1 Kings 12:28

Contextual Overview

²⁵Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built Penuel. ²⁵ Then Yarov`am built Shekhem in the hill-country of Efrayim, and lived therein; and he went out from there, and built Penu'el. ²⁵ Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. ²⁵ Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel. ²⁵ Then Jeroboam made Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim a very strong city, and he lived there. He also went to the city of Peniel and made it stronger. ²⁵ Jeroboam built up Shechem in the Ephraimite hill country and lived there. From there he went out and built up Penuel. ²⁵Then Jeroboam built Shechem [as his royal city] in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. He went out from there and rebuilt Penuel [as a stronghold]. ²⁵ Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel. ²⁵ Then Ieroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein, and went fro thence, and built Penuel. ²⁵Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

took counsel: 1 Kings 12:8, 1 Kings 12:9, Exodus 1:10, Isaiah 30:1

two calves of gold: He invented a political religion, and instituted feasts in his own times, different from those appointed by Jehovah; gave the people certain objects of adoration, and pretended to think that it would be both inconvenient and oppressive to them to go up to Jerusalem to worship. These calves were doubtless of the same kind as the calf which was set up by Aaron; and it is remarkable, that in pointing them out to the people he should use the same words that Aaron used on that occasion, when they must have heard what terrible judgments fell upon their forefathers for this idolatry. Solomon's idolatry, however, had prepared the people for Jeroboam's abominations. Exodus 20:4, Deuteronomy 4:14-18, 2 Kings 10:29, 2 Kings 17:16, 2 Chronicles 11:15, Hosea 8:4-7, Hosea 10:5, Hosea 10:6

It is too much: Isaiah 30:10, 2 Peter 2:19

behold: Exodus 32:4, Exodus 32:8

Reciprocal: Leviticus 13:29 - General Deuteronomy 12:13 - General 1 Kings 14:9 - hast done 1 Kings 15:26 - walked 1 Kings 15:34 - walked 1 Kings 16:19 - in his 1 Kings 22:52 - and in the way 2 Kings 2:23 - Bethel 2 Kings 3:3 - General 2 Kings 14:24 - he departed 2 Kings 16:3 - he walked 2 Kings 17:8 - walked 2 Kings 17:21 - Jeroboam drave 2 Kings 23:15 - the altar 2 Chronicles 11:14 - Jeroboam 2 Chronicles 13:8 - with you golden 2 Chronicles 15:3 - a long 2 Chronicles 17:4 - not after 2 Chronicles 25:7 - for the Lord Job 34:30 - General Isaiah 31:7 - for a sin Isaiah 44:10 - General Isaiah 46:6 - lavish Jeremiah 48:13 - as the Ezekiel 16:15 - and playedst Ezekiel 23:8 - whoredoms Ezekiel 48:1 - Dan Daniel 3:1 - made Hosea 4:15 - Bethaven Hosea 10:8 - the sin Amos 8:14 - sin

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Whereupon the king took counsel,.... Of some of his principal men, that had as little religion as himself, and were only concerned for the civil state; and the result of their consultation was as follows:

and made two calves of gold; in imitation of that which was made by Aaron, and encouraged by his example and success; and having been in Egypt some time, he might have learned the calf or ox worship there, and might take his pattern from thence, and have two as they had; the one they called Apis, which was worshipped at Memphis, and another called Mnevis, worshipped at Hierapolis, as many learned men have observed; these were she calves, according to the Septuagint and Josephus q:

and said unto them; not his counsellors, but the people of the land:

it is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; pretending he sought their ease, by contriving a method to prevent their long fatiguing journeys, to go up with their sacrifices, firstfruits, c. and the Jews r say the firstfruits ceased from going up to Jerusalem on the twenty third of Sivan, which answers to part of May and part of June, on which day they kept a fast on that account:

behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt using the same words Aaron did on a like occasion; not that he thought these were really gods, and had divinity in them; nor could he hope or expect that the people would believe they had; but that these were representations of the true God, who had brought them out of Egypt; and that it might as well be supposed that God would cause his Shechinah to dwell in them as between the cherubim over the ark.

q Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 8. c. 8.) sect. 4. r Schulchan Aruch, par. 1. c. 580. sect. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The “calves of gold” were probably representations of the cherubic form, imitations of the two cherubim which guarded the ark of the covenant in the holy of holies. But being unauthorized copies, set up in places which God had not chosen, and without any divine sanction, the sacred writers call them “calves.” They were not mere human figures with wings, but had at any rate the head of a calf or ox. (Hence, some attribute this calf-worship entirely to Assyrian and Phoenician influence.) Jeroboam, in setting them up, was probably not so much influenced by the Apis-worship of Egypt, as:

(1) by a conviction that the Israelites could not be brought to attach themselves to any worship which did not present them with sensible objects to venerate;

(2) by the circumstance that he did not possess any of the old objects of reverence, which had been concentrated at Jerusalem; and

(3) by the fact that he could plead for his “calves” the authority of so great a name as Aaron (marginal reference).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 28. Made two calves of gold — He invented a political religion, instituted feasts in his own times different from those appointed by the Lord, gave the people certain objects of devotion, and pretended to think it would be both inconvenient and oppressive to them to have to go up to Jerusalem to worship. This was not the last time that religion was made a state engine to serve political purposes. It is strange that in pointing out his calves to the people, he should use the same words that Aaron used when he made the golden calf in the wilderness, when they must have heard what terrible judgments fell upon their forefathers for this idolatry.