3 Kings 12:14
And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying: My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke: my father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.
Open 3 Kings 12:14 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →In the palace
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- et locutus est eis secundum consilium juvenum, dicens : Pater meus aggravavit jugum vestrum, ego autem addam jugo vestro : pater meus cecidit vos flagellis, ego autem cædam vos scorpionibus.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ ἐλάλησεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τῶν παιδαρίων λέγων Ὁ πατήρ μου ἐβάρυνεν τὸν κλοιὸν ὑμῶν, κἀγὼ προσθήσω ἐπὶ τὸν κλοιὸν ὑμῶν· ὁ πατήρ μου ἐπαίδευσεν ὑμᾶς ἐν μάστιγξιν, κἀγὼ παιδεύσω ὑμᾶς ἐν σκορπίοις.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם כַּעֲצַ֤ת הַיְלָדִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אָבִי֙ הִכְבִּ֣יד אֶֽת עֻלְּכֶ֔ם וַאֲנִ֖י אֹסִ֣יף עַֽל עֻלְּכֶ֑ם אָבִ֗י יִסַּ֤ר אֶתְכֶם֙ בַּשּׁוֹטִ֔ים וַאֲנִ֕י אֲיַסֵּ֥ר אֶתְכֶ֖ם בָּעַקְרַבִּֽים
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. …
St Ambrose On the Duties of the Clergy, Chapter V. Those things which are generally looked on as good are mostly hindrances to a blessed life, and those which are looked on as evil are the materials out of which virtues grow. What belongs to blessedness is shown by other examples
17. Wherefore Naboth was blessed, even though he was stoned by the rich; weak and poor, as opposed to the royal resources, he was rich in his aim and his religion; so rich, indeed, that he would not exchange the inheritance of the vineyard received from his father for the king’s money; and on this account was he perfect, for he defended the rights of his forefathers with his own blood. Thus, also, Ahab was wretched on his own showing, for he caused the poor man to be put to death, so as to take possession of his vineyard himself.