apis, as practised at Memphis, or of "Mnevis, the sacred calf of Heliopolis" (Stanley), though with both of these Jeroboam had recently been in contact. It would have been but a sorry recommendation in the eyes of Israel that the first act of the new king should be to introduce the hateful idolatry of Egypt into the land; and every consideration tends to show that the calf worship was not, and was not intended to be, idolatry, such as the worship of Egypt undoubtedly was. It is always carefully distinguished from idol worship by the historians and prophets. And the idea which Jeroboam wished to give his subjects was clearly this that, so far from introducing new gods or new sanctuaries, he was merely accommodating the old worship to the new state of things. He evidently felt that what he and his house had most to fear was, not the armies of Rehoboam but the ritual and religious associations of Jerusalem. His object, if he were wise, must therefore be to provide a substitute, a counterfeit worship. "I will give you," he virtually says, "at Bethel and Dan, old sanctuaries of our race long before Jerusalem usurped their place, those visible emblems of the heavenly powers such as are now found only in the temple. You too shall possess those mysterious forms which symbolize the Invisible, but you shall have them nearer home and easier of access." There can be little doubt, consequently, that the "calves" were imitations of the colossal cherubim of Solomon's temple, in which the ox or calf was probably the forma praecipua (<a href="/1_kings/6-23.htm">1 Kings 6:23</a>).] of gold [Hardly of solid gold. Possibly cf. wood covered with gold plates, i.e., similar to the cherubim (<a href="/1_kings/6-23.htm">1 Kings 6:23-28</a>); probably of molten brass (see <a href="/1_kings/14-9.htm">1 Kings 14:9</a>, and cf. <a href="/psalms/106-19.htm">Psalm 106:19</a>), overlaid with gold; such images, in fact, as are described in <a href="/isaiah/40-19.htm">Isaiah 40:19</a>], and said unto them, It is too much for you [This translation, pace Keil, cannot be maintained. Nor can it be said that "the exact meaning of the original is doubtful" (Rawlinson), for a study of the passages where this phrase, רַב־לָכֶם occurs (see, e.g., <a href="/deuteronomy/1-6.htm">Deuteronomy 1:6</a>; <a href="/deuteronomy/2-3.htm">Deuteronomy 2:3</a>; <a href="/deuteronomy/3-26.htm">Deuteronomy 3:26</a>; and cf. <a href="/genesis/45-28.htm">Genesis 45:28</a>; <a href="/exodus/9-28.htm">Exodus 9:28</a>; <a href="/2_samuel/24-16.htm">2 Samuel 24:16</a>; <a href="/1_kings/19-4.htm">1 Kings 19:4</a>) will convince the reader that it must be rendered here, "It is enough" - i.e., "you have gone long enough to a city which only owes its present position to the ambition of the tribe of Judah, and which is a standing testimony to your own inferiority; henceforth, desist." We have an exact parallel in <a href="/ezekiel/44-6.htm">Ezekiel 44:6</a>; where the Authorized Version renders, "Let it suffice you." The LXX. supports this view by rendering ἱκανόυσθω ὑμῖν throughout. Vulgate, nolite ultra ascendere, etc.] to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods [rather "god," for Jeroboam had no idea of introducing polytheism. It is true he made two calves because of his two sanctuaries, but each was designed to represent the same object - the one God of Israel. The word is translated, gods" in <a href="/exodus/32-1.htm">Exodus 32:1, 4, 8, 23, 31</a>; but as the reference is in every case to the one calf, it should be translated "god" there also. In Nehemiah's citation of the words (<a href="/nehemiah/9-18.htm">Nehemiah 9:18</a>), the word is unmistakably singular. "This is thy god," etc. The words are not "exactly the same as the people used when setting up the golden calf" (Bahr). Jeroboam says, "Behold," etc.], O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. [It is at first sight somewhat difficult to resist the view, which is generally entertained, that Jeroboam, of set purpose, cited the ipsissima verba of the Israelites in the desert (<a href="/exodus/32-4.htm">Exodus 32:4</a>). But a little reflection will show that it is much more difficult to believe that a monarch, circumstanced as Jeroboam was, could at the very outset of his career have acted in the teeth of history, and have committed the gross blunder, not to say wanton outrage, of deliberately connecting his new cult with the calf worship of the desert. He can hardly have dared, that is, to say, "This is no new religion, for this very form of worship our fathers used formerly in the desert, under the guidance of Aaron himself" (Seb. Schmidt, followed by Keil, al.) unless both he and his people alike - which is inconceivable - were ignorant of their nation's history recorded in <a href="/exodus/32-19.htm">Exodus 32:19-35</a>. It has been argued by some that this action of Jeroboam and the ready compliance of the ten tribes, prove that the Pentateuch cannot then have been written. But, as Hengstenberg (cited by Wordsworth) rejoins, the same argument would lead to the conclusion that the Bible could not have been written in the dark ages, or, we might add, even at the present day. He can hardly have claimed, that is to say, to be reintroducing the calf worship, which God had so emphatically reprobated, unless he designed an open defiance of the Most High, and wished to shock all the religious instincts and convictions of his people. It is much more natural, consequently, to suppose, considering the very frequent recurrence, though sometimes in slightly different shapes, of the formula "the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt" (<a href="/exodus/20-2.htm">Exodus 20:2</a>; <a href="/exodus/29-45.htm">Exodus 29:45, 46</a>; <a href="/leviticus/19-36.htm">Leviticus 19:36</a>; <a href="/leviticus/23-43.htm">Leviticus 23:43</a>; <a href="/leviticus/25-38.htm">Leviticus 25:38</a>; <a href="/leviticus/26-13.htm">Leviticus 26:13, 45</a>; <a href="/numbers/15-41.htm">Numbers 15:41</a>; <a href="/numbers/16-13.htm">Numbers 16:13</a>; <a href="/numbers/20-16.htm">Numbers 20:16</a>; <a href="/deuteronomy/5-6.htm">Deuteronomy 5:6, 15</a>; <a href="/deuteronomy/6-12.htm">Deuteronomy 6:12</a>; <a href="/deuteronomy/8-14.htm">Deuteronomy 8:14</a>; <a href="/deuteronomy/9-26.htm">Deuteronomy 9:26</a>; <a href="/joshua/24-6.htm">Joshua 24:6, 17</a>; <a href="/judges/6-8.htm">Judges 6:8</a>; <a href="/1_samuel/8-8.htm">1 Samuel 8:8</a>; <a href="/1_samuel/10-18.htm">1 Samuel 10:18</a>; <a href="/1_kings/8-21.htm">1 Kings 8:21</a>, etc.) that the correspondence is accidental, the more so as Jeroboam does not quote the exact words, and that he has used a phrase which was constantly in their ears, insisting thereby that his calves were emblems of the God of their race, the God whose great glory it was that He had taken their nation out of the midst of another nation, etc. (<a href="/deuteronomy/4-34.htm">Deuteronomy 4:34</a>), and delivered them from a thraldom with which, perhaps, the tyranny of Rehoboam is indirectly compared. Or it there was any reference to the golden calf, it must have been depreciatory, as if to say," That was rank idolatry, and as such it was punished. That calf was an image of Apis. My calves are cherubic symbols, symbols such as He has Himself appointed, of the Great Deliverer of our race. Behold thy God, which really brought thee up," etc.] <a href="/commentaries/1_kings/12-28.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a> <a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div>After seeking advice, וַיִּוָּעַ֣ץ (way·yiw·wā·‘aṣ) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3289.htm">Strong's 3289: </a> To advise, to deliberate, resolve the king הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ) Article | Noun - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_4428.htm">Strong's 4428: </a> A king made וַיַּ֕עַשׂ (way·ya·‘aś) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_6213.htm">Strong's 6213: </a> To do, make two שְׁנֵ֖י (šə·nê) Number - mdc <a href="/hebrew/strongs_8147.htm">Strong's 8147: </a> Two (a cardinal number) golden זָהָ֑ב (zā·hāḇ) Noun - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_2091.htm">Strong's 2091: </a> Gold, something gold-colored, as oil, a clear sky calves עֶגְלֵ֣י (‘eḡ·lê) Noun - masculine plural construct <a href="/hebrew/strongs_5695.htm">Strong's 5695: </a> A, calf, one nearly grown and said וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_559.htm">Strong's 559: </a> To utter, say to the people, אֲלֵהֶ֗ם (’ă·lê·hem) Preposition | third person masculine plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_413.htm">Strong's 413: </a> Near, with, among, to “Going מֵעֲל֣וֹת (mê·‘ă·lō·wṯ) Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct <a href="/hebrew/strongs_5927.htm">Strong's 5927: </a> To ascend, in, actively to Jerusalem יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם (yə·rū·šā·lim) Noun - proper - feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3389.htm">Strong's 3389: </a> Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel is too much רַב־ (raḇ-) Adverb <a href="/hebrew/strongs_7227.htm">Strong's 7227: </a> Much, many, great for you. לָכֶם֙ (lā·ḵem) Preposition | second person masculine plural <a href="/hebrew/.htm">Strong's Hebrew</a> Here, הִנֵּ֤ה (hin·nêh) Interjection <a href="/hebrew/strongs_2009.htm">Strong's 2009: </a> Lo! behold! O Israel, יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl) Noun - proper - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3478.htm">Strong's 3478: </a> Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc are your gods, אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ (’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā) Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_430.htm">Strong's 430: </a> gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative which אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer) Pronoun - relative <a href="/hebrew/strongs_834.htm">Strong's 834: </a> Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that brought you up הֶעֱל֖וּךָ (he·‘ĕ·lū·ḵā) Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural | second person masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_5927.htm">Strong's 5927: </a> To ascend, in, actively out of the land מֵאֶ֥רֶץ (mê·’e·reṣ) Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct <a href="/hebrew/strongs_776.htm">Strong's 776: </a> Earth, land of Egypt.” מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (miṣ·rā·yim) Noun - proper - feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_4714.htm">Strong's 4714: </a> Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa <div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/1_kings/12-28.htm">1 Kings 12:28 NIV</a> <a href="/nlt/1_kings/12-28.htm">1 Kings 12:28 NLT</a> <a href="/esv/1_kings/12-28.htm">1 Kings 12:28 ESV</a> <a href="/nasb/1_kings/12-28.htm">1 Kings 12:28 NASB</a> <a href="/kjv/1_kings/12-28.htm">1 Kings 12:28 KJV</a> <a href="//bibleapps.com/1_kings/12-28.htm">1 Kings 12:28 BibleApps.com</a> <a href="//bibliaparalela.com/1_kings/12-28.htm">1 Kings 12:28 Biblia Paralela</a> <a href="//holybible.com.cn/1_kings/12-28.htm">1 Kings 12:28 Chinese Bible</a> <a href="//saintebible.com/1_kings/12-28.htm">1 Kings 12:28 French Bible</a> <a href="/catholic/1_kings/12-28.htm">1 Kings 12:28 Catholic Bible</a> <a href="/1_kings/12-28.htm">OT History: 1 Kings 12:28 Whereupon the king took counsel and made (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/1_kings/12-27.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="1 Kings 12:27"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="1 Kings 12:27" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/1_kings/12-29.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="1 Kings 12:29"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="1 Kings 12:29" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>