17 And Jeroboam's H3379 wife H802 arose, H6965 and departed, H3212 and came H935 to Tirzah: H8656 and when she came H935 to the threshold H5592 of the door, H1004 the child H5288 died; H4191
In the third H7969 year H8141 of Asa H609 king H4428 of Judah H3063 began Baasha H1201 the son H1121 of Ahijah H281 to reign H4427 over all Israel H3478 in Tirzah, H8656 twenty H6242 and four H702 years. H8141
And it came to pass, when Baasha H1201 heard H8085 thereof, that he left off H2308 building H1129 of Ramah, H7414 and dwelt H3427 in Tirzah. H8656
In the thirty H7970 H8141 and first H259 year H8141 of Asa H609 king H4428 of Judah H3063 began Omri H6018 to reign H4427 over Israel, H3478 twelve H8147 H6240 years: H8141 six H8337 years H8141 reigned H4427 he in Tirzah. H8656
And Eli H5941 blessed H1288 Elkanah H511 and his wife, H802 and said, H559 The LORD H3068 give H7760 thee seed H2233 of this woman H802 for the loan H7596 which is lent H7592 to the LORD. H3068 And they went H1980 unto their own home. H4725 And H3588 the LORD H3068 visited H6485 Hannah, H2584 so that she conceived, H2029 and bare H3205 three H7969 sons H1121 and two H8147 daughters. H1323 And the child H5288 Samuel H8050 grew H1431 before H5973 the LORD. H3068 Now Eli H5941 was very H3966 old, H2204 and heard H8085 all that his sons H1121 did H6213 unto all Israel; H3478 and how they lay H7901 with the women H802 that assembled H6633 at the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150 And he said H559 unto them, Why do H6213 ye such things? H1697 for I hear H8085 of your evil H7451 dealings H1697 by all this people. H5971 Nay, my sons; H1121 for it is no good H2896 report H8052 that I hear: H8085 ye make the LORD'S H3068 people H5971 to transgress. H5674 If one man H376 sin H2398 against another, H376 the judge H430 shall judge H6419 him: but if a man H376 sin H2398 against the LORD, H3068 who shall intreat H6419 for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened H8085 not unto the voice H6963 of their father, H1 because the LORD H3068 would H2654 slay H4191 them. And the child H5288 Samuel H8050 grew H1432 on, H1980 and was in favour H2896 both with the LORD, H3068 and also with men. H582 And there came H935 a man H376 of God H430 unto Eli, H5941 and said H559 unto him, Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Did I plainly H1540 appear H1540 unto the house H1004 of thy father, H1 when they were in Egypt H4714 in Pharaoh's H6547 house? H1004 And did I choose H977 him out of all the tribes H7626 of Israel H3478 to be my priest, H3548 to offer H5927 upon mine altar, H4196 to burn H6999 incense, H7004 to wear H5375 an ephod H646 before H6440 me? and did I give H5414 unto the house H1004 of thy father H1 all the offerings made by fire H801 of the children H1121 of Israel? H3478 Wherefore kick H1163 ye at my sacrifice H2077 and at mine offering, H4503 which I have commanded H6680 in my habitation; H4583 and honourest H3513 thy sons H1121 above me, to make yourselves fat H1254 with the chiefest H7225 of all the offerings H4503 of Israel H3478 my people? H5971 Wherefore the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 saith, H5002 I said H559 indeed H559 that thy house, H1004 and the house H1004 of thy father, H1 should walk H1980 before H6440 me for H5704 ever: H5769 but now the LORD H3068 saith, H5002 Be it far from me; H2486 for them that honour H3513 me I will honour, H3513 and they that despise H959 me shall be lightly esteemed. H7043 Behold, the days H3117 come, H935 that I will cut off H1438 thine arm, H2220 and the arm H2220 of thy father's H1 house, H1004 that there shall not be an old man H2205 in thine house. H1004 And thou shalt see H5027 an enemy H6862 in my habitation, H4583 in all the wealth which God shall give H3190 Israel: H3478 and there shall not be an old man H2205 in thine house H1004 for ever. H3117 And the man H376 of thine, whom I shall not cut off H3772 from mine altar, H4196 shall be to consume H3615 thine eyes, H5869 and to grieve H109 thine heart: H5315 and all the increase H4768 of thine house H1004 shall die H4191 in the flower of their age. H582 And this shall be a sign H226 unto thee, that shall come H935 upon thy two H8147 sons, H1121 on Hophni H2652 and Phinehas; H6372 in one H259 day H3117 they shall die H4191 both H8147 of them.
And it came to pass, when he made mention H2142 of the ark H727 of God, H430 that he fell H5307 from off the seat H3678 backward H322 by H1157 the side H3027 of the gate, H8179 and his neck H4665 brake, H7665 and he died: H4191 for he was an old H2204 man, H376 and heavy. H3513 And he had judged H8199 Israel H3478 forty H705 years. H8141 And his daughter in law, H3618 Phinehas' H6372 wife, H802 was with child, H2030 near to be delivered: H3205 and when she heard H8085 the tidings H8052 that H413 the ark H727 of God H430 was taken, H3947 and that her father in law H2524 and her husband H376 were dead, H4191 she bowed H3766 herself and travailed; H3205 for her pains H6735 came H2015 upon her. And about the time H6256 of her death H4191 the women that stood H5324 by her said H1696 unto her, Fear H3372 not; for thou hast born H3205 a son. H1121 But she answered H6030 not, neither did she regard H7896 H3820 it.
Arise H6965 thou therefore, get H3212 thee to thine own house: H1004 and when thy feet H7272 enter H935 into the city, H5892 the child H3206 shall die. H4191 And all Israel H3478 shall mourn H5594 for him, and bury H6912 him: for he only of Jeroboam H3379 shall come H935 to the grave, H6913 because in him there is found H4672 some good H2896 thing H1697 toward the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 in the house H1004 of Jeroboam. H3379
So Baasha H1201 slept H7901 with his fathers, H1 and was buried H6912 in Tirzah: H8656 and Elah H425 his son H1121 reigned H4427 in his stead. And also by the hand H3027 of the prophet H5030 Jehu H3058 the son H1121 of Hanani H2607 came the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 against Baasha, H1201 and against his house, H1004 even for all the evil H7451 that he did H6213 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 in provoking him to anger H3707 with the work H4639 of his hands, H3027 in being like the house H1004 of Jeroboam; H3379 and because he killed H5221 him. In the twenty H6242 H8141 and sixth H8337 year H8141 of Asa H609 king H4428 of Judah H3063 began Elah H425 the son H1121 of Baasha H1201 to reign H4427 over Israel H3478 in Tirzah, H8656 two years. H8141 And his servant H5650 Zimri, H2174 captain H8269 of half H4276 his chariots, H7393 conspired H7194 against him, as he was in Tirzah, H8656 drinking H8354 himself drunk H7910 in the house H1004 of Arza H777 steward of his house H1004 in Tirzah. H8656
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Kings 14
Commentary on 1 Kings 14 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 14
1Ki 14:1-20. Ahijah Denounces God's Judgments against Jeroboam.
1. At that time—a phrase used often loosely and indefinitely in sacred history. This domestic incident in the family of Jeroboam probably occurred towards the end of his reign; his son Abijah was of age and considered by the people the heir to the throne.
2. Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself—His natural and intense anxiety as a parent is here seen, blended with the deep and artful policy of an apostate king. The reason of this extreme caution was an unwillingness to acknowledge that he looked for information as to the future, not to his idols, but to the true God; and a fear that this step, if publicly known, might endanger the stability of his whole political system; and a strong impression that Ahijah, who was greatly offended with him, would, if consulted openly by his queen, either insult or refuse to receive her. For these reasons he selected his wife, as, in every view, the most proper for such a secret and confidential errand, but recommended her to assume the garb and manner of a peasant woman. Strange infatuation, to suppose that the God who could reveal futurity could not penetrate a flimsy disguise!
3-11. And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him—This was a present in unison with the peasant character she assumed. Cracknels are a kind of sweet seed-cake. The prophet was blind, but having received divine premonition of the pretended countrywoman's coming, he addressed her as the queen the moment she appeared, apprised her of the calamities which, in consequence of the ingratitude of Jeroboam, his apostasy, and outrageous misgovernment of Israel, impended over their house, as well as over the nation which too readily followed his idolatrous innovations.
8. thou hast not been as my servant David—David, though he fell into grievous sins, repented and always maintained the pure worship of God as enjoined by the law.
10, 11. I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam—Strong expressions are here used to indicate the utter extirpation of his house;
him that is shut up and left in Israel—means those who were concealed with the greatest privacy, as the heirs of royalty often are where polygamy prevails; the other phrase, from the loose garments of the East having led to a different practice from what prevails in the West, cannot refer to men; it must signify either a very young boy, or rather, perhaps, a dog, so entire would be the destruction of Jeroboam's house that none, not even a dog, belonging to it should escape. This peculiar phrase occurs only in regard to the threatened extermination of a family (1Sa 25:22-34). See the manner of extermination (1Ki 16:4; 21:24).
12. the child shall die—The death and general lamentation felt through the country at the loss of the prince were also predicted. The reason for the profound regret shown at his death arose, according to Jewish writers, from his being decidedly opposed to the erection of the golden calves, and using his influence with his father to allow his subjects the free privilege of going to worship in Jerusalem.
13. all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him—the only one of Jeroboam's family who should receive the rites of sepulture.
14. the Lord shall raise him up a king … but what? even now—namely, Baasha (1Ki 15:27); he was already raised—he was in being, though not in power.
17. Tirzah—a place of pre-eminent beauty (So 6:4), three hours' travelling east of Samaria, chosen when Israel became a separate kingdom, by the first monarch, and used during three short reigns as a residence of the royal house. The fertile plains and wooded hills in that part of the territory of Ephraim gave an opening to the formation of parks and pleasure-grounds similar to those which were the "paradises" of Assyrian and Persian monarchs [Stanley]. Its site is occupied by the large village of Taltise [Robinson]. As soon as the queen reached the gate of the palace, she received the intelligence that her son was dying, according to the prophet's prediction [1Ki 14:12].
19. the rest of the acts of Jeroboam—None of the threatenings denounced against this family produced any change in his policy or government.
1Ki 14:21-24. Rehoboam's Wicked Reign.
21. he reigned … in Jerusalem—Its particular designation as "the city which the Lord did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there," seems given here, both as a reflection on the apostasy of the ten tribes, and as a proof of the aggravated wickedness of introducing idolatry and its attendant vices there.
his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess—Her heathen extraction and her influence as queen mother are stated to account for Rehoboam's tendency to depart from the true religion. Led by the warning of the prophet (1Ki 12:23), as well as by the large immigration of Israelites into his kingdom (1Ki 12:17; 2Ch 11:16), he continued for the first three years of his reign a faithful patron of true religion (2Ch 11:17). But afterwards he began and encouraged a general apostasy; idolatry became the prevailing form of worship, and the religious state of the kingdom in his reign is described by the high places, the idolatrous statues, the groves and impure rites that with unchecked license were observed in them. The description is suited to the character of the Canaanitish worship.
1Ki 14:25-31. Shishak Spoils Jerusalem.
25, 26. Shishak king of Egypt came up—He was the instrument in the hand of Providence for punishing the national defection. Even though this king had been Solomon's father-in-law, he was no relation of Rehoboam's; but there is a strong probability that he belonged to another dynasty (see on 2Ch 12:2). He was the Sheshonk of the Egyptian monuments, who is depicted on a bas-relief at Karnak, as dragging captives, who, from their peculiar physiognomy, are universally admitted to be Jews.
29. Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam …, are they not written in the book of the chronicles?—not the book so called and comprehended in the sacred canon, but the national archives of Judah.
30. there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam—The former was prohibited from entering on an aggressive war; but as the two kingdoms kept up a jealous rivalry, he might be forced into vigilant measures of defense, and frequent skirmishes would take place on the borders.