Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 12:30
And this thing became a sin: for the people went [to worship] before the one, [even] unto Dan.
30. And this thing became a sin ] Being in contradiction of the second commandment.
for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan ] It appears as though by these words it was intended to shew how fully the people were led astray. To far-off Dan even did they go. This had been associated with worship aforetime, though it was idolatrous. Jdg 18:30. There was no need to point out that they went to Bethel. That had been a place of worship before, and in consequence had sacred associations. Of course they were not hard to persuade to go there. But Jeroboam’s device was successful in respect of the other shrine also.
The LXX. adds to this verse ‘and they neglected the house of the Lord.’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
This thing became a sin – i. e., this act of Jeroboams became an occasion of sin to the people. The author perhaps wrote the following words thus: The people went to worship before the one to Bethel and before the other to Dan.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
A sin, i.e. a cause or occasion of great wickedness among that people; not only of idolatry, which is called sin by way of eminency; nor only of the worship of the calves, wherein they pretended to worship the true God; but also of the worship of Baal, and of the utter desertion of the true God, and of all sorts of impiety and abominable sins, as is manifest from the history of that kingdom; in which there was not one good king, and very few of the people who were not guilty of heinous crimes, as the prophets witness.
The people went to worship: the kings counsel and example seduced them, though it did not excuse their sin; and they willingly walked after this his wicked commandment, Hos 5:11.
Unto Dan; which is not here mentioned exclusively, for that they went also to Beth-el is evident from 1Ki 12:32,33, but for other reasons; either because that of Dan was first made, or best frequented, the people in those parts having been long leavened with idolatry; see Jdg 18:30; or to show the peoples readiness to comply with the kings command, and their zeal for idols; that those who lived in or near Beth-el had not patience to stay till that calf was finished, but all of them were forward to go as far as Dan, which was in the utmost borders of the land, to worship an idol there, when it was thought too much for them to go to Jerusalem to worship God.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And this thing became a sin,…. The cause and occasion of the sin of idolatry; it led them by degrees to leave off the worship of God, and to worship these calves as gods:
for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan; which was the furthest off, such was their great zeal for idolatrous worship; or they went thither before that at Bethel was set up; and even they at Bethel would go as far as Dan to worship, such was their veneration for both the calves. Abarbinel is of opinion that these calves were not made by Jeroboam for idolatrous uses, only the altar later mentioned; and that he never worshipped before them, nor sacrificed to them, nor even built the altar before them; but that these were set up as signs, and in memory of his kingdom, like the pillars in Solomon’s temple; that he chose the calf or ox as emblems of his family, the family of Joseph, De 33:17 two to represent Ephraim and Manasseh; golden ones, to denote the majesty and perpetuity of his kingdom; and he set these, the one at Bethel, at the entrance of it, and the other at Dan, at the further borders of it; and that he did not call those gods, but the only true God, as he that brought Israel out of Egypt; only signified by that expression, that he was everywhere, there as well as at Jerusalem; but that the Israelites, who were taken with sensible objects, on visiting these out of curiosity, it became a snare to them, and they fell into the worship of them; just as Gideon’s ephod, and Moses’ brasen serpent, were unto them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(30) Even unto Dan.It has been thought that there is here a corruption of the text, and that words referring to Bethel have fallen out. But there is no sign of such variation in the LXX. (which only adds, in some MSS., and deserted the house of the Lord) or other versions. The reason of the mention of Dan only is probably that there the old sanctuary remained, and the priesthood was ready: hence, in this case, the people went to worship at once. The verses which follow describe the erection of a temple and the creation of a priesthood at Bethel, necessary before the inauguration of the new worship at what naturally became the more prominent and magnificent sanctuary. This temple is called a house of high places, partly perhaps from its actual position, partly to connect it with the use of the high places condemned in the Law. Indeed, as we have no notice of any time spent in building it, it is possible that some old high place was restored for the purpose.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
30. This thing became a sin It was not designed to be idolatry, but it speedily ran into it. How could it result otherwise, for it was a direct violation of the second commandment, and a likening of the glory of the invisible God to an ox that eateth grass? Jeroboam must have known the hazards of his course; but his case is only one example out of many which show how the natural heart of man will turn away from those parts of God’s word which conflict with his self-interests and desires. He probably, as we have indicated above, (note on 1Ki 12:26,) quieted his conscience by explaining away and distorting the obvious lessons of sacred history.
For the people Rather, and the people went before the one, unto Dan. The meaning is obscure, and perhaps some words have fallen out of the text. Keil takes the one to mean the calf at Beth-el, and understands that the people even unto Dan, that is, the greater part of the people, went to the sanctuary at Beth-el. Others take the one in the sense of one of the two, and explain: The people throughout the whole kingdom, even unto Dan, resorted to one or the other of these shrines, the one, of course, which was most convenient. In this sense, unto Dan would be a shortened form of the common expression from Beersheba unto Dan, Beersheba not being named, because, perhaps, of its adherence to the tribe of Judah. 1Ki 19:3.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Ki 12:30 And this thing became a sin: for the people went [to worship] before the one, [even] unto Dan.
Ver. 30. For the people went to worship. ] At both places. Jeroboam’s calves were no sooner up, than Israel is down on their knees. It is no marvel, saith one, if his subjects are brutish who hath made a calf his god.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
became a sin. See App-44. Hence the repeated stigma who “made Israel to sin”. Compare 1Ki 13:34; 1Ki 14:16; 1Ki 15:26, 1Ki 15:30, 1Ki 15:34; 1Ki 16:2, 1Ki 16:19, 1Ki 16:26, &c.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
became a sin: 1Ki 13:34, 2Ki 10:31, 2Ki 17:21
Reciprocal: Jdg 18:29 – Dan 1Ki 14:16 – who did sin 2Ch 17:4 – not after Act 4:19 – to hearken
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Ki 12:30. This thing became a sin An occasion of great wickedness, not only of idolatry, which is called sin by way of eminence; nor only of the worship of the calves, wherein they pretended to worship the true God; but also of the worship of Baal, and of the utter desertion of the true God, and of all sorts of impiety. The people went to worship before the one even unto Dan Which is not here mentioned exclusively, for they went also to Beth-el, (1Ki 12:32-33;) but for other reasons, either because that of Dan was first made, the people in those parts having been long leavened with idolatry, or to show the peoples readiness and zeal for idols; that those who lived in or near Beth-el, had not patience to stay till that calf was finished, but all of them were forward to go as far as Dan, which was in the utmost borders of the land, to worship an idol there; when it was thought too much for them to go to Jerusalem to worship God in the manner he had prescribed. The reader will easily observe here, as we have already intimated, that the sin of Jeroboam and the people did not consist in worshipping strange and false gods, but in setting up images, or representations of the true God, and worshipping him under the similitude of a corporeal form, which he had himself expressly forbidden, (Exo 20:4,) and had severely punished in the case of Aaron; so that the people did not offend through ignorance, because their sacred records informed them of the terrible punishment which God had inflicted before for the like offence, whereby he made it evident how displeasing it was to him.