And the king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders
Parallel translations
- WEB The king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam abandoned the counsel of the old men,
- KJV And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men,
- NKJV Then the king answered them roughly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders,
- NASB The king answered them harshly, and King Rehoboam ignored the advice of the elders.
- NLT But Rehoboam spoke harshly to them, for he rejected the advice of the older counselors
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
Rehoboam answers the people harshly, rejecting the wise advice of the elders. His pride sets the kingdom's division in motion.
Overview
Forsaking the seasoned counsel of those who had served Solomon, Rehoboam speaks roughly to the people. The Chronicler underscores that his folly was a deliberate abandonment of wisdom, not mere inexperience. His harshness illustrates how rejecting godly counsel for flattery brings disaster (Proverbs 12:15).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Gen 42:30“The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.
- Prov 15:1A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
- 2 Chr 10:8But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him.
- Gen 42:7And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”
- Exod 10:28“Depart from me!” Pharaoh said to Moses. “Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die.”
- 1 Sam 25:10–11But Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters.
- Prov 19:27If you cease to hear instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.
- 1 Kgs 20:6–11But about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to search your palace and the houses of your servants. They will seize and carry away all that is precious to you.’”
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Christ at the center
Temple, priesthood, and the repeated need for a faithful king who seeks the LORD all point past every imperfect reign to the King and Temple who finally and fully dwell with God's people.
How 2 Chronicles 10:13 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
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