This verse is a continuation of what the young men advised Rehoboam to respond to the people who had requested him to make their lives easier. Some interpreters think that the form of the Hebrew text here is poetical and may reflect its use in oral tradition. For this reason Peregrino places these words in poetic format when they are repeated in verse 14.

And now, whereas my father laid upon you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: The word whereas introduces the contrast that Rehoboam is making between Solomon’s actions and his own. In the Hebrew text the pronoun for I is emphatic as an independent pronoun. It is emphatic again in the clause but I will chastise you with scorpions. These pronouns give a stronger contrast in Hebrew than in Revised Standard Version between what Solomon did and what Rehoboam says that he will do. I will add to your yoke means “I shall make it heavier still” (New Jerusalem Bible). The figurative language based on the image of the yoke may be quite difficult in languages where the yoke is unknown. In languages where this is the case, Good News Translation‘s translation of this whole sentence may be helpful. Compare also Contemporary English Version, which says “He made you work hard, but I’ll make you work even harder.”

My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions: The verb chastise is used twice. The basic meaning of the Hebrew verb here is “admonish” or “discipline” (New Revised Standard Version), and it is sometimes used in the sense of “punish.” However, in the present context its meaning is clearly “beat” or “whip” with the intent to teach a lesson to the people being whipped. Whips may have to be translated by a descriptive expression in some languages. A “whip” is an instrument of punishment with a handle and a flexible lash. For a good description of a whip, see WTH, pages 7-8|fig:WTH.Whip, scourge.7-8.html.

In several Old Testament passages the Hebrew word rendered scorpions refers to insects that have a poisonous sting. It is possible that the word is used here in a figurative way to say that Rehoboam’s treatment of the Israelite people will be far worse than his father’s treatment. But the parallelism with whips leads most interpreters to think that scorpions is a reference to leather whips that had metal spikes on them. In the New Testament period the term “scorpion” referred to whips weighted with sand-filled leather bags fitted with spikes. However, there is no clear evidence that such whips existed in the Old Testament period. Translations include “spiked lash” (New Jerusalem Bible), “whips that have sharp points” (New Century Version), “bullwhips” (Good News Translation), and “whips with pieces of sharp metal” (Contemporary English Version).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .