Page:The Books of Chronicles (1916).djvu/272

204 come to Shechem to make him king. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, (for he was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of king Solomon,) that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. And they sent and called him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came, and they spake to Rehoboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed. And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men that were grown up with him, that stood before him. And he said unto them, What counsel give ye, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that thy father, did put upon us lighter? And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus

2. Jeroboam] For his antecedents (which are not given by the Chronicler) see 1 Kin. xi. 26 ff.

that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt] So we should read also in 1 Kin. xii. 2 for "and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt." The difference in Heb. between the two readings when written without the vowels is confined to one letter, instead of.

4. the grievous service of thy father] The "service" complained of is described (in part) in 1 Kin. v. 13, 14 (no parallel in Chron.). Cp. viii. 9 (= 1 Kin. ix. 22), note.

and we will serve thee] The people claim their ancient right to a voice in the appointment of a king; cp. 1 Sam. xi. 14, 15 (Saul) and 2 Sam. v. 1—3 (David).

6. stood before] Cp. Deut. i. 38; 1 Kin. xvii. 1. The phrase is used to express service, whether rendered to God or to man.

7. If thou be kind to this people, and please them] The Chronicler has softened the forcible words of the parallel passage (1 Kin. xii. 7), "If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them." The words which were too blunt for Rehoboam were also too blunt for the Chronicler.