HISTORY OF NORTHERN ISRAEL FROM THE FALL OF SAMARIA I FROM JEROBOAM TO OMRI, I Kgs. 121-1420, 1525-1620, II Chr. 10 § 59. Rejection of Rehoboam by the Northern Tribes and the Election of Jeroboam, I Kgs. 121-25, II Chr. 10 Jeroboam History boam's I Kgs. 12 2Now as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard [that Sol- Jeroomon was dead-for he was still in Egypt, whither he had fled from the return presence of King Solomon, and he dwelt in Egypt-he returned at once to from his native town, Zeredah in Mount Ephraim.a Egypt lar de Reho 1And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem Poputo make him king. And they sent and called Jeroboam, and he, with all the mand assembly of Israel, came. And they said to Rehoboam, 4Your father made that our yoke intolerable. Now therefore make the intolerable service of your boam father and the heavy yoke he laid upon us lighter, and we will serve you. his 5And he said to them, Go away for three days, then come again to me. So policy the people went away. define sel of mon's 6And King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had stood Counbefore Solomon his father during his lifetime, saying, What answer do you Soloadvise me to give this people? 7And they replied to him saying, If now you mon will be a servant to this people, and will serve them, and give them a favor- ers able answer, then they will be your servants forever. But he rejected the From Jeroboam to Omri.-The importance of the division of the kingdom led the editor of Kgs. to quote at length from the source that recorded this. Considerable space is also given to the reign of Jeroboam, the first king of Northern Israel, for to the religious policy inaugurated by him the editor traced the series of calamities that overtook the Northern Kingdom. The remaining reigns of this epoch are dismissed with a few brief citations from the annals of Israel, usually set in the formulas of the editor. For the Chronicler, whose interest was centred in Judah and the temple, events in the North had no significance beyond the fatal act of division. $59 The record of the division of the Hebrew empire was apparently taken from the history of Jeroboam, which the late prophetic editor may have found incorporated as a section in the royal chronicles of Israel. The Gk, and Luc. have preserved a more logical and probably a more original order and reading for the opening verses. The Ephraimite point of view is prominent in 1-20. Vss. 21-24 were probably added by a later Judean editor, but otherwise the unity of the section is complete and it is unsurpassed as a vivid piece of early historical writing. It evidently comes from about the same period as the Saul and David narratives of Sam. 122 So practically Gk. and Luc. The Heb. omits the last clause, substituting 3 for it. But this implies that Jeroboam was summoned from Egypt and arrived at Shechem, 20, before the expiration of the three days, 5, which was an obvious impossibility. The Gk. order followed above removes this and other difficulties. According to the original narrative Jeroboam was not at Shechem until after Rehoboam was rejected, 20. Coun sel of the young men Reho boam's tyrannical reply popular Jeroboam History counsel which the old men had given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and had stood before him. And he said to them, What answer do you advise us to give to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that your father put upon us lighter'? 1oAnd the young men who had grown up with him replied to him, saying, Thus must you answer this people who have said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us'; thus must you say to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins! 11 And now whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will make your yoke heavier; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges.' 12So when Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come to me the third day, 13the king answered the people harshly, and did not follow the counsel which the old men had to the given him, 14but spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, Demand saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I also will make your yoke still heavier; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with Scourges. 15So the king gave no heed to the people; for it was a thing brought about of Jehovah to confirm his word, which Jehovah spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.b Rejection of Rehoboam by the north ern tribes Elec tion of Jeroboam king The divine approval of the act 16 And when all Israel saw that the king gave no heed to them, the people answered the king, saying, What share have we in David? We have no claim in the son of Jesse! To your tents, O Israel! Now care for your own house, O David! So the Israelites went to their homes. "But over the Israelites who dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned. 18Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was over the men subject to forced labor; but all Israel stoned him to death. Thereupon King Rehoboam quickly mounted his chariot in order to flee to Jerusalem. 19So Israel rebelled against the house of David to the present day. 20 And as soon as all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly of the people and made him king over all Israel. None remained loyal to the house of David except the tribe of Judah. 21 Now when Rehoboam had arrived at Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel in order to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, as follows, 23Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, 24 Thus saith Jehovah, "Ye shall b126-15 The secondary Gk. version in 12 24q. r (Swete's text) is briefer, and possibly the original: And Rehoboam said, Bring the elders in to me that I may take counsel with them as to the answer I should give the people on the third day. And when Rehoboam told them the message that the people had sent to him, the elders of the people replied, So have the people said But Rehoboam cast their counsel to the winds, for it pleased him not. Then he sent and summoned those who had grown up with him, and said the same to them. These terms have the people sent me. 1217 Not in the Gk., and evidently not found originally in the present context. to you. Jeroboam History not go up to fight against your kinsmen the Israelites; go back home all of you, for this thing has come to pass at my instigation." So they listened to the word of Jehovah, and departed according to the word of Jehovah.d 25Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Fortifidwelt there. Afterwards he went out from there and fortified Penuel. § 60. Jeroboam's Institution of the Calf Worship at Bethel and Dan, I Kgs. 1226-32 Jeroboam History cation of Shechem lish Bethel Dan as I Kgs. 12 26Then Jeroboam said to himself, Now the sovereignty will Estabrevert to the house of David. 27 If this people go up to offer sacrifices in ment the temple of Jehovah at Jerusalem, then will the heart of this people turn of again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and and return to Rehoboam king of Judah. 28So the king took counsel with himself, royal and made two calves of gold, and said to the people,f You have gone up to sanctJerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt! 29 And he set up the one in Bethel, and the other in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin to Israel, for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. uaries pointment tinct 31 And he made houses of high places, and made priests from among all Apthe people, who were not of the sons of Levi. 32And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast of a disthat is in Judah, and he went up unto the altar; so he did in Bethel, sacri- priestficing to the calves that he had made; and he placed in Bethel the priests and of the high places that he had made. hood feastday § 61. The Prophecy against the Altar at Bethel, I Kgs. 1233-1334 Very Late Popular Prophetic Story I Kgs. 12 33 And Jeroboam went up to the altar which he had made in JeroBethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, which he had arbitrarily public d 1221-24 According to the early source quoted in 1430, there was constant war between Rehoboam and the son of Rehoboam. 121-24 seems to have been the later Judean explanation of why Rehoboam failed to compel the Northerners to submit to his rule. It also introduces the motive of direct divine intervention which characterizes the later narratives. The reference to Benjamin in 21 (cf. 20) confirms this conclusion. § 60 It is generally held that the material in this passage has been recast by a later editor, but that the main facts are from an older source. There are, however, no strong grounds against regarding it as an extract from the Jeroboam history. In the days of Amos (76-14) Bethel was a royal sanctuary, and Dan was from the days of the judges a famous shrine. Jeroboam in making them royal sanctuaries was but following the example of Gideon and David. Even though the centralization of all sacrificial worship in Jerusalem belongs to a later time, the temple of Solomon with its glories must then have been a dangerous rival to the older local sanctuaries. It is also significant that none of the expressions that characterize all of the work of the late prophetic author is found in the section. 1227 Not found in the Gk. and probably an editorial addition. f1228 So Gk. Owing to a scribal misreading the Heb. has, to them. 1230 Following Luc. in adding, to Israel. § 61 The reference in 132 to the iconoclastic reformation of Josiah recorded in II Kgs. 23 indicates that this strange story is very late. The conception of the prophet as a wonder-worker is also another of the indices of its late origin. Its entire atmosphere is that of post-exilic Judaism. The mission of Amos to Northern Israel during the days of Jeroboam II and his forced departure (Am. 7) may be the nucleus of fact about which it grew up. The point of view is Judean, the date possibly after the days of Nehemiah and Ezra. Cf. the post-exilic conception of Samaria as a province, 2. h1233 So Lat. The Heb. adds in the month. The eighth month was Oct.-Nov., while in Judah the corresponding feast of tabernacles was held in the seventh month. Cf. Lev. 2334. boam's sacrifice Mes sage and sign of the un known man Very Late Popular Prophetic Story chosen; and he ordained a feast for the Israelites and went up to the altar to offer sacrifice. 13 1At that time a man of God came from Judah at the command of Jehovah to Bethel. And Jeroboam was standing by the altar to offer sacrifice. Then [the man of God] cried against the altar at the command of Jehovah and said, O altar, altar, thus saith Jehovah: 'Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on thee shall he sacrifice of God the priests of the high places who offer sacrifices on thee, and he shall burn men's bones on thee.' 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which Jehovah hath spoken, ‘Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.' 4Now when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Take hold of him. But his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back again to himself. 5The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given at the command of Jehovah. And the king answered and said to the man of God, Now intercede with Jehovah thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. So the man of God interceded with Jehovah, and the king's hand was restored to him again and became as it was before. And the king said to the man of God, Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward. But the man of God said to the king, If you were to give me half your house, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place; for it was commanded me by the word of Jehovah, saying, 'Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water, nor return by the way that thou camest.' 10So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel. The lying words proph Bethel 11 Now a certain old prophet dwelt in Bethel; and his sonsk came and told him all the deeds that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; of the they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king. 12And et of their father said to them, What way did he go? Then his sons showed1 him which way the man of God who came from Judah had gone. 13 And he said to his sons, Saddle for me an ass. So they saddled for him the ass, and he rode on it. 14And he went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak; and he said to him, Are you the man of God who came from Judah? And he said, I am. 15Then he said, Come home with me and eat bread. 16 But he said, I may not return with you, nor go in with you,m neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place; 17for it was commanded me by the word of Jehovah, 'Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor 132 The Heb. has the plural, but Gk., Luc., Lat., and Syr. presuppose the singular. Both Gk. and Heb., however, admit of the rendering, the bones of men shall burn. i 139 An impersonal construction, or with a slight change in Heb., I was commanded. Gk., he commanded me by the word of Jehovah. k13 Heb., one of his sons. But Gk., Luc., Lat., Syr., and 11b support the plural. m 1316 Gk. and Luc. omit, nor go in with you; Syr., and enter your house-a probable reading, cf. 219. 1316 So Gk., Luc., Lat., and Syr. Very Late Popular Prophetic Story depart by the way that thou camest.' 18And he said to him, I also am a prophet as you are; and a Messenger spoke to me by the word of Jehovah, saying, 'Bring him back with thee to thy house, that he may eat bread and drink water!' (But he was lying to him.) 19So he went back with him," and ate bread in his house and drank water. of the un ment disobe 20 But while they were sitting at the table, the word of Jehovah came to the Death prophet who brought him back. 21And he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, ‘Since thou hast disobeyed known prophthe word of Jehovah, and hast not kept the command which Jehovah thy et as a God commanded thee, 22but camest back and hast eaten bread and drunk punishwater in the place of which he said to thee, "Eat no bread, and drink no for his water," thy body shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.' 23And dience after he had eaten bread and drunk water, he saddled for him the ass, and he again departed. 24But a lion met him by the way and slew him, and his body was cast upon the highway, and the ass stood by it; the lion also stood by the body. 25 And just then men passed by and saw the body cast in the highway, and the lion standing by the body; and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. of the un 26 And when the prophet who brought him back from the way heard of Burial it, he said, It is the man of God who disobeyed the word of Jehovah; therefore Jehovah hath delivered him to the lion, which has torn him, and slain known prophhim, according to the word of Jehovah, which he spoke to him. 27 And he et commanded his sons, saying, Saddle for me the ass. And they saddled it." 28So he went and found his body thrown down in the highway, and the ass and the lion standing by the body; the lion had not eaten the body nor torn the ass. 29 Then the prophet took up the body of the man of God and laid it on the ass, and brought it back to the citys to mourn and to bury him. 30 And he laid his body in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother! 31And when he had buried him, he spoke to his sons, saying, When I die, bury me in the sepulchre in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones: 32for the saying which he cried by the word of Jehovah against the altar in Bethel, and against all the temples of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass. baneful 33 After this event Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but made Jeroagain from all the people priests of the high places. Whomsoever he would boam's he consecrated to be a priest of the high places. 34 And this thing became religa source of sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off and to destroy it policy from the face of the earth. ious 1319 Gk. and Luc. suggest, so he caused him to turn back, as the original. Cf. 20-26. P 1321 Heb., rebelled against the mouth. So 26 a1323b, 24 So Gk. and Luc. Heb., for the prophets who had brought back. 24 And he departed, which is unintelligible. The sentence is wholly or in part the result of the insertion of a marginal note. This is suggested by Syr., for the prophet of God, and again he departed. 1326b, 27 The Gk. omits this sentence. 1320 The cumbersome Heb. is corrected on the basis of the Gk, and Luc. 1333 Heb., he would fill his hand. u 1333 So Gk., Luc., Lat., Syr. The Heb. is impossible, and he will be priests of high places. The above rendering results from a slight change in the Heb. |