Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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New Living Translation

1 Kings 12:11

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!'"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Counsel;   Government;   Jeroboam;   Petition;   Rashness;   Rehoboam;   Revolt;   Rulers;   Scorpion;   Scourging;   Whip;   Young Men;   Thompson Chain Reference - Whips;   Young Men;   Young People;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Kings;   Scorpion, the;   Tribute;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Rehoboam;   Scorpion;   Shechem;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Jeroboam;   Jerusalem;   Rehoboam;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Counselor;   Kings, First and Second, Theology of;   Wages;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Israel, Kingdom of;   Scorpions;   Scourging;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Kings, the Books of;   Scorpion;   Yoke;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Counselor;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Israel;   Rehoboam,;   Scorpion;   Solomon;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Locust ;   Scorpion ;   Scorpion (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Rehoboam ;   Scorpion,;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Scorpion;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Yoke;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Scorpion;   Whip;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;   Jeroboam;   Scorpion;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Revolt;   Kingdom of Israel;   Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Chastening;   Punishments;   Scorpion;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Cruelty;   Kings, Books of;   Scorpion;  

Parallel Translations

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.’”
Hebrew Names Version
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.
King James Version
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.
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.'"
New Century Version
He forced you to work hard, but I will make you work even harder. My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with whips that have sharp points.'"
New English Translation
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.'"
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.'"
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!'"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Now where as my father did burden you with a grieuous yoke, I will yet make your yoke heauier: my father hath chastised you with rods, but I will correct you with scourges.
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.'"
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!"
Complete Jewish Bible
Yes, my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will make it heavier! My father controlled you with whips, but I will control you with scorpions!'"
Darby Translation
and whereas my father laid a heavy yoke upon you, *I* will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but *I* will chastise you with scorpions.
Easy-to-Read Version
My father forced you to work hard, but I will make you work much harder! My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with whips that have sharp metal tips.'"
George Lamsa Translation
And now whereas my father laid a heavy yoke upon you, I will add to your yoke; my father has chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with knouts.
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!'"
Lexham English Bible
So then, my father loaded a heavy yoke on all of you, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions!'"
Literal Translation
and now my father laid a heavy yoke on you, and I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, and I will surely chastise you with scorpions.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now, my father layed a sore yock vpon you, but I wyl yet laye more theron: My father correcte you with scourges, but I wyl nourtoure you with scorpions.
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.
Bible in Basic English
If my father put a hard yoke on you, I will make it harder: my father gave you punishment with whips, but I will give you blows with snakes.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And nowe where as my father did lade you & put a greeuous yocke vpon you, I will make it heauier: My father hath chastised you with roddes, but I will correct you with scourges.
JPS Old Testament (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.'
King James Version (1611)
And now whereas my father did lade you with a heauy yoke, I wil adde to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whippes, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
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.
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.
Berean Standard Bible
Although my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Although my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.'"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and now my fadir puttide on you a greuouse yok, forsothe Y schal adde on youre yok; my fadir beet you with scourgis, forsothe Y schal bete you with scorpiouns.
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.'
Update Bible Version
And now whereas my father laded 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 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.
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!' " [fn]
New Life Bible
My father gave you a heavy load. I will add to your load. My father punished you with whips. But I will punish you with scorpions.'"
New Revised Standard
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.'"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, therefore, whereas, my father, laid upon you a heavy yoke, I, will add to your yoke, - My father, did chastise you with whips, but, I, will chastise you with scorpions.
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.
Revised Standard Version
And now, whereas my father laid upon you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.'"
New American Standard Bible (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.'"

Contextual Overview

1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of this, he returned from Egypt, for he had fled to Egypt to escape from King Solomon. 3 The leaders of Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel went to speak with Rehoboam. 4 "Your father was a hard master," they said. "Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us. Then we will be your loyal subjects." 5 Rehoboam replied, "Give me three days to think this over. Then come back for my answer." So the people went away. 6 Then King Rehoboam discussed the matter with the older men who had counseled his father, Solomon. "What is your advice?" he asked. "How should I answer these people?" 7 The older counselors replied, "If you are willing to be a servant to these people today and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your loyal subjects." 8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers. 9 "What is your advice?" he asked them. "How should I answer these people who want me to lighten the burdens imposed by my father?" 10 The young men replied, "This is what you should tell those complainers who want a lighter burden: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father's waist!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I will add: Exodus 1:13, Exodus 1:14, Exodus 5:5-9, Exodus 5:18, 1 Samuel 8:18, 2 Chronicles 16:10, Isaiah 58:6, Jeremiah 27:11, Jeremiah 28:13, Jeremiah 28:14

but I will chastise: Should you rebel or become disaffected, my father's whip shall be a scorpion in my hand. His was chastisement, mine shall be punishment. Celsius and Hiller conjecture that âkrabbim denotes a thorny kind of shrub, whose prickles are of a venomous nature, called by the Arabs scorpion thorns, from the exquisite pain which they inflict. But the Chaldee renders it margenin, and the Syriac moragyai, i.e., לבסבדםבי, scourges; and in the parallel place of Chronicles the Arabic has saut, a scourge. Isidore, and after him Calmet and others, assert that the scorpion was a sort of severe whip, the lashes of which were armed with knots or points that sunk into and tore the flesh.

scorpions: 1 Kings 12:14, Ezekiel 2:6, Revelation 9:3-10

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 10:10 - My little finger Proverbs 13:10 - Only

Cross-References

Genesis 12:6
Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites.
Genesis 12:7
Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your descendants." And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord , who had appeared to him.
Genesis 12:14
And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone noticed Sarai's beauty.
Genesis 26:7
When the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife, Rebekah, he said, "She is my sister." He was afraid to say, "She is my wife." He thought, "They will kill me to get her, because she is so beautiful."
Genesis 29:17
There was no sparkle in Leah's eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face.
2 Samuel 11:2
Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath.
Proverbs 21:30
No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord .
Song of Solomon 1:14
He is like a bouquet of sweet henna blossoms from the vineyards of En-gedi.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And now, whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke,.... Which was putting words into his mouth, owning the charge and accusation brought against his father, as he did, 1 Kings 12:14, which was very unbecoming, if true; unless this is said according to the sense of the people:

I will add to your yoke; make it heavier, lay more taxes on them:

my father hath chastised you with whips; which was putting a lie into his mouth, and which he uttered, 1 Kings 12:14 for no instance of severity exercised on the people in general can be given during the whole reign of Solomon:

but I will chastise you with scorpions; treat them more roughly, and with greater rigour: whips may mean smaller ones, these horse whips, as in the Targum; which gave an acute pain, like the sting of scorpions, or made a wound like one. Ben Gersom says, these were rods with thorns on them, which pierced and gave much pain. Weemse h thinks these are alluded to by thorns in the sides, Numbers 33:55, for whipping with them was about the sides, and not along the back. Abarbinel calls them iron thorns, rods that had iron prongs or rowels to them, which tore the flesh extremely. Isidore i says, a rod that is smooth is called a rod, but, if knotty and prickled, it is rightly called a scorpion, because it makes a wound in the body arched or crooked. Pliny k ascribes the invention of this sort of scorpions to the Cretians.

h Christian Synagogue, paragraph 6. diatrib. 2. p. 190. i Origin. l. 5. c. 27. p. 39. k Nat. Hist. l. 7. c. 56.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Scorpions - By this word some understand whips having leaden balls at the ends of their lashes with hooks projecting from them; others the thorny stem of the eggplant, or “the scorpion plant.” But it seems best to regard the expression as a figure of speech.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 12:11. Chastise you with scorpions — Should you rebel, or become disaffected, my father's whip shall be a scorpion in my hand. His was chastisement, mine shall be punishment. St. Isidore, and after him Calmet and others, assert that the scorpion was a sort of severe whip, the lashes of which were armed with iron points, that sunk into and tore the flesh. We know that the scorpion was a military engine among the Romans for shooting arrows, which, being poisoned, were likened to the scorpion's sting, and the wound it inflicted.


 
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