3 Kings 12:11
And now my father put a heavy yoke upon you, but I will add to your yoke: my father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.
Open 3 Kings 12:11 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Et nunc pater meus posuit super vos jugum grave, ego autem addam super jugum vestrum : pater meus cecidit vos flagellis, ego autem cædam vos scorpionibus.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ νῦν ὁ πατήρ μου ἐπεσάσσετο ὑμᾶς κλοιῷ βαρεῖ, κἀγὼ προσθήσω ἐπὶ τὸν κλοιὸν ὑμῶν· ὁ πατήρ μου ἐπαίδευσεν ὑμᾶς ἐν μάστιγξιν, ἐγὼ δὲ παιδεύσω ὑμᾶς ἐν σκορπίοις.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וְעַתָּ֗ה אָבִי֙ הֶעְמִ֤יס עֲלֵיכֶם֙ עֹ֣ל כָּבֵ֔ד וַאֲנִ֖י אוֹסִ֣יף עַֽל עֻלְּכֶ֑ם אָבִ֗י יִסַּ֤ר אֶתְכֶם֙ בַּשּׁוֹטִ֔ים וַאֲנִ֕י אֲיַסֵּ֥ר אֶתְכֶ֖ם בָּעַקְרַבִּֽים
Haydock's commentary
Scorpions. Chaldean, "thorns." Hebrew has both significations. Like a tyrant, Roboam threatens to beat the people with sharp thorns. (Menochius)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine A Treatise on Grace and Free Will, God Does Whatsoever He Wills in the Hearts of Even Wicked Men
Who can help trembling at those judgments of God by which He does in the hearts of even wicked men whatsoever He wills, at the same time rendering to them according to their deeds? Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, rejected the salutary counsel of the old men, not to deal harshly with the people, and preferred listening to the words of the young men of his own age, by returning a rough answer to those to whom he should have spoken gently. Now whence arose such conduct, except from his own will? Upon this, however, the ten tribes of Israel revolted from him, and chose for themselves another king, even Jeroboam, that the will of God in His anger might be accomplished which He had predicted would come to pass. …