King James Version

1 Kings 12:10

And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.

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Hebrew

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וַיְדַבְּר֣וּvaydabrvand speakדָבַרconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and speak”, the next action in the storyH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.אֵלָ֗יוelayvamongאֵלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).הַיְלָדִים֙hayladimthe childיֶלֶדdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the child”, the ordinary formH3206something born, i.e. a lad or offspringboy, child, fruit, son, young man (one).אֲשֶׁ֨רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…גָּדְל֣וּgadelvbeגָּדַלverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “be”, a completed actionH1431to be (causatively make) large (in various senses, as in body, mind, estate or honor, also in pride)advance, boast, bring up, exceed, excellent, be(-come, do, give, make, wax), great(-er, come to... estate, [phrase] things), grow(up), increase, lift up, magnify(-ifical), be much set by, nourish (up), pass, promote, proudly (spoken), towe…אִתּוֹ֮itvoamongאֵתpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “among”H854properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc.against, among, before, by, for, from, in(-to), (out) of, with. Often with another prepositional prefix.לֵאמֹר֒lemorto sayאָמַרpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to say”, the to-form of the verbH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…כֹּֽהkoalsoכֹּהadverb — “also”H3541properly, like this, i.e. by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) nowalso, here, + hitherto, like, on the other side, so (and much), such, on that manner, (on) this (manner, side, way, way and that way), + mean while, yonder.תֹאמַ֣רtomarsayאָמַרverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “say”, an unfinished actionH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…לָעָ֣םlaamto peopleעַםpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “to people”, the ordinary formH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flockfolk, men, nation, people.הַזֶּ֡הhazehthe the one...the otherזֶהdefinite article, pronoun, demonstrative, masculine, singular — “the the one...the other”H2088the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or thathe, [idiom] hence, [idiom] here, it(-self), [idiom] now, [idiom] of him, the one...the other, [idiom] than the other, ([idiom] out of) the (self) same, such (a one) that, these, this (hath, man), on this side...on that side, [idiom] thus,…אֲשֶׁר֩asherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…דִּבְּר֨וּdibrvspeakדָבַרverb, piel, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “speak”, a completed actionH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.אֵלֶ֜יךָeleykhaamongאֵלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).לֵאמֹ֗רlemorto sayאָמַרpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to say”, the to-form of the verbH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אָבִ֨יךָ֙avikhafatherאָבnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “father”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationchief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.הִכְבִּ֣ידhikhbidbe chargeableכָּבַדverb, hiphil, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be chargeable”, a completed actionH3513to be heavy, i.e. in a bad sense (burdensome, severe, dull) or in a good sense (numerous, rich, honorable; causatively, to make weighty (in the same two senses)abounding with, more grievously afflict, boast, be chargeable, [idiom] be dim, glorify, be (make) glorious (things), glory, (very) great, be grievous, harden, be (make) heavy, be heavier, lay heavily, (bring to, come to, do, get, be had in…אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).עֻלֵּ֔נוּulenvyokeעֹלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “yoke”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5923a yoke (as imposed on the neck), literally or figurativelyyoke.וְאַתָּ֖הveatahand theeאַתָּהconjunction, pronoun, personal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and thee”H859thou and thee, or (plural) ye and youthee, thou, ye, you.הָקֵ֣לhaqelmake brightקָלַלverb, hiphil, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “make bright”, a commandH7043to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.)abate, make bright, bring into contempt, (ac-) curse, despise, (be) ease(-y, -ier), (be a, make, make somewhat, move, seem a, set) light(-en, -er, -ly, -ly afflict, -ly esteem, thing), [idiom] slight(-ly), be swift(-er), (be, be more, make…מֵעָלֵ֑ינוּmealeynvfrom aboveעַלpreposition, preposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “from above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…כֹּ֚הkoalsoכֹּהadverb — “also”H3541properly, like this, i.e. by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) nowalso, here, + hitherto, like, on the other side, so (and much), such, on that manner, (on) this (manner, side, way, way and that way), + mean while, yonder.תְּדַבֵּ֣רtedaberspeakדָבַרverb, piel, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “speak”, an unfinished actionH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.אֲלֵיהֶ֔םaleyhemamongאֵלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).קָֽטָנִּ֥יqatanilittle fingerקֹטֶןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “little finger”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6995a pettiness, i.e. the little fingerlittle finger.עָבָ֖הavahbe thickעָבָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be thick”, a completed actionH5666to be densebe (grow) thick(-er).מִמָּתְנֵ֥יmimatenefrom loinsמֹתֶןpreposition, noun, common, masculine, dual, construct — “from loins”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4975properly, the waist or small of the back; only in plural the loins[phrase] greyhound, loins, side.אָבִֽיavifatherאָבnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “father”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationchief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the young men that were grown up with him spoke unto him, saying: 'Thus shalt thou say unto this people that spoke unto thee, saying: Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou speak unto them: My little finger is thicker than my father's loins.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou say unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou speak unto them, My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins.

Young’s Literal Translation

And they speak unto him — the lads who had grown up with him — saying, 'Thus dost thou say to this people who have spoken unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, and thou, make [it] light upon us; thus dost thou speak unto them, My little [finger] is thicker than the loins of my father;

World English Bible

The young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Tell these people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter to us’—tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.

Darby Translation

And the young men that had grown up with him spoke to him saying, Thus shalt thou say to this people that have spoken to thee saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, and lighten thou it for us, — thus shalt thou say to them: My little [finger] is thicker than my father's loins;

Douay-Rheims

And the young men that had been brought up with him, said: Thus shalt thou speak to this people, who have spoken to thee, saying: Thy father made our yoke heavy, do thou ease us. Thou shalt say to them: My little finger is thicker than the back of my father.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the young men who had been brought up with him, who stood before his face, spoke to him, saying, Thus shalt thou say to this people who have spoken to thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, and do thou now lighten it from off us: thus shalt thou say to them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐλάλησαν πρὸς αὐτὸν τὰ παιδάρια τὰ ἐκτραφέντα μετʼ αὐτοῦ οἱ παρεστηκότες πρὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ, λέγοντες, τάδε λαλήσεις τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ τοῖς λαλήσασι πρὸς σὲ, λέγοντες, ὁ πατήρ σου ἐβάρυνε τὸν κλοιὸν ἡμῶν, καὶ σὺ νῦν κούφισον ἀφʼ ἡμῶν· τάδε λαλήσεις πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ἡ μικρότης μου παχυτέρα τῆς ὀσφύος τοῦ πατρός μου.