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1. Now when Solomon was dead, and his son Rehoboam (who was born
of an Amntonite wife; whose name was Naamah) had succeeded him in
the kingdom, the rulers of the multitude sent immediately into
Egypt, and called back Jeroboam; and when he was come to them, to
the city Shethem, Rehoboam came to it also, for he had resolved
to declare himself king to the Israelites while they were there
gathered together. So the rulers of the people, as well as
Jeroboam, came to him, and besought him, and said that he ought
to relax, and to be gentler than his father, in the servitude he
had imposed on them, because they had borne a heavy yoke, and
that then they should be better affected to him, and be well
contented to serve him under his moderate government, and should
do it more out of love than fear. But Rehoboam told them they
should come to him again in three days' time, when he would give
an answer to their request. This delay gave occasion to a present
suspicion, since he had not given them a favorable answer to
their mind immediately; for they thought that he should have
given them a humane answer off-hand, especially since he was but
young. However, they thought that this consultation about it, and
that he did not presently give them a denial, afforded them some
good hope of success.
2. Rehoboam now called his father's friends, and advised with
them what sort of answer he ought to give to the multitude; upon
which they gave him the advice which became friends, and those
that knew the temper of such a multitude. They advised him to
speak in a way more popular than suited the grandeur of a king,
because he would thereby oblige them to submit to him with
goodwill, it being most agreeable to subjects that their kings
should be almost upon the level with them. But Rehoboam rejected
this so good, and in general so profitable, advice, (it was such,
at least, at that time when he was to be made king,) God himself,
I suppose, causing what was most advantageous to be condemned by
him. So he called for the young men who were brought up with him,
and told them what advice the elders had given him, and bade them
speak what they thought he ought to do. They advised him to give
the following answer to the people (for neither their youth nor
God himself suffered them to discern what was best): That his
little finger should be thicker than his father's loins; and if
they had met with hard usage from his father, they should
experience much rougher treatment from him; and if his father had
chastised them with whips, they must expect that he would do it
with scorpions. The king was pleased with this advice, and
thought it agreeable to the dignity of his government to give
them such an answer. Accordingly, when the multitude was come
together to hear his answer on the third day, all the people were
in great expectation, and very intent to hear what the king would
say to them, and supposed they should hear somewhat of a kind
nature; but he passed by his friends, and answered as the young
men had given him counsel. Now this was done according to the
will of God, that what Ahijah had foretold might come to pass.
3. By these words the people were struck as it were by all iron
hammer, and were so grieved at the words, as if they had already
felt the effects of them; and they had great indignation at the
king; and all cried out aloud, and said, "We will have no longer
any relation to David or his posterity after this day." And they
said further, "We only leave to Rehoboam the temple which his
father built;" and they threatened to forsake him. Nay, they were
so bitter, and retained their wrath so long, that when he sent
Adoram, which was over the tribute, that he might pacify them,
and render them milder, and persuade them to forgive him, if he
had said any thing that was rash or grievous to them in his
youth, they would not hear it, but threw stones at him, and
killed him. When Rehoboam saw this, he thought himself aimed at
by those stones with which they had killed his servant, and
feared lest he should undergo the last of punishments in earnest;
so he got immediately into his chariot, and fled to Jerusalem,
where the tribe of Judah and that of Benjamin ordained him king;
but the rest of the multitude forsook the sons of David from that
day, and appointed Jeroboam to be the ruler of their public
affairs. Upon this Rehoboam, Solomon's son, assembled a great
congregation of those two tribes that submitted to him, and was
ready to take a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men out of the
army, to make an expedition against Jeroboam and his people, that
he might force them by war to be his servants; but he was
forbidden of God by the prophet [Shemaiah] to go to war, for that
it was not just that brethren of the same contry should fight one
against another. He also said that this defection of the
multitude was according to the purpose of God. So he did not
proceed in this expedition. And now I will relate first the
actions of Jeroboam the king of Israel, after which we will
relate what are therewith connected, the actions of Rehoboam, the
king of the two tribes; by this means we shall preserve the good
order of the history entire.
4. When therefore Jeroboam had built him a palace in the city
Shechem, he dwelt there. He also built him another at Penuel, a
city so called. And now the feast of tabernacles was approaching
in a little time, Jeroboam considered, that if he should permit
the multitude to go to worship God at Jerusalem, and there to
celebrate the festival, they would probably repent of what they
had done, and be enticed by the temple, and by the worship of God
there performed, and would leave him, and return to their first
kings; and if so, he should run the risk of losing his own life;
so he invented this contrivance; He made two golden heifers, and
built two little temples for them, the one in the city Bethel,
and the other in Dan, which last was at the fountains of the
Lesser Jordan and he put the heifers into both the little
temples, in the forementioned cities. And when he had called
those ten tribes together over whom he ruled, he made a speech to
the people in these words: "I suppose, my countrymen, that you
know this, that every place hath God in it; nor is there any one
determinate place in which he is, but he every where hears and
sees those that worship him; on which account I do not think it
right for you to go so long a journey to Jerusalem, which is an
enemy's city, to worship him. It was a man that built the temple:
I have also made two golden heifers, dedicated to the same God;
and the one of them I have consecrated in the city Bethel, and
the other in Dan, to the end that those of you that dwell nearest
those cities may go to them, and worship God there; and I will
ordain for you certain priests and Levites from among yourselves,
that you may have no want of the tribe of Levi, or of the sons of
Aaron; but let him that is desirous among you of being a priest,
bring to God a bullock and a ram, which they say Aaron the first
priest brought also." When Jeroboam had said this, he deluded the
people, and made them to revolt from the worship of their
forefathers, and to transgress their laws. This was the beginning
of miseries to the Hebrews, and the cause why they were overcome
in war by foreigners, and so fell into captivity. But we shall
relate those things in their proper places hereafter.
5. When the feast [of tabernacles] was just approaching, Jeroboam
was desirous to celebrate it himself in Bethel, as did the two
tribes celebrate it in Jerusalem. Accordingly he built an altar
before the heifer, and undertook to be high priest himself. So he
went up to the altar, with his own priests about him; but when he
was going to offer the sacrifices and the burnt-offerings, in the
sight of all the people, a prophet, whose name was Jadon, was
sent by God, and came to him from Jerusalem, who stood in the
midst of the multitude, and in the 'hearing of' the king, and
directing his discourse to the altar, said thus: God foretells
that there shall be a certain man of the family of David, Josiah
by name, who shall slay upon thee those false priests that shall
live at that time, and upon thee shall burn the bones of those
deceivers of the people, those impostors' and wicked wretches.
However, that this people may believe that these things shall so
come to pass, I foretell a sign to them that shall also come to
pass. This altar shall be broken to pieces immediately, and all
the fat of the sacrifices that is upon it shall be poured upon
the ground." When the prophet had said this, Jeroboam fell into a
passion, and stretched out his hand, and bid them lay hold of
him; but that hand which he stretched out was enfeebled, and he
was not able to pull it in again to him, for it was become
withered, and hung down, as if it were a dead hand. The altar
also was broken to pieces, and all that was upon it was poured
out, as the prophet had foretold should come to pass. So the king
understood that he was a man of veracity, and had a Divine
foreknowledge; and entreated him to pray to God that he would
restore his right hand. Accordingly the prophet did pray to God
to grant him that request. So the king, having his hand recovered
to its natural state, rejoiced at it, and invited the prophet to
sup with him; but Jadon said that he could not endure to come
into his house, nor to taste of bread or water in this city, for
that was a thing God had forbidden him to do; as also to go back
by the same way which he came, but he said he was to return by
another way. So the king wondered at the abstinence of the man,
but was himself in fear, as suspecting a change of his affairs
for the worse, from what had been said to him.
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