The Meaning of 1 Kings 12:18 Explained

1 Kings 12:18

KJV: Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

YLT: And king Rehoboam sendeth Adoram who is over the tribute, and all Israel cast at him stones, and he dieth; and king Rehoboam hath strengthened himself to go up into a chariot to flee to Jerusalem;

Darby: And king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the levy; but all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. And king Rehoboam hastened to mount his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

ASV: Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the men subject to taskwork; and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then king  Rehoboam  sent  Adoram,  who [was] over the tribute;  and all Israel  stoned  him with stones,  that he died.  Therefore king  Rehoboam  made speed  to get him up  to his chariot,  to flee  to Jerusalem. 

What does 1 Kings 12:18 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 12:12-24 - The Kingdom Rent In Twain
Rehoboam richly deserved his fate. He was forty-one years old, 2 Chronicles 12:13, and ought to have known better. His speech betrayed the despot. He had no right to speak with such arrogant insolence to a great and liberty-loving people. It is only a weak man who boasts of deeds he cannot perform, and there was a rasping flavor in his comparison which indicated the malice of an unregenerate heart. We have heard people speak like this to those whom they counted their inferiors, but all such words are the scattering of thistledown, which will spoil the harvests of their own fields. Learn to speak civilly, or not at all. Insist that young lads and girls keep a civil tongue in their heads. Curses are like boomerangs; they come back on the man that utters them.
Twice over we are told that it was a thing brought about by God- 1 Kings 12:15; 1 Kings 12:24. Beneath all political changes and revolutions you will find the slow evolving of a divine purpose. God does not instigate sin. This arises from man's abuse of his own free-will. But God will so control the warring wills of men that the plan of His eternal counsel and foreknowledge shall not be interfered with but furthered.
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 12:18 mean?

And sent King Rehoboam - Adoram who [was] in charge of the revenue but stoned all Israel him with stones and he died Therefore King in haste mounted his chariot to flee to Jerusalem
וַיִּשְׁלַ֞ח הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ רְחַבְעָ֗ם אֶת־ אֲדֹרָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־ הַמַּ֔ס וַיִּרְגְּמ֨וּ כָל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל בּ֛וֹ אֶ֖בֶן וַיָּמֹ֑ת וְהַמֶּ֣לֶךְ הִתְאַמֵּץ֙ לַעֲל֣וֹת בַּמֶּרְכָּבָ֔ה לָנ֖וּס יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם

וַיִּשְׁלַ֞ח  And  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ  King 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
רְחַבְעָ֗ם  Rehoboam 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: רְחַבְעָם  
Sense: son of Solomon and the st king of Judah after the split up of the kingdom of Israel.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֲדֹרָם֙  Adoram 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹורָם 
Sense: an officer of David.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  who  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עַל־  in  charge 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַמַּ֔ס  of  the  revenue 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַס  
Sense: gang or body of forced labourers, task-workers, labour band or gang, forced service, task-work, serfdom, tributary, tribute, levy, taskmasters, discomfited.
וַיִּרְגְּמ֨וּ  but  stoned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָגַם  
Sense: to stone, slay or kill by stoning.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
אֶ֖בֶן  with  stones 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
וַיָּמֹ֑ת  and  he  died 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וְהַמֶּ֣לֶךְ  Therefore  King 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
הִתְאַמֵּץ֙  in  haste 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמֵץ  
Sense: to be strong, alert, courageous, brave, stout, bold, solid, hard.
לַעֲל֣וֹת  mounted 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
בַּמֶּרְכָּבָ֔ה  his  chariot 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֶרְכָּבָה  
Sense: chariot.
לָנ֖וּס  to  flee 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם  to  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.