Commentaries:
Barnes' Notes
The complaint was probably twofold. The Israelites no doubt complained in part of the heavy weight of taxation laid upon them for the maintenance of the monarch and his court I Kings 4:19-23. But their chief grievance was the forced labor to which they had been subjected I Kings 5:13-14; I Kings 11:28. Forced labor has been among the causes leading to insurrection in many ages and countries. It helped to bring about the French Revolution, and it was for many years one of the principal grievances of the Russian serfs. Jeroboam' s position as superintendent of the forced labors of the tribe of Ephraim I Kings 11:28 revealed to him the large amount of dissatisfaction which Solomon' s system had produced, and his contemplated rebellion in Solomon' s reign may have been connected with this standing grievance.
Other Barnes' Notes entries containing 1 Kings 12:4:
1 Samuel 8:14-18
1 Kings 5:13
Isaiah 9:4
Hosea 8:4
Micah 3:10
DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God (CGG) provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. However, it is up to the individual to "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The content of these resources does not necessarily reflect the views of CGG. They are provided for information purposes only.
