1 Kings 12:32

And Jeroboam ordained a feast This was intended to be a set-off for the Feast of Tabernacles, of the celebration of which, in Jerusalem, Jeroboam had been so much in fear.

in the eighth month on the fifteenth day The Feast of Tabernacles was on the fifteenth day of the seventhmonth (Leviticus 23:34). Jeroboam came as near as he could but chose a later month, perhaps induced to do so because the harvest-celebration kept at the Feast of Tabernacles could be very well placed later in the northern part of the land. Josephus (Ant. VIII. 8. 5) says, contrary to all other authorities, that Jeroboam's feast was in the seventhmonth.

and he offered upon the altar The verb sometimes means -to go up unto," and this is represented on the margin of A. V. The text and margin change places in R.V., because the sacrificing is spoken of in the words which immediately follow. Read, he went up unto, and so twice over in 1 Kings 12:33.

so did he in Beth-el The king himself took part in the dedication of the southern high place. The more distant Dan perhaps was inaugurated by some of the newly-made priests. Thus Jeroboam in some degree imitated Solomon's dedication of the Temple.