1 Kings 12:11

“And now, whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, etc.] Which was putting words into his mouth, owning the charge and accusation brought against his father, as he did, (<111214>1 Kings 12:14), which was very unbecoming, if true; unless this is said according to the sense of the people: I will add to your yoke; make it heavier, lay more taxes on them: my father hath chastised you with whips; which was putting a lie into his mouth, and which he uttered, (<111214>1 Kings 12:14) for no instance of severity exercised on the people in general can be given during the whole reign of Solomon: but I will chastise you with scorpions; treat them more roughly, and with greater rigour: whips may…”

“whips . . . scorpions--The latter [instruments], as contrasted with the former, are supposed to mean thongs thickly set with sharp iron points, used in the castigation of slaves.”

“Scorpions - By this word some understand whips having leaden balls at the ends of their lashes with hooks projecting from them; others the thorny stem of the eggplant, or “the scorpion plant.” But it seems best to regard the expression as a figure of speech. return to 'Top of Page'”

“12:11 scorpions: This was probably a type of whip that contained barbs or nails; the wounds inflicted by this weapon were like a scorpion’s sting.”

“I will add: Exo 1:13, Exo 1:14, Exo 5:5-9, Exo 5:18; Sa1 8:18; Ch2 16:10; Isa 58:6; Jer 27:11; Jer 28:13, Jer 28:14 but I will chastise: Should you rebel or become disaffected, my father's whip shall be a scorpion in my hand. His was chastisement, mine shall be punishment. Celsius and Hiller conjecture that âkrabbim denotes a thorny kind of shrub, whose prickles are of a venomous nature, called by the Arabs scorpion thorns, from the exquisite pain which they inflict. But the Chaldee renders it margenin, and the Syriac moragyai, i.e., μαραγναι, scourges; and in the parallel place of Chronicles the Arabic has saut, a scourge. Isidore, and after him Calmet and others, assert that the scorpion…”