Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on 1 Kings 12:31
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And he made an house of high places, etc.] Or “altars” f318, 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 f319, and Jeroboam himself exercised this office, (<111233>1 Kings 12:33 13:1) 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” f320; 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, (<141114>2 Chronicles 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.
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