They spokeוַיְדַבְּרוּto him,אֵלָיוsaying,לֵאמֹר“Ifאִםtodayהַיּוֹםyou areתִּהְיֶהa servantעֶבֶדto thisלָ הַזֶּהpeopleעָםand serve themוַעֲבַדְתָּםand answer themוַעֲנִיתָםand speakוְדִבַּרְתָּgoodטוֹבִיםwordsדְּבָרִיםto them,אֲלֵיהֶםthey will beוְהָיוּyourלְךָservantsעֲבָדִיםallכָּלthe days.”הַיָּמִים
1 Kings 12:7
Study it in the app“They spoke to him, saying, “If today you are a servant to this people and serve them and answer them and speak good words to them, they will be your servants all the days.””
Rehoboam asks the elders for advice but prefers that of the young menGod guides
With the Hebrew beneath
1 Kings 12:7, word by word
- They spokeיְדַבְּרוּyedabru
speak
To speak, say something; above all God to his people.
Where else “yedabru” appears- sayingאמֹרmor
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “mor” appears- todayיּוֹםyom
today
This very day in which one speaks, the present moment.
Where else “yom” appears- you areתִּהְיֶהtihye
be
To be: "I will be their Elohim".
Where else “tihye” appears- a servantעֶבֶדeved
servant
Someone who works for another, or a king's official.
Where else “eved” appears- peopleעָםam
crowd
The people gathered in a place: the crowd, or the troops that go out to war.
Where else “am” appears- and serve themעֲבַדְתָּavadta
serve
To serve a person.
Where else “avadta” appears- and answer themעֲנִיתָanita
answer
To reply to what was said.
Where else “anita” appears- goodטוֹבִיםtovim
good
What is as it should be and gives delight: sound, useful, beautiful or valuable.
Where else “tovim” appears- wordsדְּבָרִיםdevarim
word
What someone says or announces, above all what YHWH says.
Where else “devarim” appears
Parallel passages
Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.
The kingdom divided at Shechem
See them side by side
1 Kings 12:1-19
1Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2And it happened when Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of it —and he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt— 3they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4“Your father hardened our yoke; now you, lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke that he put on us, and we will serve you.” 5He said to them, “Go away for another three days, and come back to me.” And the people went away. 6King Rehoboam sought counsel from the elders who had stood before Solomon his father while he was alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?” 7They spoke to him, saying, “If today you are a servant to this people and serve them and answer them and speak good words to them, they will be your servants all the days.” 8But he abandoned the counsel of the elders that they had counseled him, and sought counsel from the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. 9He said to them, “What do you counsel that we answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” 10The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made heavy our yoke, but you, lighten it from on us’; thus you shall speak to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than the waist of my father. 11And now, my father loaded on you a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’” 12Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had spoken, saying, “Come back to me on the third day.” 13The king answered the people harshly, and abandoned the counsel of the elders that they had counseled him; 14and he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made heavy your yoke, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 15So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of events from YHWH, so that he might confirm his word that YHWH had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. 16When 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. To your tents, Israel! Now look after your house, David!” So Israel went to his tents. 17But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. And King Rehoboam hurried to get up into the chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19So Israel rebelled against the house of David until this day.
1Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2And it happened when Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of it —and he was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king— that Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 3They sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4“Your father hardened our yoke; so now lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke that he put on us, and we will serve you.” 5He said to them, “In another three days come back to me.” And the people went away. 6King Rehoboam sought counsel from the elders who had stood before Solomon his father while he was alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?” 7They spoke to him, saying, “If you are good to this people and are pleased with them and speak good words to them, they will be your servants all the days.” 8But he abandoned the counsel of the elders that they had counseled him, and sought counsel from the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. 9He said to them, “What do you counsel that we answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” 10The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall say to the people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made heavy our yoke, but you, lighten it from on us’; thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than the waist of my father. 11And now, my father loaded on you a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I with scorpions.’” 12Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had spoken, saying, “Come back to me on the third day.” 13The king answered them harshly; King Rehoboam abandoned the counsel of the elders, 14and he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “I will make heavy your yoke, and I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I with scorpions.” 15So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of events from Elohim, so that YHWH might confirm his word that he had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. 16When 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. Each one to your tents, Israel! Now look after your house, David!” So all Israel went to his tents. 17But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the forced labor, and the sons of Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. And King Rehoboam hurried to get up into the chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19So Israel rebelled against the house of David until this day.
The context
6King Rehoboam sought counsel from the elders who had stood before Solomon his father while he was alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?”
7 · This verse (above)
8But he abandoned the counsel of the elders that they had counseled him, and sought counsel from the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.