Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley, [1754-65], at sacred-texts.com
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:1
kg1 12:1
Were come - Rehoboam did not call them thither, but went thither, because the Israelites prevented him, and had pitched upon that place, rather than upon Jerusalem, because it was most convenient for all, being in the center of the kingdom; and because that being in the potent tribe of Ephraim, they supposed there they might use that freedom of speech, which they resolved to use, to get there grievances redressed. So out of a thousand wives and concubines, he had but one son to bear his name, and he a fool! Is not sin an ill way of building up a family?
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:3
kg1 12:3
They sent - When the people sent him word of Solomon's death, they also sent a summons for him to come to Shechem. That the presence and countenance of a man of so great interest and reputation, might lay the greater obligation upon Rehoboam to grant them ease and relief.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:4
kg1 12:4
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. And Solomon having so grossly forsaken God, it is no wonder if he oppressed the people.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:7
kg1 12:7
This day - By complying with their desires, and condescending to them for a season, till thou art better established in thy throne. They use this expression, fore - seeing that some would dissuade him from this course, as below the majesty of a prince. And answer - Thy service is not hard, it is only a few good words, which it is as easy to give as bad ones.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:8
kg1 12:8
Young men - So called, comparatively to the old men: otherwise they were near forty years old.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:10
kg1 12:10
Shall be thicker - Or rather, is thicker, and therefore stronger, and more able to crush you, if you proceed in these mutinous demands, than his loins, in which is the principal seat of strength.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:15
kg1 12:15
From the Lord - Who gave up Rehoboam to so foolish and fatal a mistake, and alienated the peoples affections from him; and ordered all circumstances by his wise providence to that end.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:16
kg1 12:16
In David - 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. They named David, rather than Rehoboam; to signify, that they renounced not Rehoboam only, but all David's family. Son of Jesse - So they call David in contempt; as if they had said, Rehoboam hath no reason to carry himself with such pride and contempt toward his people; for if we trace his original, it was as mean and obscure as any of ours. To your tents - Let us forsake him, and go to our own homes, there to consider, how to provide for ourselves.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:17
kg1 12:17
Judah - The tribe of Judah; with those parts of the tribes of Levi, and Simeon, and Benjamin, whose dwellings were within the confines of Judah.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:18
kg1 12:18
Sent Adoram - Probably to pursue the counsel which he had resolved upon, to execute his office, and exact their tribute with rigour and violence, if need were.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:19
kg1 12:19
Rebelled - Their revolt was sinful, as they did not this in compliance with God's counsel, but to gratify their own passions.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:20
kg1 12:20
Was come - From Egypt; which was known to them before who met at Shechem, and now by all the people. Was none - That is, no entire tribe.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:24
kg1 12:24
From me - This event is from my counsel and providence, to punish Solomon's apostasy.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:25
kg1 12:25
Shechem - He repaired, and enlarged, and fortified it; for it had been ruined long since, Jdg 9:45. He might chuse 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 beyond Jordan; to secure that part of his dominions.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:26
kg1 12:26
Said, &c. - 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, Kg1 11:38, but his own carnal policy.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:27
kg1 12:27
Will turn - Which 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 reducing them to their former allegiance. But considering God's providence, by which the hearts of all men, and the affairs of all kingdoms are governed, and of which he had lately seen so eminent an instance; it was a foolish, as well as wicked course.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:28
kg1 12:28
Calves - 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 prone to idolatry: and that Solomon's example had exceedingly strengthened those inclinations; and therefore they were prepared for such an attempt; especially, when his proposition tended to their own ease, and safety, and profit, which he knew was much dearer to them, as well as to himself, than their religion. Too much - Too great a trouble and charge, and neither necessary, nor safe for them, as things now stood. Behold thy gods - Not as if he thought to persuade the people, that these calves were that very God of Israel, who brought them out of Egypt: which was so monstrously absurd and ridiculous, that no Israelite in his right wits could believe it, and had been so far from satisfying his people, that this would have made him both hateful, and contemptible to them; but his meaning was, that these Images were visible representations, by which he designed to worship the true God of Israel, as appears, partly from that parallel place, Exo 32:4, partly, because the priests and worshippers of the calves, are said to worship Jehovah; and upon that account, are distinguished from those belonging to Baal, Kg1 18:21, Kg1 22:6-7, and partly, from Jeroboam's design in this work, which was to quiet the peoples minds, and remove their scruples about going to Jerusalem to worship their God in that place, as they were commanded: which he doth, by signifying to them, that he did not intend any alteration in the substance of their religion; nor to draw them from the worship of the true God, to the worship of any of those Baals, which were set up by Solomon; but to worship that self - same God whom they worshipped in Jerusalem, even the true God, who brought them out of Egypt; only to vary a circumstance: and that as they worshipped God at Jerusalem, before one visible sign, even the ark, and the sacred cherubim there; so his subjects should worship God by another visible sign, even that of the calves, in other places; and as for the change of the place, he might suggest to them, that God was present in all places, where men with honest minds called upon him; that before the temple was built, the best of kings, and prophets, and people, did pray, and sacrifice to God in divers high places, without any scruple. And that God would dispense with them also in that matter; because going to Jerusalem was dangerous to them at this time; and God would have mercy, rather than sacrifice.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:29
kg1 12:29
Beth - el, &c. - Which two places he chose for his peoples conveniency; Beth - el being in the southern, and Dan in the northern parts of his kingdom.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:30
kg1 12:30
A sin - That is, an occasion of great wickedness, 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; and of all sorts of impiety. To Dan - Which is not here mentioned exclusively, for they went also to Beth - el, Kg1 12:32-33, but for other reasons, either because that of Dan was first made, the people in those parts having been long leavened with idolatry, Jdg 18:30, or to shew the peoples readiness and zeal for idols; that those who lived in, or near Beth - el, had not patience to stay 'till that calf was finished, but all of them were forward to go as far as Dan, which was in the utmost borders of the land, to worship an idol there; when it was thought too much for them to go to Jerusalem to worship God.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:31
kg1 12:31
An house - Houses, or chapels, besides the temples, which are built at Dan and Beth - el; he built also for his peoples better accommodation, lesser temples upon divers high places. Of the lowest - Which he might do, either, because the better sort refused it, or, because such would be satisfied with mean allowances; and so he could put into his own purse a great part of the revenues of the Levites, which doubtless he seized upon when they forsook him, and went to Jerusalem, Ch2 11:13-14, or, because mean persons would depend upon his favour, and therefore be pliable to his humour, and firm to his interest, but the words in the Hebrew properly signify, from the ends of the people; which may be translated thus, out of all the people; promiscuously out of every tribe. Which exposition seems to be confirmed by the following words, added to explain these, which were not of the sons of Levi; though they were not of the tribe of Levi. And that indeed was Jeroboam's sin; not that he chose mean persons, for some of the Levites were such; and his sin had not been less, if he had chosen the noblest and greatest persons; as we see in the example of Uzziah. But that he chose men of other tribes, contrary to God's appointment, which restrained that office to that tribe. Levi - To whom that office was confined by God's express command.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:32
kg1 12:32
A feast - The feast of tabernacles. So he would keep God's feast, not in God's time, which was the fifteenth day of the seventh month, and so onward, Lev 23:34, but on the fifteenth day of the eighth month. And this alteration he made, either, to keep up the difference between his subjects, and those of Judah as by the differing manners, so by the distinct times of their worship. Or, lest he should seem directly to oppose the God of Israel, (who had in a special manner obliged all the people to go up to Jerusalem at that time,) by requiring their attendance to celebrate the feast elsewhere, at the same time. Or, to engage as many persons as possibly he could, to come to his feast; which they would more willingly do when the feast at Jerusalem was past and all the fruits of the earth were perfectly gathered in. Fifteenth day - And so onward till the seven days ended. Like that in Judah - He took his pattern thence, to shew, that he worshipped the same God, and professed the same religion for substance, which they did: howsoever he differed in circumstances. He offered - Either, by his priests. Or, rather, by his own hands; as appears from Kg1 13:1, Kg1 13:4, which he did, to give the more countenance to his new - devised solemnity. Nor is this strange; for he might plausibly think, that he who by his own authority had made others priests might much more exercise a part of that office; at least, upon an extraordinary occasion; in which case, he knew David himself had done some things, which otherwise he might not do. So he did - He himself did offer there in like manner, as he now had done at Dan.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:33
kg1 12:33
Devised - Which he appointed without any warrant from God.