1 Kings 12:10

The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you must make it lighter.’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Rehoboam asks the young men who grew up with him how he should respond to the northern tribes' demand to lighten the heavy yoke his father imposed. (1 Kings 12:9-10)

The words — The Hebrew verb וַיְדַבְּרוּ (va-y-da-be-Ru) records the young men speaking their counsel, while כֹּה (koh) functions as a directive marker introducing the exact reply they prescribe.

The thread — The advisory dynamic mirrors the counsel scene in 2 Samuel 17:7 and aligns with the warning against reckless speech in Proverbs 10:14, while the broader royal succession narrative is cross-referenced in 2 Chronicles 10:10.

Why it lands — The text explicitly records the young men advising Rehoboam to reject mercy and assert greater severity. It forces the reader to observe how immediate political advice directly determines the future burdens placed on a community.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיְדַבְּר֣וּva/y.da.be.Ruand/ they spoke אֵלָ֗יו'e.La/vto/ him הַיְלָדִים֙ha/y.la.Dimthe/ young men אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherwho גָּדְל֣וּga.de.Luthey had grown up אִתּוֹ֮'i.T/owith/ him לֵאמֹר֒le./Mor<to>/ saying כֹּֽה־koh-thus תֹאמַ֣רto.Maryou will say לָעָ֣םla./'Amto the/ people הַזֶּ֡הha./Zeh<the>/ this אֲשֶׁר֩'a.Sherwhich דִּבְּר֨וּdi.be.Ruthey have spoken אֵלֶ֜יךָ'e.Lei./khato/ you לֵאמֹ֗רle./Mor<to>/ saying אָבִ֙יךָ֙'a.Vi./khafather/ your הִכְבִּ֣ידhikh.Bidhe made heavy אֶת־'et-<obj.>עֻלֵּ֔נוּ'u.Le./nuyoke/ our וְאַתָּ֖הve./'a.Tahand/ you הָקֵ֣לha.Kellighten מֵעָלֵ֑ינוּme./'a.Lei./nufrom/ on <the>/ us כֹּ֚הkohthus תְּדַבֵּ֣רte.da.Beryou will speak אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם'a.lei./Hemto/ them קָֽטָנִּ֥יka.ta.N/ilittle finger/ my עָבָ֖ה'a.Vahit is thick מִמָּתְנֵ֥יmi./ma.te.Neimore than/ [the] loins of אָבִֽי׃'a.V/ifather/ my

King James Version

And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.

Cross-references

2 Chronicles 10:10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you must make it lighter.’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!
2 Samuel 17:7 Hushai replied, “This time the advice of Ahithophel is not sound.”
Proverbs 10:14 The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of the fool invites destruction.
Proverbs 18:6 A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.
Proverbs 28:25 A greedy man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.
Proverbs 29:23 A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.
Isaiah 47:6 I was angry with My people; I profaned My heritage, and I placed them under your control. You showed them no mercy; even on the elderly you laid a most heavy yoke.