And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
Parallel translations
- WEB This thing became a sin; for the people went even as far as Dan to worship before the one there.
- BSB And this thing became a sin; the people walked as far as Dan to worship before one of the calves.
- NKJV Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.
- NASB Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.
- NLT But this became a great sin, for the people worshiped the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
This act becomes a snare of sin, as people travel even to Dan to worship the calf. Jeroboam's policy corrupts the nation.
Overview
The narrator plainly labels Jeroboam's innovation a sin that led Israel astray, with people journeying as far as Dan to worship. This verse delivers the theological verdict on the calf cult. The phrase the sin of Jeroboam becomes a recurring measure of the northern kings' unfaithfulness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- 2 Kgs 17:21For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.
- 1 Kgs 13:34And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.
- 2 Kgs 10:31But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.
How 1 Kings 12:30 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.