But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him.
Parallel translations
- WEB But he abandoned the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
- KJV But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.
- NKJV But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
- NASB But he ignored the advice of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him and served him.
- NLT But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers.
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 rejects the elders' counsel and consults the young men who grew up with him. It marks the fateful turn toward foolish advice.
Overview
Abandoning tested wisdom, the king prefers the input of his contemporaries. The choice reflects pride and a refusal to humble himself before the people. The Chronicler shows folly taking root, recalling that God had ordained the kingdom's division as judgment.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 2 Sam 17:14Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had purposed to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.
- Prov 1:25because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,
- Prov 19:20Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.
- 2 Chr 25:15–16Therefore the anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet, who said, “Why have you sought this people’s gods, which could not deliver them from your hand?”
- Prov 9:9Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning.
- Isa 30:1“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin.
- Eccl 10:16Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth, and whose princes feast in the morning.
- Prov 25:12Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.
- Eccl 10:2–3A wise man’s heart inclines to the right, but the heart of a fool to the left.
- Prov 13:20He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.
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
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 10:8 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.