The Meaning of 1 Kings 12:7 Explained

1 Kings 12:7

KJV: And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.

YLT: And they speak unto him, saying, 'If, to-day, thou art servant to this people, and hast served them, and answered them, and spoken unto them good words, then they have been to thee servants all the days.'

Darby: And they spoke to him saying, If this day thou wilt be a servant to this people, and wilt serve them and answer them and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever.

ASV: And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they spake  unto him, saying,  If thou wilt be a servant  unto this people  this day,  and wilt serve  them, and answer  them, and speak  good  words  to them, then they will be thy servants  for ever. 

What does 1 Kings 12:7 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 12:1-11 - The Wise King's Foolish Son
Solomon's reign had been splendid but very oppressive, and it was reasonable to ask for some relief. The people felt that the accession of the new king gave them their opportunity, and apparently they took the first step in this momentous crisis. We are expressly told that Rehoboam came to Shechem. If this mighty gathering had been called by himself or his court, the people would have had to come to him at Jerusalem. Here was the muttering of the rising storm.
There was much wisdom in the counsel of the older men: "Serve them"¦ then they will be thy servants forever," This principle underlay the sacrifice of Calvary. "Thou art worthy to take the book, for thou wast slain," Revelation 5:9. It is because Jesus girded Himself with humility and washed our sins in His own precious blood, that He has ascended to the throne, not only of God, but of our hearts and lives. And He has taught us, that whosoever would become great must begin by being the servant of all. The proud and lofty in this world are served often enough with the eye-service that gives superficial obedience for wages and rewards, Ephesians 6:6, but what is this compared with that which is yielded by gratitude and love!
1 Kings 12:1-33 - Breaking Three Commandments
From a worldly point of view Naboth might have done a good stroke of business by selling his estate to. Ahab. A royal price and assured favor might have been his-but he had a conscience! Above the persuasive tones of the monarch's offer sounded the voice of God: "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.
Ahab knew perfectly well that Jezebel could not give him the property of another except by foul means, but he took pains not to inquire. Though the direct orders for Naboth's death did not come from him, yet, by his silence, he was an accomplice and an accessory; and divine justice penetrates all such specious excuses. God holds us responsible for wrongs which we do not arrest, though we have the power. The crime was blacker because of the pretext of religion, as suggested by a fast. See also 2 Kings 9:26. The blood of murdered innocence cries to God, and his requital, though delayed, is inevitable. See Revelation 6:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 12

1  The Israelites, assembled at Shechem to crown Rehoboam,
4  by Jeroboam make a suit of relaxation unto him
6  Rehoboam, refusing the old men's counsel, answers them roughly
16  Ten tribes revolting, kill Adoram, and make Rehoboam flee
21  Rehoboam, raising an army, is forbidden by Shemaiah
25  Jeroboam strengthens himself by cities
26  and by idolatry of the two calves

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 12:7 mean?

- And they spoke to him saying if today you will be a servant to people this and serve them and answer them and speak to them words good then they will be to you your servants all forever
[וידבר] (וַיְדַבְּר֨וּ‪‬) אֵלָ֜יו לֵאמֹ֗ר אִם־ הַ֠יּוֹם תִּֽהְיֶה־ עֶ֜בֶד לָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ וַֽעֲבַדְתָּ֔ם וַעֲנִיתָ֕ם וְדִבַּרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם דְּבָרִ֣ים טוֹבִ֑ים וְהָי֥וּ לְךָ֛ עֲבָדִ֖ים כָּל־ הַיָּמִֽים

[וידבר]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֲבַד  
Sense: to perish, vanish.
(וַיְדַבְּר֨וּ‪‬)  And  they  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֵלָ֜יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
לֵאמֹ֗ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הַ֠יּוֹם  today 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
תִּֽהְיֶה־  you  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
עֶ֜בֶד  a  servant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
לָעָ֤ם  to  people 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הַזֶּה֙  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וַֽעֲבַדְתָּ֔ם  and  serve  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
וַעֲנִיתָ֕ם  and  answer  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
וְדִבַּרְתָּ֥  and  speak 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
דְּבָרִ֣ים  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
טוֹבִ֑ים  good 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
וְהָי֥וּ  then  they  will  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְךָ֛  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
עֲבָדִ֖ים  your  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
הַיָּמִֽים  forever 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.