1 Kings 12:11
New International Version
My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”

New Living Translation
Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!’”

English Standard Version
And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

Berean Standard Bible
Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.’ ”

King James Bible
And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

New King James Version
And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!’ ”

New American Standard Bible
Now then, my father loaded you with a heavy yoke; yet I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions!’”

NASB 1995
‘Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

NASB 1977
‘Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

Legacy Standard Bible
So now, my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

Amplified Bible
And now, whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

Christian Standard Bible
Although my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.’ ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Although my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.’”

American Standard Version
And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
My father hardened for you a strong yoke. I shall add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, and I shall chastise you with pointy tipped scourges!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I also will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

Contemporary English Version
He made you work hard, but I'll make you work even harder. He punished you with whips, but I'll use whips with pieces of sharp metal!"

Douay-Rheims Bible
And now my father put a, heavy yoke upon you, but I will add to your yoke: my father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.

English Revised Version
And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If my father put a heavy burden on you, I will add to it. If my father punished you with whips, I will punish you with scorpions.'"

Good News Translation
Tell them, 'My father placed heavy burdens on you; I will make them even heavier. He beat you with whips; I'll flog you with bullwhips!'"

International Standard Version
Not only that, but since my father loaded you down heavily, I'm going to add to that burden. My father disciplined you with whips, but I'm going to discipline you with scorpions!'"

JPS Tanakh 1917
And now whereas my father did burden you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.'

Literal Standard Version
and now, my father laid a heavy yoke on you, and I add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, and I discipline you with scorpions.”

Majority Standard Bible
Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.’”

New American Bible
My father put a heavy yoke on you, but I will make it heavier. My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.’ ”

NET Bible
My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.'"

New Revised Standard Version
Now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

New Heart English Bible
Now whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.'"

Webster's Bible Translation
And now whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

World English Bible
Now my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’”

Young's Literal Translation
and now, my father laid on you a heavy yoke, and I add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, and I -- I chastise you with scorpions.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Rebellion Against Rehoboam
10The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you should make it lighter.’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! 11Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.’” 12After three days, Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, since the king had said, “Come back to me on the third day.”…

Cross References
1 Kings 12:10
The young men who had grown up with him replied, "This is how you should answer these people who said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you should make it lighter.' This is what you should tell them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist!

1 Kings 12:12
After three days, Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, since the king had said, "Come back to me on the third day."


Treasury of Scripture

And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father has chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

I will add

Exodus 1:13,14
And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: …

Exodus 5:5-9,18
And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens…

1 Samuel 8:18
And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.

scorpions

1 Kings 12:14
And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

Ezekiel 2:6
And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

Revelation 9:3-10
And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power…

Jump to Previous
Add Burden Burdened Chastise Chastised Discipline Disciplined Hard Harder Heavier Heavy Lade Punishment Scorpions Scourge Scourged Whereas Whips Yoke
Jump to Next
Add Burden Burdened Chastise Chastised Discipline Disciplined Hard Harder Heavier Heavy Lade Punishment Scorpions Scourge Scourged Whereas Whips Yoke
1 Kings 12
1. The Israelites, assembled at Shechem to crown Rehoboam,
4. by Jeroboam make a suit of relaxation unto him
6. Rehoboam, refusing the old men's counsel, answers them roughly
16. Ten tribes revolting, kill Adoram, and make Rehoboam flee
21. Rehoboam, raising an army, is forbidden by Shemaiah
25. Jeroboam strengthens himself by cities
26. and by idolatry of the two calves














(11) The scorpion is probably (like the Roman fiagellum) a whip, the lash of which is loaded with weights and sharp points.

Verse 11. - And now whereas my father did lade you with [or, lay upon you] a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips [It is probable that the expression is not entirely figurative. It is quite possible that the levies of Amorites, Hittites (1 Kings 9:20), etc., had been kept at their toils by the lash], but I will chastise you with scorpions. ["The very words have stings" (Hall). It is generally held that there is here "no allusion whatever to the animal, but to some instrument of scourging - unless, indeed, the expression is a mere figure" (Dict. Bib. 3. p. 1161). Perhaps it is safer to understand it as a figure of speech, although the scorpion, unlike the serpent, is little like, or adapted to use as, a lash. Probably it was in the pain the whip caused that the resemblance lay (Romans 9:5). All the commentators mention that the later Romans used a whip called a "scorpio," and cite Isidore (Orig. 5, 27) in proof. Gesenius, Keil, al. understand "whips with barbed points, like the point of a scorpion's sting;" the Rabbins, Virgae spinis instructae; others, the thorny stem of the eggplant, by some called the "scorpion plant." Compare our use of the word "cat." "The yoke and whips go together, and are the signs of labouring service (Ecclus. 30:26, or 33:27)" Bahr.]

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Although
וְעַתָּ֗ה (wə·‘at·tāh)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time

my father
אָבִי֙ (’ā·ḇî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1: Father

burdened
הֶעְמִ֤יס (he‘·mîs)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6006: To load, impose a, burden

you with a heavy
כָּבֵ֔ד (kā·ḇêḏ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 3515: Heavy

yoke,
עֹ֣ל (‘ōl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5923: A yoke

I
וַאֲנִ֖י (wa·’ă·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

will add
אוֹסִ֣יף (’ō·w·sîp̄)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3254: To add, augment

to
עֲלֵיכֶם֙ (‘ă·lê·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

your yoke.
עֻלְּכֶ֑ם (‘ul·lə·ḵem)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 5923: A yoke

Although my father
אָבִ֗י (’ā·ḇî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1: Father

scourged
יִסַּ֤ר (yis·sar)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3256: To discipline, chasten, admonish

you
אֶתְכֶם֙ (’eṯ·ḵem)
Direct object marker | second person masculine plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

with whips,
בַּשּׁוֹטִ֔ים (baš·šō·w·ṭîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7752: A scourge, whip

I
וַאֲנִ֕י (wa·’ă·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

will scourge
אֲיַסֵּ֥ר (’ă·yas·sêr)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3256: To discipline, chasten, admonish

you
אֶתְכֶ֖ם (’eṯ·ḵem)
Direct object marker | second person masculine plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

with scorpions.’”
בָּעַקְרַבִּֽים׃ (bā·‘aq·rab·bîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6137: A scorpion, a scourge, knotted whip


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OT History: 1 Kings 12:11 Now whereas my father did lade you (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 12:10
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