29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.
29 One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan.
29 And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.
29 He put one calf in Bethel; the other he placed in Dan.
29 And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.
29 He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in Dan-at either end of his kingdom.
31 And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.
31 Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites.
31 He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites.
31 And that wasn't the end of it. Jeroboam built forbidden shrines all over the place and recruited priests from wherever he could find them, regardless of whether they were fit for the job or not.
31 He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
31 Jeroboam also erected buildings at the pagan shrines and ordained priests from the common people-those who were not from the priestly tribe of Levi.
(Read 1 Kings 12:25-33)
Jeroboam distrusted the providence of God; he would contrive ways and means, and sinful ones too, for his own safety. A practical disbelief of God's all-sufficiency is at the bottom of all our departures from him. Though it is probable he meant his worship for Jehovah the God of Israel, it was contrary to the Divine law, and dishonourable to the Divine majesty to be thus represented. The people might be less shocked at worshipping the God of Israel under an image, than if they had at once been asked to worship Baal; but it made way for that idolatry. Blessed Lord, give us grace to reverence thy temple, thine ordinances, thine house of prayer, thy sabbaths, and never more, like Jeroboam, to set up in our hearts any idol of abomination. Be thou to us every thing precious; do thou reign and rule in our hearts, the hope of glory.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 12:29
Commentary on 1 Kings 12:25-33
(Read 1 Kings 12:25-33)
Jeroboam distrusted the providence of God; he would contrive ways and means, and sinful ones too, for his own safety. A practical disbelief of God's all-sufficiency is at the bottom of all our departures from him. Though it is probable he meant his worship for Jehovah the God of Israel, it was contrary to the Divine law, and dishonourable to the Divine majesty to be thus represented. The people might be less shocked at worshipping the God of Israel under an image, than if they had at once been asked to worship Baal; but it made way for that idolatry. Blessed Lord, give us grace to reverence thy temple, thine ordinances, thine house of prayer, thy sabbaths, and never more, like Jeroboam, to set up in our hearts any idol of abomination. Be thou to us every thing precious; do thou reign and rule in our hearts, the hope of glory.