1 Kings 12 27

1 Kings 12:27 kjv

If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.

1 Kings 12:27 nkjv

If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah."

1 Kings 12:27 niv

If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam."

1 Kings 12:27 esv

If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah."

1 Kings 12:27 nlt

When these people go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple of the LORD, they will again give their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah. They will kill me and make him their king instead."

1 Kings 12 verses

1 Kings 12 27 Meaning

This verse reveals King Jeroboam's profound political and spiritual calculation after the division of the united kingdom of Israel. His fear was that if the people of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) continued their pilgrimages to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, their hearts and loyalty would inevitably turn back to Rehoboam, the king of Judah. This, he reasoned, would result in his own assassination and the complete re-unification of the kingdom under Rehoboam. His proposed solution, which follows in subsequent verses, was to establish new worship centers in the north, fundamentally altering God's prescribed worship for His people.

1 Kings 12 27 Context

Following the reign of Solomon, his son Rehoboam became king. However, due to Rehoboam's harsh refusal to lighten the burden Solomon had placed on the people, ten northern tribes rebelled. They chose Jeroboam, a former Ephraimite official whom the prophet Ahijah had prophesied would rule over ten tribes (1 Ki 11:29-40), as their king. The division was a direct consequence of Solomon's unfaithfulness to God (1 Ki 11:11-13). Verse 27 represents Jeroboam's strategic justification for creating a religious system distinct from the worship of the LORD in Jerusalem, thereby safeguarding his newly acquired kingdom. The historical context includes the deeply rooted practice of pilgrimage to a central sanctuary (like Shiloh previously, now Jerusalem) for major feasts and sacrifices as prescribed by Mosaic Law. Jerusalem was not merely the political capital of Judah but was divinely chosen as the singular place for Yahweh's Name to dwell (Dt 12). Jeroboam's decision thus posed a fundamental challenge to both divine command and established Israelite identity.

1 Kings 12 27 Word analysis

• If this people go up (כִּי־יַעֲלֶה הָעָם הַזֶּה, ki-yaʿaleh haʿam hazzeh):
  • יַעֲלֶה (yaʿaleh) from עלה (alah): to go up, ascend. This verb is consistently used for pilgrimage to a higher place, particularly to Jerusalem, which sat atop mountains. It signifies a movement of reverence and worship. Jeroboam correctly observes the ingrained habit of annual pilgrimages for feasts.
  • Significance: It highlights the strong spiritual pull Jerusalem had over the people, irrespective of political boundaries. The act of "going up" symbolized entering God's presence.
• to do sacrifice (לִזְבֹּחַ זְבָחִים, lizboakh zevachim):
  • לִזְבֹּחַ (lizboakh) from זבח (zabach): to sacrifice.
  • זְבָחִים (zevachim): sacrifices. The repetition emphasizes the practice of making peace offerings, burnt offerings, etc. at the central sanctuary. These acts were not merely rituals but expressions of communion with God, atonement, and communal celebration.
  • Significance: Jeroboam recognized that participation in these central rituals maintained a vital connection, not just spiritually but also emotionally and culturally, with the Jerusalem-based monarchy.
• in the house of the LORD (בְּבֵית יְהוָה, bebeit YHWH):
  • בֵּית (beit): house, temple.
  • יְהוָה (YHWH): The divine Name, the God of Israel.
  • Significance: Specifies the central temple in Jerusalem, uniquely designated by God for His worship (1 Ki 8:29, 2 Ch 7:16). This phrase explicitly points to the established, legitimate place of worship according to the Torah.
• at Jerusalem (בִּירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם, birusahlayim):
  • The chosen city, designated by God.
  • Significance: Confirms the geographical and theological locus of Israel's national worship.
• then shall the heart of this people turn again (וְשָׁב לֵב־הָעָם הַזֶּה, veshav lev-haʿam hazzeh):
  • וְשָׁב (veshav) from שׁוּב (shuv): to turn back, return, revert. This word has significant theological weight, often meaning to repent or turn back to God. Here, it is applied to political allegiance.
  • לֵב (lev): heart; encompassing mind, will, loyalty, and affections. In ancient Near Eastern thought, the heart was the center of all life, thought, and decision.
  • Significance: Jeroboam feared a shift in the people's ultimate allegiance, not just their physical location. He knew spiritual and political loyalties were intertwined in Israel.
• unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah (אֶל־אֲדֹנֵיהֶם אֶל־רְחַבְעָם מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה, ʾel-adonehem ʾel-rehavʿam melekh-yehûdah):
  • אֲדֹנֵיהֶם (adonehem): their lord/master. This word expresses servitude and rightful authority.
  • Significance: Jeroboam recognized that legitimate political authority, from the people's perspective, was linked to spiritual legitimacy derived from the Jerusalem temple.
• and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah (וְהָרְגֻהּוּ וְשָׁבוּ אֶל־רְחַבְעָם מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה, veharguhoo veshuvû ʾel-rehavʿam melekh-yehûdah):
  • וְהָרְגֻהּוּ (veharguhoo) from הָרַג (harag): to kill, slay. This reveals the core, self-preservation motivation.
  • וְשָׁבוּ (veshuvu): and they will return, go back. Reemphasizes the predicted re-alignment.
  • Significance: The climax of Jeroboam's fears – loss of life and loss of kingdom. This personal and political desperation ultimately drives his catastrophic religious innovation.

Word Groups Analysis:

• "If this people go up... in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem": This phrase precisely defines the perceived threat. It's not just "going to Jerusalem" but "going up" for the specific religious purpose of "sacrificing in the house of the LORD" that forms the nucleus of his fear. This highlights the perceived power of legitimate, divinely ordained worship to bind the people to the Davidic dynasty.
• "then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam": This outlines the direct causal link in Jeroboam's mind. He views the "heart" as the seat of loyalty, which he anticipates will revert to the original line of kings through religious connection. He understands the profound spiritual-political unity desired by the people.
• "and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam": This starkly presents the practical, life-threatening consequence from Jeroboam's perspective. It shows a king prioritizing his life and rule over the divine command and the spiritual well-being of his nation, indicating a lack of faith in God's promise to him (1 Ki 11:38).

1 Kings 12 27 Bonus Section

Jeroboam's strategic error in this verse was not merely political but profoundly theological. He viewed worship not as an act of obedience and devotion to God, but as a political tool. This utilitarian approach to religion, born of fear, fundamentally corrupted the covenant relationship Israel had with Yahweh. His "sin of Jeroboam" became a recurring condemnatory phrase throughout subsequent books of Kings, signaling a departure from legitimate worship that ultimately contributed to the Northern Kingdom's downfall and exile. The fact that the entire Northern Kingdom's subsequent spiritual decline and ultimate destruction (2 Ki 17) can be traced back to this very decision rooted in 1 Kings 12:27 highlights the profound impact of leadership choices, especially when faith is supplanted by fear.

1 Kings 12 27 Commentary

1 Kings 12:27 uncovers the rationalizations behind Jeroboam's grave spiritual misdirection. Faced with the reality that true Israelite identity and worship were centered in Jerusalem, his political acumen foresaw a profound dilemma: maintaining his independent kingdom demanded severing the spiritual ties to Judah. He did not trust God's promise to establish his dynasty if he walked in obedience (1 Ki 11:38). Instead, he trusted his own cynical analysis of human nature, fearing that the spiritual draw of Jerusalem would inevitably lead to political defection. This verse underscores how political expediency, when unmoored from faith and obedience, can lead to fundamental apostasy and lasting consequences for an entire nation. His solution, though logical from a worldly perspective of power consolidation, directly violated God's explicit commands regarding worship and foreshadowed centuries of idolatry in the Northern Kingdom. It demonstrates a common human failing: addressing perceived threats with human wisdom rather than trusting God's established order.