Now whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.' — Rehoboam's threatened escalation of punishment from "whips" to "scorpions" (which likely refers to a more cruel instrument of torture) transforms a moment of reform into a declaration of intensified tyranny. The parallelism between father and son (שׁוֹט/scourge versus עַקְרַב/scorpion) suggests a dynasty of oppression. This speech, crafted by the young men and delivered by Rehoboam, becomes the instrument of the kingdom's dissolution. The word וַאֲנִי (vani, and I) asserts individual will against the people's need, the antithesis of the covenantal contract the people had proposed.

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