And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Isn't it striking how quickly a king's grand plan can be reduced to just two simple, yet loaded, locations? By placing these golden calves in Bethel and Dan, Jeroboam wasn't just creating religious symbols; he was strategically severing any lingering ties his people might have had to Jerusalem and the covenant God established there. This seemingly small act was a seismic shift, a deliberate redirection of worship and loyalty.
And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following his father Solomon's death, Rehoboam's harsh response to the people's plea for relief caused the northern tribes to revolt, leaving him with only Judah and Benjamin. Jeroboam, now king of the northern ten tribes, feared the people would still go to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple. To prevent this, he established new religious centers, placing golden calves in Bethel and Dan as objects of worship.
King Jeroboam faced a big problem: how to keep his people from going back to Jerusalem to worship. His solution? Create new places of worship. But what kind of 'gods' did he set up?
Jeroboam's goal was political stability, not spiritual truth. To keep his people from the Temple in Jerusalem (which represented loyalty to the Davidic king in the south), he established two new worship centers. He placed golden calves in them, one in Bethel and one in Dan. This was a direct violation of God's command against making graven images for worship. These idols were convenient, accessible, and easier to control, but they were a profound compromise that led the entire northern kingdom astray. This wasn't just about changing where to worship, but what and how to worship—moving away from the true God.
The kingdom of Israel had just split in two. Jeroboam's actions were intended to unify his new kingdom, but did they really achieve that goal?
Instead of fostering unity, Jeroboam's compromise fractured Israel's spiritual identity. By creating separate worship centers with false gods, he divided the people from their God and from the covenantal practices established through Moses and David. This act solidified the division of the kingdom not just politically, but theologically. It set the northern kingdom on a path of sustained disobedience, leading to its eventual destruction. True unity in God's people comes from worshipping Him according to His ways, not by creating man-made alternatives.
Ask a follow-up
Jeroboam's decision to place golden calves in Bethel and Dan was a radical departure from traditional worship, aimed at creating a distinct religious identity for his new kingdom and severing ties with Jerusalem.
c. 970 BC
Death of King Solomon
Solomon's long and largely prosperous reign ends, leaving behind a massive debt and a kingdom strained by his building projects and polygamy.
c. 970 BC
Kingdom Splits
Solomon's son Rehoboam's harsh response to the people's grievances causes the northern ten tribes to secede, forming the separate Kingdom of Israel.
c. 970 BC
Jeroboam Becomes King
Jeroboam, a former official in Solomon's administration, is made king over the newly formed northern Kingdom of Israel, with its capital initially at Shechem.
c. 970 BC— this verse
Establishment of New Sanctuaries
To prevent his people from worshipping in Jerusalem (in the rival southern Kingdom of Judah), Jeroboam sets up golden calves as religious objects in Bethel and Dan.
This passage outlines the first two commandments, which strictly forbid idolatry and the worship of any other gods, directly contrasting with Jeroboam's actions.
Deuteronomy 12:5-7God instructs Israel to worship Him only at the place He chooses, highlighting the deviation from God's intended worship when Jeroboam set up his own places.
Hosea 8:5-6The prophet Hosea condemns the calf idol made in Samaria (which replaced the ones in Dan and Bethel) as a false god, showing the long-term consequences of Jeroboam's sin.
Psalm 106:19-21This psalm recalls the Israelites making a calf and worshipping an idol, a parallel to Jeroboam's creation of golden calves to lead the people away from the true God.
Isn't it striking how quickly a king's grand plan can be reduced to just two simple, yet loaded, locations? By placing these golden calves in Bethel and Dan, Jeroboam wasn't just creating religious symbols; he was strategically severing any lingering ties his people might have had to Jerusalem and the covenant God established there. This seemingly small act was a seismic shift, a deliberate redirection of worship and loyalty.
Following his father Solomon's death, Rehoboam's harsh response to the people's plea for relief caused the northern tribes to revolt, leaving him with only Judah and Benjamin. Jeroboam, now king of the northern ten tribes, feared the people would still go to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple. To prevent this, he established new religious centers, placing golden calves in Bethel and Dan as objects of worship.
Following his father Solomon's death, Rehoboam's harsh response to the people's plea for relief caused the northern tribes to revolt, leaving him with only Judah and Benjamin. Jeroboam, now king of the northern ten tribes, feared the people would still go to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple. To prevent this, he established new religious centers, placing golden calves in Bethel and Dan as objects of worship.
"And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan." — Isn't it striking how quickly a king's grand plan can be reduced to just two simple, yet loaded, locations? By placing these golden calves in Bethel and Dan, Jeroboam wasn't just creating religious s…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026