1 Kings 12:32-33

12:32 Jeroboam inaugurated a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, ¹  like the festival celebrated in Judah. ²  On the altar in Bethel he offered sacrifices to the calves he had made. ³  In Bethel he also appointed priests for the high places he had made.

A Prophet from Judah Visits Bethel

12:33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month (a date he had arbitrarily chosen) ⁴  Jeroboam ⁵  offered sacrifices on the altar he had made in Bethel. ⁶  He inaugurated a festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to offer sacrifices.

1 Kings 16:7

16:7 The prophet Jehu son of Hanani received from the Lord the message predicting the downfall of Baasha and his family because of all the evil Baasha had done in the sight of the Lord. ⁷  His actions angered the Lord (including the way he had destroyed Jeroboam’s dynasty), so that his family ended up like Jeroboam’s. ⁸ 

1 Kings 18:26

18:26 So they took a bull, as he had suggested, ⁹  and prepared it. They invoked the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us.” But there was no sound and no answer. They jumped ¹⁰  around on the altar they had made. ¹¹ 

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¹ sn The eighth month would correspond to October-November in modern reckoning.

² sn The festival he celebrated in Judah probably refers to the Feast of Tabernacles (i.e., Booths or Temporary Shelters), held in the seventh month (September-October). See also 1 Kgs 8:2.

³ tn Heb “and he offered up [sacrifices] on the altar; he did this in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made.”

⁴ tn Heb “which he had chosen by himself.”

⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jeroboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶ map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.

⁷ tn Heb “and also through Jehu son of Hanani the word of the Lord came concerning [or “against”] Baasha and his house, and because of all the evil which he did in the eyes of the Lord.”

⁸ tn Heb “angering him by the work of his hands, so that he was like the house of Jeroboam, and because of how he struck it down.”

⁹ tn Heb “and they took the bull which he allowed them.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “limped” (the same verb is used in v. 21).

¹¹ tc The MT has “which he made,” but some medieval Hebrew mss and the ancient versions have the plural form of the verb.