TRV
See on the biblical-era map
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers 1 Kings 12:25–33. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
We have here the beginning of the reign of Jeroboam. He built Shechem first and then Penuel - beautified and fortified them, and probably had a palace in each of them for himself (Kg1 12:25), the former in Ephraim, the latter in Gad, on the other side Jordan. This might be proper; but he formed another project for the establishing of his kingdom which was fatal to the interests of religion in it.
I.That which he designed was by some effectual means to secure those to himself who had now chosen him for their king, and to prevent their return to the house of David, Kg1 12:26, Kg1 12:27. It seems,
1.He was jealous of the people, afraid that, some time or other, they would kill him and go again to Rehoboam. Many that have been advanced in one tumult have been hurled down in another. Jeroboam could not put any confidence in the affections of his people, though now they seemed extremely fond of him; for what is got by wrong and usurpation cannot be enjoyed nor kept with any security or satisfaction.
2.He was distrustful of the promise of God, could not take his word that, if he would keep close to his duty, God would build him a sure house (Kg1 11:38); but he would contrive ways and means, and sinful ones too, for his own safety. A practical disbelief of God's all-sufficiency is at the bottom of all our treacherous departures from him.
II.The way he took to do this was by keeping the people from going up to Jerusalem to worship.
That was the place God had chosen, to put his name there. Solomon's temple was there, which God had, in the sight of all Israel, and in the memory of many now living, taken solemn possession of in a cloud of glory. At the altar there the priest of the Lord attended, there all Israel were to keep the feasts, and thither they were to bring their sacrifices. Now,
1.Jeroboam apprehended that, if the people continued to do this, they would in time return to the house of David, allured by the magnificence both of the court and of the temple. If they cleave to their old religion, they will go back to their old king. We may suppose, if he had treated with Rehoboam for the safe conduct of himself and his people to and from Jerusalem at the times appointed for their solemn feasts, it would not have been denied him; therefore he fears not their being driven back by force, but their going back voluntarily to Rehoboam.
2.He therefore dissuaded them from going up to Jerusalem, pretending to consult their ease: "It is too much for you to go so far to worship God, Kg1 12:28. It is a heavy yoke, and it is time to shake it off; you have gone long enough to Jerusalem" (so some read it); "the temple, now that you are used to it, does not appear so glorious and sacred as it did at first" (sensible glories wither by degrees in men's estimation); "you have greed yourselves from other burdens, free yourselves from this: why should we now be tied to one place any more than in Samuel's time?"
3.He provided for the assistance of their devotion at home. Upon consultation with some of his politicians, he came to this resolve, to set up two golden calves, as tokens or signs of the divine presence, and persuade the people that they might as well stay at home and offer sacrifice to those as go to Jerusalem to worship before the ark: and some are so charitable as to think they were made to represent the mercy-seat and the cherubim over the ark; but more probably he adopted the idolatry of the Egyptians, in whose land he had sojourned for some time and who worshipped their god Apis under the similitude of a bull or calf.
(1.)He would not be at the charge of building a golden temple, as Solomon had done; two golden calves are the most that he can afford.
(2.)He intended, no doubt, by these to represent, or rather make present, not any false god, as Moloch or Chemosh, but the true God only, the God of Israel, the God that brought them up out of the land of Egypt, as he declares, Kg1 12:28. So that it was no violation of the first commandment, but the second. And he chose thus to engage the people's devotion because he knew there were many among them so in love with images that for the sake of the calves they would willingly quit God's temple, where all images were forbidden.
(3.)He set up two, by degrees to break people off from the belief of the unity of the godhead, which would pave the way to the polytheism of the Pagans. He set up these two at Dan and Beth-el (one the utmost border of his country northward), the other southward, as if they were the guardians and protectors of the kingdom. Beth-el lay close to Judah. He set up one there, to tempt those of Rehoboam's subjects over to him who were inclined to image-worship, in lieu of those of his subjects that would continue to go to Jerusalem. He set up the other at Dan, for the convenience of those that lay most remote, and because Micah's images had been set up there, and great veneration paid to them for many ages, Jdg 18:30, Jdg 18:31. Beth-el signifies the house of God, which gave some colour to the superstition; but the prophet called it Beth-aven, the house of vanity, or iniquity.
4.The people complied with him herein, and were fond enough of the novelty: They went to worship before the one, even unto Dan (Kg1 12:30), to that at Dan first because it was first set up, or even to that at Dan, though it lay such a great way off. Those that thought it much to go to Jerusalem, to worship God according to his institution, made no difficulty of going twice as far, to Dan, to worship him according to their own inventions. Or they are said to go to one of the calves at Dan because Abijah, king of Judah, within twenty years, recovered Beth-el (Ch2 13:19), and it is likely removed the golden calf, or forbade the use of it, and then they had only that at Dan to go to. This became a sin; and a great sin it was, against the express letter of the second commandment. God had sometimes dispensed with the law concerning worshipping in one place, but never allowed the worship of him by images. Hereby they justified their fathers in making the calf at Horeb, though God had so fully shown his displeasure against them for it and threatened to visit for it in the day of visitation (Exo 32:34), so that it was as great a contempt of God's wrath as it was of his law; and thus they added sin to sin. Bishop Patrick quotes a saying of the Jews, That till Jeroboam's time the Israelites sucked but one calf, but from that time they sucked two.
5.Having set up the gods, he fitted up accommodations for them; and wherein he varied from the divine appointment we are here told, which intimates that in other things he imitated what was done in Judah (Kg1 12:32) as well as he could. See how one error multiplied into many.
(1.)He made a house of high-places, or of altars, one temple at Dan, we may suppose, and another at Beth-el (Kg1 12:31), and in each many altars, probably complaining of it as an inconvenience that in the temple at Jerusalem there was but one. The multiplying of altars passed with some for a piece of devotion, but God, by the prophet, puts another construction upon it, Hos 8:11. Ephraim has made many altars to sin.
(2.)He made priests of the lowest of the people; and the lowest of the people were good enough to be priests to his calves, and too good. He made priests from the extremest parts of the people, that is, some out of every corner of the country, whom he ordered to reside among their neighbours, to instruct them in his appointments and reconcile them to them. Thus were they dispersed as the Levites, but were not of the sons of Levi. But the priests of the high-laces, or altars, he ordered to reside in Beth-el, as the priests at Jerusalem (Kg1 12:32), to attend the public service.
(3.)The feast of tabernacles, which God had appointed on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, he adjourned to the fifteenth day of the eighth month (Kg1 12:32), the month which he devised of his own heart, to show his power in ecclesiastical matters, Kg1 12:33. The passover and pentecost he observed in their proper season, or did not observe them at all, or with little solemnity in comparison with this.
(4.)He himself assuming a power to make priests, no marvel if he undertook to do the priests' work with his own hands: He offered upon the altar. This is twice mentioned (Kg1 12:32, Kg1 12:33), as also that he burnt incense. This was connived at in him because it was of a piece with the rest of his irregularities; but in king Uzziah it was immediately punished with the plague of leprosy. He did it himself, to make himself look great among the people and to get the reputation of a devout man, also to grace the solemnity of his new festival, with which, it is likely, at this time he joined the feast of the dedication of his altar. And thus,
[1.]Jeroboam sinned himself, yet perhaps excused himself to the world and his own conscience with this, that he did not do so ill as Solomon did, who worshipped other gods.
[2.]He made Israel to sin, drew them off from the worship of God and entailed idolatry upon their seed. And hereby they were punished for deserting the thrones of the house of David. The learned Mr. Whiston, in his chronology, for the adjusting of the annals of the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel, supposes that Jeroboam changed the calculation of the year and made it to contain but eleven months, and that by those years the reigns of the kings of Israel are measured till Jehu's revolution and no longer, so that during this interval eleven years of the annals of Judah answer to twelve in those of Israel.
Historical interpretation
Fourteen Centuries of Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
While he prepared to establish the reign which was reserved to him by God according to the predictions of the prophets Shemaiah and Ahijah, Jeroboam thought that nothing could be more useful for his purpose than kindling the hatred of the two opposite parties to the highest possible degree, so that he might preclude any chance of reconciliation and peace. Therefore, in order that those who already distrusted each other might be removed from each other even further, he introduced a new reason for dissension concerning the worship of God. He persuaded his party to leave behind their Jewish rites and to take up the religion of the Egyptians which was superior to all other religions, just as Egyptian wisdom and power were greater that those of the Canaanites and the Jews. Since the majority of the tribes agreed, he proposed to worship the ancient idols of the Hebrews, namely, two calves of gold, and dedicated them by using, according to the old custom, the formula “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”
For all that, King Jeroboam of Israel, who had proof that God was true, when he got the kingdom God had promised, was so warped in mind as not to believe in him. Actually, he feared that if he came to God’s temple in Jerusalem (as all Jews without exception were bound by divine ordinance to do for the offering of sacrifices), his subjects might be alienated from his allegiance and reattached to David’s blood successors as the royal dynasty. With this in mind, he established idolatry in his own kingdom and, with shocking impiety, tricked God’s people into joining him in the worship of idols. Even so, God did not entirely give up sending prophets to reprimand the king, and his successors who continued his idolatry and the people themselves. For it was in Israel that there appeared Elijah and his disciple, Elisha, both magnificent prophets and wonder workers as well.
Golden calves: It is likely, by making his gods in this form, he mimicked the Egyptians, among whom he had sojourned, who worshipped their Apis and their Osiris under the form of a bullock.
Continue studying 1 Kings 12:28 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
Summary
King Jeroboam I, facing the political challenge of solidifying his rule over the newly formed Northern Kingdom, deliberately established alternative worship centers at Bethel and Dan. In a profound act of spiritual rebellion and political pragmatism, he fashioned two golden calves, proclaiming them to be the very deities responsible for Israel's deliverance from Egypt. This calculated distortion of Yahweh's nature and explicit commands marked the foundational sin of the Northern Kingdom, setting a catastrophic trajectory of idolatry, syncretism, and spiritual decline that ultimately led to its downfall.
Context
Literary Context
This pivotal verse immediately follows the dramatic and divinely orchestrated division of the united monarchy of Israel. After King Solomon's death, his son Rehoboam's arrogant rejection of the elders' wise counsel and his oppressive response to the people's pleas for relief led ten tribes to secede and appoint Jeroboam I as their king, fulfilling the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite 1 Kings 11:29-39. Jeroboam, now king of the Northern Kingdom (Israel), faced a significant political and religious dilemma: the divinely appointed place of worship was Jerusalem, the capital of the rival Southern Kingdom (Judah). He reasoned that if his subjects continued to make the prescribed pilgrimages to Jerusalem for the annual feasts, their loyalty might inevitably shift back to Rehoboam, thereby jeopardizing the stability and very existence of his nascent kingdom. Verse 28 details his drastic, humanly conceived solution to this perceived threat, a solution that directly contradicted God's law and established a new, illicit religious system that would plague the Northern Kingdom for centuries.
Historical & Cultural Context
The period immediately following the golden age of Solomon's reign was characterized by political fragmentation and religious vulnerability. Jerusalem, with its magnificent Temple, consecrated by God Himself, was the undisputed religious center for all Israel, established by divine decree as the singular place where His name would dwell and where sacrifices were to be offered Deuteronomy 12:5-7. Jeroboam's actions must be understood against this backdrop and the broader ancient Near Eastern religious landscape. Bulls or calves were ubiquitous symbols of strength, fertility, and deity in surrounding pagan cultures (e.g., the Egyptian Apis bull, the Canaanite storm god Baal, or the Hurrian god Teshub). While Jeroboam likely intended these calves to represent Yahweh, perhaps as pedestals for an invisible deity or as visual aids to worship, this practice was a direct and egregious violation of the Mosaic Law forbidding graven images Exodus 20:4-5. His statement, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem," was a thinly veiled political excuse for a profound religious innovation designed to consolidate his power and sever the spiritual unity of the tribes.
Key Themes
Jeroboam's actions in 1 Kings 12 introduce several enduring themes that permeate the subsequent narrative of the Northern Kingdom. Foremost is Idolatry and False Worship, a direct and blatant violation of the first two commandments, which prohibit having other gods before Yahweh and making graven images to represent Him Exodus 20:3-5. This act established a pattern of syncretistic and idolatrous worship that would plague the Northern Kingdom for centuries, leading to repeated prophetic condemnation and eventual divine judgment Hosea 8:4-6. Another critical theme is Political Expediency Over Divine Command. Jeroboam prioritized maintaining his earthly kingdom and personal power over obedience to the God who had established Israel and delivered them from slavery. His fear of losing allegiance to Rehoboam demonstrates a profound lack of faith in God's ability to sustain his divinely appointed kingship. Finally, the verse highlights the chilling Echo of Sinai and Spiritual Amnesia. Jeroboam's proclamation, "behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt," is an almost verbatim repetition of Aaron's words during the infamous golden calf incident at Mount Sinai. This deliberate repetition underscores a deep-seated spiritual rebellion and a tragic forgetfulness of God's true deliverance and His unique nature as an invisible, transcendent Spirit.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term refers to deliberate planning, advice, or a resolved decision. In this context, it highlights that Jeroboam's decision was a calculated, human-devised strategy, born of political expediency rather than divine revelation or consultation with the Lord. Unlike righteous kings who sought God's counsel through prophets or the Urim and Thummim, Jeroboam relied solely on his own worldly wisdom, leading to a spiritually disastrous outcome for himself and his kingdom.
This word refers to a young bull or steer. While bull imagery was common in ancient Near Eastern cultures to symbolize strength, fertility, or as a pedestal for invisible deities, for Israel, the creation of any graven image to represent Yahweh was strictly forbidden by the Second Commandment. This was not merely a misunderstanding but a deliberate act of syncretism, blending forbidden pagan practices with the worship of the true God, fundamentally corrupting the pure worship of Yahweh.
This plural noun can refer to gods in the ordinary sense, but specifically, with the article, to the supreme God. Here, Jeroboam applies it to the golden calves, blasphemously attributing Israel's deliverance from Egypt to these man-made images. This usage is a chilling echo of Aaron's declaration at Sinai, demonstrating a fundamental distortion of Yahweh's unique identity as the invisible, transcendent, and sole deliverer of His people. It represents a profound theological error, substituting the Creator with created things.
Verse Breakdown
"Whereupon the king took counsel"
This opening phrase immediately establishes the human origin and calculated nature of Jeroboam's subsequent actions. It signifies a decision made through human deliberation and political calculation, entirely devoid of any divine consultation or prophetic guidance. This stands in stark contrast to the actions of faithful leaders who sought the Lord's will before making significant decisions, highlighting Jeroboam's reliance on worldly wisdom over divine wisdom.
"and made two calves [of] gold"
This describes the specific act of idolatry. The choice of two calves indicates that Jeroboam established two primary worship centers for his kingdom: one in the north at Dan and another in the south at Bethel, strategically located to serve the entire Northern Kingdom. The material, gold, echoes the infamous golden calf made by Aaron at Sinai, emphasizing the luxurious, deliberate, and costly nature of this forbidden act, designed to appear grand and legitimate.
"and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem"
This reveals Jeroboam's political motivation and manipulative rhetoric. He presents the divinely commanded pilgrimage to Jerusalem as an onerous burden, aiming to dissuade his subjects from maintaining religious and political ties with the Southern Kingdom. This statement is a thinly veiled excuse, designed to justify his radical religious innovations and secure his political power by creating a convenient, localized alternative to legitimate worship.
"behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt."
This is the most blasphemous and chilling part of the verse. It is a near-verbatim echo of Aaron's words in Exodus 32:4. By attributing Israel's foundational deliverance from Egyptian bondage to these golden images, Jeroboam not only violated the prohibition against idols but also fundamentally distorted the identity, power, and sovereignty of Yahweh, substituting the invisible, transcendent God with a tangible, man-made representation. This statement directly undermines the core of Israel's covenant identity.
Literary Devices
The passage employs several potent literary devices that amplify its theological and historical significance. Allusion and Echo are profoundly prominent, particularly in Jeroboam's declaration, which directly and intentionally mirrors Aaron's words at Mount Sinai. This deliberate repetition is not merely coincidental but serves to highlight the deep-seated spiritual rebellion within Israel's history and the cyclical nature of its idolatry, underscoring a tragic failure to learn from past mistakes and a persistent inclination towards spiritual amnesia. There is also significant Irony in Jeroboam's actions. He seeks to secure his kingdom through religious innovation and political expediency, but this very act of idolatry becomes the "sin of Jeroboam" that ultimately leads to the spiritual corruption, instability, and eventual destruction of the Northern Kingdom. Furthermore, the narrative uses Foreshadowing, as this foundational act of apostasy sets the stage for the long and tragic history of idolatry that characterizes the kings of Israel, leading to repeated prophetic warnings, divine judgment, and ultimately, exile.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jeroboam's actions in 1 Kings 12:28 represent a profound theological transgression, establishing a pattern of apostasy that would define the Northern Kingdom's spiritual trajectory. His sin was not merely political but deeply spiritual, fundamentally distorting the nature of God and the covenant relationship. By creating images and establishing alternative worship sites, he directly violated God's explicit commands regarding His uniqueness, His invisibility, and the divinely appointed place of worship. This act demonstrates the perennial human temptation to domesticate God, to make Him more manageable, visible, or convenient, rather than submitting to His revealed will. It underscores the danger of syncretism – blending true worship with human traditions or pagan practices – which inevitably leads to a corrupted understanding of God and a compromised faith. The narrative of the Northern Kingdom, from this point forward, is largely a testament to the devastating consequences of this foundational sin, highlighting God's jealousy for His glory and His unwavering demand for exclusive worship.
Reflection and Application
The account of Jeroboam's golden calves serves as a timeless warning against the dangers of prioritizing human expediency over divine command. In our own lives, we may not fashion physical idols of gold, but we are constantly tempted to create "golden calves" of convenience, comfort, security, or even perceived success. These are anything we elevate to a position of ultimate trust or loyalty, allowing them to dictate our choices and subtly displace God from His rightful place of supreme authority and devotion. This passage challenges us to examine our deepest motivations: are our decisions rooted in a reverent fear of God and an unwavering desire to obey Him, or are they driven by a fear of man, a desire for control, a pursuit of personal gain, or the allure of worldly approval? True worship demands humble submission to God's revealed will, even when it is inconvenient, unpopular, or goes against the prevailing cultural tide. We must be vigilant against compromising our faith for political, social, or personal advantage, remembering that the triune God alone is worthy of our exclusive and unreserved devotion.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Jeroboam choose calves specifically, and not another animal or image?
Jeroboam's choice of calves was likely multi-faceted and strategically calculated. Firstly, it held significant cultural familiarity within the ancient Near East, where bull imagery symbolized strength, fertility, and deity (e.g., the Egyptian Apis bull cult, or the Canaanite storm god Baal, often depicted standing on a bull). This made the new worship centers more palatable and recognizable to the people. Secondly, and more critically, it was a deliberate and blasphemous echo of the infamous golden calf incident at Mount Sinai. By repeating Aaron's infamous proclamation, "behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt," Jeroboam sought to legitimize his new religious system by falsely connecting it to Israel's foundational deliverance, implying a corrupted continuity with their past. He wasn't necessarily replacing Yahweh with new gods, but attempting to represent Him in a forbidden, tangible form, which ultimately constituted idolatry and a profound distortion of God's nature.
Was Jeroboam trying to replace Yahweh with new gods, or just represent Him in a forbidden way?
While Jeroboam's statement, "behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt," suggests he intended the calves to represent Yahweh, the God who delivered them from slavery, his actions constituted a profound theological distortion and an act of idolatry. God had explicitly forbidden the making of graven images to represent Him Exodus 20:4-5 and commanded worship at a single, divinely chosen location Deuteronomy 12:5-7. By creating images and establishing alternative worship sites, Jeroboam introduced a syncretistic form of worship that blended true faith with pagan practices and human invention. This effectively replaced true, obedient worship of the transcendent God with a man-made, convenient alternative, leading the Northern Kingdom into consistent apostasy and earning the lasting condemnation of "the sin of Jeroboam." His intent, even if to "worship Yahweh," was carried out in a manner that fundamentally violated God's character and commands.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Jeroboam's tragic act of creating golden calves at Bethel and Dan, driven by political fear and a desire to control and localize worship, stands in stark contrast to the perfect and ultimate fulfillment found in Jesus Christ. The calves represented a human attempt to make God tangible and accessible on human terms, leading to a distorted and idolatrous form of worship that ultimately led to spiritual death. In Christ, however, God truly became tangible, not as a created image or a man-made idol, but as the incarnate Word, "God with us" Matthew 1:23. Jesus Himself declared that the time was coming, and now is, when true worshippers would worship the Father "in spirit and truth," not confined to a physical mountain or a particular city like Jerusalem, or indeed, Bethel or Dan John 4:21-24. He is the true temple, the ultimate meeting place between God and humanity, rendering all man-made religious systems, physical idols, and localized shrines obsolete John 2:19-21. Furthermore, while Jeroboam's calves were falsely proclaimed as the "gods who brought you up out of Egypt," it is Christ who truly delivers His people from the bondage of sin and spiritual death, leading them into true freedom and eternal life, a far greater exodus than that from Egypt Colossians 1:13-14. He is the one true object of worship, the perfect sacrifice, and the only mediator between God and man, forever replacing the need for any humanly devised religious compromise or idolatrous representation Hebrews 9:11-14.