1Ki 12:10 | NETfull | STEP | The young advisers with whom Rehoboam had grown up said to him, “Say this to these people who have said to you, ‘Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden.’ Say this to them: ‘I am a lot harsher than my father!

1 Kings 12:10

10 The young advisers with whom Rehoboam ^{▼▼ Heb “he”; the referent (Rehoboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} had grown up said to him, “Say this to these people who have said to you, ‘Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden.’ ^{▼▼ Heb “Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter upon us.”} Say this to them: ‘I am a lot harsher than my father! ^{▼▼ Heb “My little one is thicker than my father’s hips.” The referent of “my little one” is not clear. The traditional view is that it refers to the little finger. As the following statement makes clear, Rehoboam’s point is that he is more harsh and demanding than his father.}