1 Kings 12:31
New International Version
Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites.

New Living Translation
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.

English Standard Version
He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites.

Berean Standard Bible
Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places and appointed from every class of people priests who were not Levites.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

New American Standard Bible
And he made houses on high places, and appointed priests from all the people who were not of the sons of Levi.

NASB 1995
And he made houses on high places, and made priests from among all the people who were not of the sons of Levi.

NASB 1977
And he made houses on high places, and made priests from among all the people who were not of the sons of Levi.

Legacy Standard Bible
And he made houses on high places, and made priests from among all the people who were not of the sons of Levi.

Amplified Bible
And Jeroboam also made houses on high places, and he made priests from all people who were not of the sons (descendants) of Levi.

Christian Standard Bible
Jeroboam also made shrines on the high places and made priests from the ranks of the people who were not Levites.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places and set up priests from every class of people who were not Levites.

American Standard Version
And he made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people, that were not of the sons of Levi.

Contemporary English Version
Jeroboam built small places of worship at the shrines and appointed men who were not from the tribe of Levi to serve as priests.

English Revised Version
And he made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jeroboam built worship sites on hilltops. He appointed men who were not descended from Levi to be priests.

Good News Translation
Jeroboam also built places of worship on hilltops, and he chose priests from families who were not of the tribe of Levi.

International Standard Version
Jeroboam built temples on the high places, and appointed his own priests from the fringe elements of the people who were not descendants of Levi.

Majority Standard Bible
Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places and appointed from every class of people priests who were not Levites.

NET Bible
He built temples on the high places and appointed as priests people who were not Levites.

New Heart English Bible
And he made houses on high places, and made priests from among all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he made a house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

World English Bible
He made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he makes the house of high places, and makes priests from the extremities of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi;

Young's Literal Translation
And he maketh the house of high places, and maketh priests of the extremities of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi;

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will make a house of heights, and be will make priests from the ends of the people who were not of the sons of Levi.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he made temples in the high places, and priests of the lowest of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he made shrines on the high places, and he made priests out of the lowest people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

New American Bible
He also built temples on the high places and made priests from among the common people who were not Levites.

New Revised Standard Version
He also made houses on high places, and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not Levites.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he made a temple of idols, and made priests from among the people who were not of the sons of Levi.And after he had buried him, he said to his sons, When I die, bury me in the sepulchre wherein the prophet of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he made a house of idols, and he made Priests of the people, those who were not of the sons of Levi.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people, that were not of the sons of Levi.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he made houses on the high places, and made priests of any part of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jeroboam's Idolatry
30And this thing became a sin; the people walked as far as Dan to worship before one of the calves. 31Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places and appointed from every class of people priests who were not Levites. 32And Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar; he made this offering in Bethel to sacrifice to the calves he had set up, and he installed priests in Bethel for the high places he had set up.…

Cross References
2 Chronicles 11:15
And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made.

2 Kings 17:32
So the new residents worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed for themselves priests of all sorts to serve in the shrines of the high places.

Exodus 32:4-5
He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” / When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the calf and proclaimed: “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.”

1 Kings 13:33-34
Even after these events, Jeroboam did not repent of his evil ways, but again he appointed priests for the high places from every class of people. He ordained anyone who desired to be a priest of the high places. / And this was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its extermination and destruction from the face of the earth.

2 Kings 23:5
Josiah also did away with the idolatrous priests ordained by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem—those who had burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven.

Leviticus 17:7
They must no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat demons to which they have prostituted themselves. This will be a permanent statute for them for the generations to come.’

Hosea 8:4-6
They set up kings, but not by Me. They make princes, but without My approval. With their silver and gold they make themselves idols, to their own destruction. / He has rejected your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence? / For this thing is from Israel—a craftsman made it, and it is not God. It will be broken to pieces, that calf of Samaria.

Amos 7:10-13
Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words, / for this is what Amos has said: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their homeland.’” / And Amaziah said to Amos, “Go away, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah; earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. ...

1 Kings 14:9
You have done more evil than all who came before you. You have proceeded to make for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me, and you have flung Me behind your back.

1 Kings 16:31-33
And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal. / First, Ahab set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria. / Then he set up an Asherah pole. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel before him.

2 Chronicles 13:9
But did you not drive out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites? And did you not make priests for yourselves as do the peoples of other lands? Now whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of things that are not gods.

Deuteronomy 12:5-6
Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go. / To that place you are to bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and heave offerings, your vow offerings and freewill offerings, as well as the firstborn of your herds and flocks.

1 Kings 11:31
and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give you ten tribes.

1 Kings 15:26
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.

1 Kings 22:43
And Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them, but did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

an house

1 Kings 13:24,32
And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase…

Deuteronomy 24:15
At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee.

Ezekiel 16:25
Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms.

priests

1 Kings 13:33
After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.

Numbers 3:10
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

2 Kings 17:32
So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.

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Appointed Built Classes Extremities High House Houses Jeroboam Levi Maketh Places Priests Shrines Sorts Worship
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Appointed Built Classes Extremities High House Houses Jeroboam Levi Maketh Places Priests Shrines Sorts Worship
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














Jeroboam
Jeroboam was the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel after the division of the united monarchy. His reign marked a significant turning point in Israel's history, as he led the ten northern tribes away from the Davidic line and established a separate kingdom. Historically, Jeroboam's actions were seen as a direct challenge to the divinely ordained order, as he sought to consolidate his power by creating a religious system independent of Jerusalem.

also built
The act of building here signifies more than just physical construction; it represents the establishment of a new religious order. In the ancient Near East, building shrines or temples was often associated with legitimizing one's rule and authority. Jeroboam's construction of these shrines was a strategic move to solidify his political power by providing alternative worship sites to Jerusalem.

shrines
The term "shrines" refers to places of worship that were often erected on elevated sites, known as high places. These were common in Canaanite religion and were typically associated with pagan worship practices. By building shrines, Jeroboam was introducing syncretism into Israelite worship, blending elements of Yahweh worship with Canaanite practices, which was strictly forbidden in the Mosaic Law.

on the high places
High places were elevated sites used for worship, often associated with idolatry in the Old Testament. They were seen as places where people could be closer to the divine. Jeroboam's use of high places was a direct violation of God's command to worship only at the temple in Jerusalem, highlighting his departure from true worship and leading the people into sin.

and appointed
The act of appointing priests was traditionally a divine prerogative, reserved for God alone. By taking this upon himself, Jeroboam was usurping a role that was not his to fill, further illustrating his rebellion against God's established order. This act of appointing priests was a significant deviation from the Levitical priesthood ordained by God.

from every class of people
This phrase indicates that Jeroboam disregarded the specific requirements for the priesthood set forth in the Law of Moses, which stipulated that priests must come from the tribe of Levi. By choosing priests from every class, Jeroboam was democratizing the priesthood, undermining the sacredness and distinctiveness of the Levitical order.

priests
In the Old Testament, priests were mediators between God and the people, responsible for offering sacrifices and maintaining the purity of worship. Jeroboam's appointment of non-Levitical priests was a direct affront to the divinely instituted priesthood, leading Israel into unauthorized and illegitimate worship practices.

who were not Levites
The Levites were the tribe set apart by God to serve as priests and caretakers of the tabernacle and later the temple. By appointing priests who were not Levites, Jeroboam was rejecting God's chosen order and leading the people into apostasy. This decision had long-lasting consequences for the spiritual state of the northern kingdom, as it set a precedent for idolatry and false worship.

(31, 32) Of the lowest of the people.--This is universally recognised as a mistranslation, though a natural one, of the original, "the ends of the people." The sense is "from the whole mass of the people," without care for Levitical descent--the Levites having (see 2Chronicles 11:13-14) generally returned into the kingdom of Judah on the establishment of this idolatry. It is hardly likely that the king would have lacked because at Dan an unauthorised Levitical priesthood was (as has been said) forthcoming.

Verse 31. - And he made an house of high places [See on 1 Kings 3:2, and cf. 2 Kings 17:29. It is often assumed (Keil, Rawlinson, al. after Josephus) that Jeroboam built two temples for his cherubim, and the statement of the text, that he built one, is explained on the ground that the historian contrasts the "house of high places" with the "house of the Lord." Ewald, too, after 2 Kings 17:29, 32, understands the words as plural. But is it not more probable that a chapel or sanctuary already existed at Dan, where an irregular priesthood had ministered for more than four hundred years? This verse would then refer exclusively to Jeroboam's procedure at Bethel (see next verse). There he built a temple and ordained a number of priests, but Dan had both already. We know that the Danite priests carried on the calf worship to the time of the captivity (Judges 18:30). This "house of high places" has grown in Ewald's pages into "a splendid temple in Canaanite style"], and made priests of the lowest of the people [Heb. מִקְצות "from the ends," i.e., from all classes, ex universe populo (Gesen.), and not, as the writer explains presently, from the tribe of Levi alone. Genesis 19:4, Judges 18:20, Ezekiel 33:2, prove this to be the correct interpretation of the word. Rawlinson, who remarks that "Jeroboam could have no motive for specially selecting persons of low condition," does not thereby dispose of the A.V. rendering, for the historian might mean that some of Jeroboam's priests were of the lowest stamp, because he could find no others, or because he was so little scrupulous as to take them. "Leaden priests are well fitted to golden deities" (Hall)], which were not of the sons of Levi. [Jeroboam would doubtless have been only too glad to have retained the services of the Levitical priests, but they went over in a body to Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:13). The statement of ver. 14, that, "Jeroboam and his sons" had "cast them out," suggests that they had refused to take part in his new cult and that thereupon he banished them, and, no doubt, confiscated their possessions. The idea of Stanley, that "following the precedent of the deposition of Abiathar by Solomon, he removed from their places the whole of the sacerdotal order," is a wild conjecture for which Scripture affords not the slightest warrant.]

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Jeroboam also built
וַיַּ֖עַשׂ (way·ya·‘aś)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

shrines
בֵּ֣ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

on the high places
בָּמ֑וֹת (bā·mō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 1116: An elevation

and appointed
וַיַּ֤עַשׂ (way·ya·‘aś)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

from every class
מִקְצ֣וֹת (miq·ṣō·wṯ)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 7098: A termination

of people
הָעָ֔ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

priests
כֹּֽהֲנִים֙ (kō·hă·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548: Priest

who
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

were
הָי֖וּ (hā·yū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

Levites.
מִבְּנֵ֥י (mib·bə·nê)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son


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OT History: 1 Kings 12:31 He made houses of high places (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 12:30
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