Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 10:4
“Your father put a heavy yoke on us. But now you must lighten the burden of your father’s service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The representatives of Israel address King Rehoboam immediately after Solomon’s death, delivering a conditional petition for policy change. They state that Solomon imposed a heavy yoke and demand relief as the condition for their continued service.
The words — The verb הִקְשָׁה (hik.shah) literally means he made hard, describing Solomon’s administration. The imperative הָקֵל (ha.kel) commands Rehoboam to lighten or reduce the burden of forced labor.
The thread — This demand matches the identical wording in 1 Kings 12:4 and echoes the Exodus narrative where Israel cries out under bondage (Exodus 1:13; Exodus 2:23).
Why it lands — The text records a political ultimatum where loyalty is explicitly tied to policy relief. It requires the reader to observe how conditional submission functions in leadership transitions.
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
King James Version
Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 12:4 “Your father put a heavy yoke on us. But now you must lighten the burden of your father’s service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
- Exodus 1:13 They worked the Israelites ruthlessly
- Exodus 2:23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.
- 1 Samuel 8:11 He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to serve his own chariots and horses, and to run in front of his chariots.
- 1 Kings 4:20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and they were eating and drinking and rejoicing.
- 1 Kings 4:25 Throughout the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel dwelt securely from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree.
- 1 Kings 5:15 Solomon had 70,000 porters and 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains,
- 1 Kings 9:22 But Solomon did not consign any of the Israelites to slavery, because they were his men of war, his servants, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and cavalry.
- 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.
- Matthew 11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.