Why did Israel turn away from Roboam after assembling to make him king?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

They asked him to ease his father’s heavy burden so they could serve him. He rejected the ancients’ advice and answered with threats of a heavier burden; the people then denied their share in David’s house and returned to their dwellings.

Chapter breakdown

Roboam answers the people roughly, and ten tribes revolt.

Roboam went to Sichem, where all Israel had assembled to make him king. Jeroboam son of Nabat heard this in Egypt, where he had fled from Solomon, and returned at once. They sent for him, and he came with all Israel. They said Roboam’s father had oppressed them with a most grievous yoke and heavy servitude. They asked him to govern with a lighter hand and ease something of that burden so they could serve him. Roboam told them to return after three days, and they went away.

Roboam asked the ancients who had stood before his father Solomon while he lived how to answer. They advised pleasing the people and soothing them with kind words, saying the people would then be his servants for ever. He left their counsel and consulted the young men brought up with him and in his train, asking how to answer the request to ease his father’s yoke.

The young men brought up with him in pleasures advised him to say his little finger was thicker than his father’s loins. He should tell the people that his father had laid a heavy yoke on them but he would add weight; his father had beaten them with scourges but he would beat them with scorpions. These are the advised threats; the account does not describe such a beating taking place.

Jeroboam and all the people returned on the third day as commanded. Roboam answered roughly, leaving the ancients’ counsel and following the young men: his father’s heavy yoke would become heavier, and scourges would become scorpions. He did not grant their requests. The account says this was God’s will to fulfill the word spoken by Ahias the Silonite to Jeroboam son of Nabat.

After this rough answer, the people said they had no part in David and no inheritance in the son of Isai. They called Israel back to its dwellings and told David to feed his own house. Israel went to its dwellings. Roboam continued to reign over the children of Israel dwelling in Juda’s cities. He sent Aduram, who was over the tributes; Israel stoned him to death. Roboam hastily mounted his chariot and fled to Jerusalem. Israel revolted from David’s house unto the day of this account.

The story inside

The gathering at Sichem begins as an assembly to make Roboam king. Jeroboam returns from Egypt, is summoned and joins Israel’s request. The three-day delay makes room for two different answers: the ancients advise kind words, while the young men advise a claim of greater strength and harsher treatment. Roboam chooses the latter and repeats its threats when the people return. The account also identifies the refusal with God’s fulfillment of Ahias’s word to Jeroboam. The people’s reply rejects their share in David’s house, but Roboam still rules Israelites in Juda’s cities. Aduram’s death and Roboam’s flight show the break in action; the final notice describes revolt lasting to the account’s day.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The request includes a reason for lighter rule: the people want the burden eased so they can serve Roboam. The ancients’ promise of lasting service is their advice in this situation. It does not establish a universal guarantee that a kind reply always secures loyalty.
2
Roboam’s rough answer follows a choice between named advisers. He leaves those who stood before Solomon and follows men brought up with him in pleasures. The little-finger comparison belongs to their advice, and the scourges and scorpions language expresses the threatened increase. No new definition of scorpions or account of an actual whipping is supplied.
3
The revolt has stated limits and consequences. Roboam still rules the children of Israel in Juda’s cities. Aduram, over the tributes, is stoned to death, and Roboam flees by chariot to Jerusalem. The account says the revolt continued to its own day; it does not call it permanent or describe a religious division.

Test your recall

Jeroboam hears in Egypt of the assembly → he returns and, when summoned, joins Israel. The people ask relief so they can serve Roboam → he delays the answer three days and asks two groups for counsel. He follows the young men → his reply threatens heavier burdens. The people hear the rough answer → they reject their share in David’s house and return to their dwellings. Israel stones Aduram to death → Roboam hastily flees to Jerusalem.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 45233–45235
2 Paralipomenon Chapter 10 Roboam answereth the people roughly: upon which ten tribes revolt.
Lines 45237–45251
10:1. And Roboam went to Sichem: for thither all Israel were assembled, to make him king. 10:2. And when Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who was in Egypt, (for he was fled thither from Solomon,) heard it, forthwith he returned. 10:3. And they sent for him, and he came with all Israel, and they spoke to Roboam, saying: 10:4. Thy father oppressed us with a most grievous yoke, do thou govern us with a lighter hand than thy father, who laid upon us a heavy servitude, and ease some thing of the burden, that we may serve thee. 10:5. And he said to them: Come to me again after three days. And when the people were gone,
Lines 45253–45266
10:6. He took counsel with the ancients, who had stood before his father Solomon, while he yet lived, saying: What counsel give you to me, that I may answer the people? 10:7. And they said to him: If thou please this people, and soothe them with kind words, they will be thy servants for ever. 10:8. But he forsook the counsel of the ancients, and began to treat with the young men, that had been brought up with him, and were in his train. 10:9. And he said to them: What seemeth good to you? or what shall I answer this people, who have said to me: Ease the yoke which thy father laid upon us?
Lines 45268–45275
10:10. But they answered as young men, and brought up with him in pleasures, and said: Thus shalt thou speak to the people, that said to thee: Thy father made our yoke heavy, do thou ease it: thus shalt thou answer them: My little finger is thicker than the loins of my father. 10:11. My father laid upon you a heavy yoke, and I will add more weight to it: my father beat you with scourges, but I will beat you with scorpions.
Lines 45277–45289
10:12. So Jeroboam, and all the people came to Roboam the third day, as he commanded them. 10:13. And the king answered roughly, leaving the counsel of the ancients. 10:14. And he spoke according to the advice of the young men: My father laid upon you a heavy yoke, which I will make heavier: my father beat you with scourges, but I will beat you with scorpions. 10:15. And he condescended not to the people’s requests: for it was the will of God, that his word might be fulfilled which he had spoken by the hand of Ahias the Silonite to Jeroboam the son of Nabat.
Lines 45291–45303
10:16. And all the people upon the king’s speaking roughly, said thus unto him: We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Isai. Return to thy dwellings, O Israel, and do thou, O David feed thy own house. And Israel went away to their dwellings. 10:17. But Roboam reigned over the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Juda. 10:18. And king Roboam sent Aduram, who was over the tributes, and the children of Israel stoned him, and he died: and king Roboam made haste to get up into his chariot, and fled into Jerusalem. 10:19. And Israel revolted from the house of David unto this day.