Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
What does 1 Kings 12:18 mean?
The people speak unbecomingly of David. How soon are good men, and their good services to the public, forgotten!
Key themes
Read with
Keep this verse inside 1 Kings 12:16-20 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on 1 Kings 12:18
Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. Adoram has been identified with Adoniram (marginal references), and even with the Adoram of 2 Samuel 20:24 . But it is highly improbable that the same person was chief superintendent of the forced labors during the whole of Solomon's long reign, and also during a part of David's and Rehoboam's. We may therefore conclude that the three names mark three distinct persons, perhaps of the same family, who were respectively contemporary with the three kings. Adoram was chosen, as best acquainted with the hardships whereof the rebels complained, to arrange some alleviation of their burthens.
Key words
- Rehoboam
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Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
- Adoram
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Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute,.
- tribute
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Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute,.
Context in 1 Kings 12
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1 Kings 12 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as division of the kingdom. First Kings tells of Solomon’s reign and temple, the split between north and south, and the rise of prophetic confrontation through Elijah. Read this chapter with the wider themes of temple, wisdom, and idolatry in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Verses on the fear of the Lord, wise speech, practical judgment, teachability, and the difference between biblical wisdom and mere cleverness.
Bible verses about justice and mercy
Key texts on public righteousness, neighbor-love, social ethics, compassion, and the prophetic refusal to separate worship from justice.
Glossary
- Rehoboam Person
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He enlarges the people, the successor of Solomon on the throne, and apparently his only son. He was the son of Naamah “the Ammonitess,” some well-known Ammonitish princess ( 1 Kings 14:21 ; 2 Chr. 12:13 ).
- Jerusalem Place
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Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Jerusalem.