Teks -- 1 Kings 12:31 (NET)

12:31 He built temples on the high places and appointed as priests people who were not Levites.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Wesley: 1Ki 12:31 - An house

Houses, or chapels, besides the temples, which are built at Dan and Beth - el; he built also for his peoples better accommodation, lesser temples upon divers high places.

Wesley: 1Ki 12:31 - Of the lowest

Which he might do, either, because the better sort refused it, or, because such would be satisfied with mean allowances; and so he could put into his own purse a great part of the revenues of the Levites, which doubtless he seized upon when they forsook him, and went to Jerusalem, 2Ch 11:13-14, or, because mean persons would depend upon his favour, and therefore be pliable to his humour, and firm to his interest, but the words in the Hebrew properly signify, from the ends of the people; which may be translated thus, out of all the people; promiscuously out of every tribe. Which exposition seems to be confirmed by the following words, added to explain these, which were not of the sons of Levi; though they were not of the tribe of Levi. And that indeed was Jeroboam's sin; not that he chose mean persons, for some of the Levites were such; and his sin had not been less, if he had chosen the noblest and greatest persons; as we see in the example of Uzziah. But that he chose men of other tribes, contrary to God's appointment, which restrained that office to that tribe.

Wesley: 1Ki 12:31 - Levi

To whom that office was confined by God's express command.

JFB: 1Ki 12:26-32 - Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David

Having received the kingdom from God, he should have relied on the divine protection. But he did not. With a view to withdraw the people from the temple and destroy the sacred associations connected with Jerusalem, he made serious and unwarranted innovations on the religious observances of the country, on pretext of saving the people the trouble and expense of a distant journey. First, he erected two golden calves--the young bulls, Apis and Mnevis, as symbols (in the Egyptian fashion) of the true God, and the nearest, according to his fancy, to the figures of the cherubim. The one was placed at Dan, in the northern part of his kingdom; the other at Beth-el, the southern extremity, in sight of Jerusalem, and in which place he probably thought God was as likely to manifest Himself as at Jerusalem (Gen. 32:1-32; 2Ki 2:2). The latter place was the most frequented--for the words (1Ki 12:30) should be rendered, "the people even to Dan went to worship before the one" (Jer 48:13; Amo 4:4-5; Amo 5:5; Hos 5:8; Hos 10:8). The innovation was a sin because it was setting up the worship of God by symbols and images and departing from the place where He had chosen to put His name. Secondly, he changed the feast of tabernacles from the fifteenth of the seventh to the fifteenth of the eighth month. The ostensible reason might be, that the ingathering or harvest was later in the northern parts of the kingdom; but the real reason was to eradicate the old association with this, the most welcome and joyous festival of the year.

JFB: 1Ki 12:31 - made priests of the lowest of the people

Literally, "out of all the people," the Levites refusing to act. He himself assumed to himself the functions of the high priest, at least, at the great festival, probably from seeing the king of Egypt conjoin the royal and sacred offices, and deeming the office of the high priest too great to be vested in a subject.

Clarke: 1Ki 12:31 - A house of high places

A house of high places - A temple of temples; he had many high places in the land, and to imitate the temple at Jerusalem, he made one chief over all the rest, where he established a priesthood of his own ordination. Probably a place of separate appointment, where different idols were set up and worshipped; so it was a sort of pantheon

Clarke: 1Ki 12:31 - Made priests of the lowest of the people

Made priests of the lowest of the people - He took the people indifferently as they came, and made them priests, till he had enough, without troubling himself whether they were of the family of Aaron or the house of Levi, or not. Any priests would do well enough for such gods. But those whom he took seem to have been worthless, good-for-nothing fellows, who had neither piety nor good sense. Probably the sons of Levi had grace enough to refuse to sanction this new priesthood and idolatrous worship.

TSK: 1Ki 12:31 - an house // priests

an house : 1Ki 13:24, 1Ki 13:32; Deu 24:15; Eze 16:25; Hos 12:11

priests : 1Ki 13:33; Num 3:10; 2Ki 17:32; 2Ch 11:14, 2Ch 11:15, 2Ch 13:9; Eze 44:6-8

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: 1Ki 12:31 - An house of high places // Made priests of the lowest of the people // which were not of the sons of Levi // Not of the sons of Levi

An house of high places or, an house (i.e. houses, or chapels) in the high places . Besides the famous houses, or temples, which he built at Dan and Beth-el, he built also, for his people’ s better accommodation, lesser temples upon divers high places, which were esteemed sacred and venerable, because their pious ancestors had served God in them; and thereby Jeroboam might not seem to bring in a new religion, but only to revive the old.

Made priests of the lowest of the people which he might do, either,

1. Because the better sort refused it, as an office below their quality. Or,

2. Because such would be satisfied with mean allowances; and so he could put into his own purse a great part of the rich possessions and revenues of the Levites, which doubtless he seized upon when they forsook him, and went to Jerusalem, 2Ch 11:13,14 , which also was very necessary for his present and pressing occasions; the rather, because he durst not yet lay grievous taxes upon that people, who had newly cast off Rehoboam for that very reason. Or,

3. Because mean persons would depend upon his favour, and therefore be very pliable to his humour, and firm to his interest, and zealous to promote the worship of the calves. But the words in the Hebrew properly signify from the ends of the people ; which is and may be translated thus, out of all the people ; promiscuously out of every tribe; which exposition seems to be confirmed by the following words, which are added to explain these,

which were not of the sons of Levi though they were not of the tribe of Levi. And that indeed was Jeroboam’ s sin; not that he chose mean persons, for some of the Levites were such; and his sin had not been less, if he had chosen the noblest and greatest persons, as we see in the example of Uzziah, 2Ch 26:18,19 ; but that he chose men of other tribes, contrary to God’ s appointment, which restrained that office to that tribe.

Not of the sons of Levi to whom that office was confined by God’ s express command; but he gave the priesthood promiscuously to any person of any other tribe.

Haydock: 1Ki 12:31 - Places // Lowest

Places, to other idols or devils, (2 Paralipomenon xi. 15.; Haydock) not merely at Bethel, chap. xiii. ---

Lowest. Such places were fittest for him. (Worthington) ---

Hebrew, "extremity:" others understand people of reputation: but it seems he took any whosoever would (chap. xiii. 33.) accept the office, without confining himself to the Levites. (Calmet) ---

Indeed most of them were banished, as refractory; (2 Paralipomenon xi. 13.) though some were so weak as to take part with him; (Ezechiel lxiv. 10.) probably the descendants of Micha, Judges xviii. 31. (Haydock) ---

They were not punished with instant death, like Core, though their crime seemed greater. (Salien)

Gill: 1Ki 12:31 - And he made an house of high places // and made priests of the lowest of the people // which were not of the sons of Levi

And he made an house of high places,.... Or "altars" ^s, built a temple at Dan, and set up several altars in it for sacrifice, both for burnt offerings, and for incense, as at Jerusalem:

and made priests of the lowest of the people; this clause seems not so well rendered; for this would have been very unpopular, and brought his new form of worship into contempt, to make the dregs of the people priests, which was not only a very sacred office, but of great honour; it was usual in some nations for kings to be priests also ^t, and Jeroboam himself exercised this office, 1Ki 12:33 and therefore would never put the meanest of the people into it, but rather those of higher rank: the words may be literally rendered, "from the extremities" or "ends of the people" ^u; meaning not merely from the extremist parts of his country, but rather out of the whole of the people; out of all sorts of them, out of any of them, without any distinction of tribe: for so it follows,

which were not of the sons of Levi; and as by this means he enriched himself, by taking the cities that belonged to the priests and Levites, which they were obliged to leave, and from whence he drove them, 2Ch 11:14 so he pleased the people by laying open the priesthood common to them, and freeing them from the payment of tithes, and the like.