1 Kings 14: Ahijah's message to Jeroboam's wife, and Shishak takes the gold shields
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What happens?
Jeroboam's son Abijah falls sick, and Jeroboam sends his wife in disguise to the prophet Ahijah at Shiloh, with bread, cakes and honey. Ahijah cannot see because of his age, but Yahweh tells him she is coming. Ahijah gives her Yahweh's message for Jeroboam: because Jeroboam has done more evil than all before him and made other gods and cast images, Yahweh will bring disaster on his house and sweep it away. The child will die when she enters the city, and he alone of Jeroboam's family will come to a grave and be mourned; Yahweh will also root Israel up out of the land. She goes home to Tirzah, the child dies at the threshold, and all Israel mourns him. Jeroboam reigns twenty-two years, and his son Nadab reigns after him. In Judah, Rehoboam reigns seventeen years; Judah does evil, building high places, pillars and Asherah poles, and there are sodomites (or: male cult prostitutes) in the land. In Rehoboam's fifth year Shishak king of Egypt takes the treasures of Yahweh's house and of the king's house and the gold shields, and Rehoboam makes bronze shields in their place. There is war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the time, and when Rehoboam dies, his son Abijam reigns.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. God's own words are in 1 of the 31 verses: in verse 5 Yahweh tells Ahijah that Jeroboam's wife is coming. Jeroboam speaks to his wife in verses 2 and 3. From verse 6 to verse 16 Ahijah speaks to her. In verses 7 to 11 he gives Yahweh's message for Jeroboam ("Yahweh, the God of Israel, says"), and in verses 12 to 16 he tells her what will happen; those are the prophet's words, so they are not in gold. Verse 18, that all this was according to Yahweh's word, is the narrator's words. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick.
In plain English: At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick.
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2Jeroboam said to his wife, “Please get up and disguise yourself, so that you won’t be recognized as Jeroboam’s wife. Go to Shiloh. Behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who said that I would be king over this people.
In plain English: Jeroboam said to his wife, "Please get up and disguise yourself (literally: change yourself), so that no one will know you are Jeroboam's wife, and go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there, the one who said about me that I would be king over this people.
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3Take with you ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will become of the child.”
In plain English: Take with you ten loaves of bread, some cakes (or: biscuits; see the note) and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy."
The Hebrew word: "Cakes" is niqqud, which the dictionary gives as "a crumb (as broken to spots); also a biscuit (as pricked)". It is in only 3 verses of the Bible; in the other two, about the Gibeonites' old bread, this Bible says "moldy" ( and ).
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4Jeroboam’s wife did so, and arose and went to Shiloh, and came to Ahijah’s house. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were set by reason of his age.
In plain English: Jeroboam's wife did so. She got up, went to Shiloh and came to Ahijah's house. Now Ahijah could not see, because his eyes were fixed (literally: stood) from his old age.
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5Yahweh said to Ahijah, “Behold, Jeroboam’s wife is coming to inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. Tell her such and such; for it will be, when she comes in, that she will pretend to be another woman.”God speaks
In plain English: Yahweh had said to Ahijah, "Look, Jeroboam's wife is coming to ask you about her son, because he is sick. Say this and this to her (this Bible: such and such). When she comes in, she will pretend to be another woman."
Good to know: Here the text gives Yahweh's own words to Ahijah, so they are in gold. "Such and such" is literally "like this and like this": the text does not repeat here what Yahweh told Ahijah to say.
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6So when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet as she came in at the door, he said, “Come in, Jeroboam’s wife! Why do you pretend to be another? For I am sent to you with heavy news.
In plain English: So when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet as she came in at the door, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam! Why do you pretend to be someone else? I have been sent to you with hard (this Bible: heavy) news.
Good to know: From here to the end of verse 16, Ahijah speaks. He gives Yahweh's message for Jeroboam ("Yahweh, the God of Israel, says"), so his words are not in gold, even where the message speaks as "I".
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7Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: “Because I exalted you from among the people, and made you prince over my people Israel,
In plain English: Go, tell Jeroboam, 'Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: "Because I raised you up from among the people and made you leader (this Bible: prince) over my people Israel,
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8and tore the kingdom away from David’s house, and gave it to you; and yet you have not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in my eyes,
In plain English: and tore the kingdom away from David's house and gave it to you, yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, to do only what was right in my eyes,
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9but have done evil above all who were before you, and have gone and made for yourself other gods, molten images, to provoke me to anger, and have cast me behind your back,
In plain English: but you have done more evil than all who were before you, and have gone and made yourself other gods and cast (this Bible: molten) images to provoke me to anger, and have thrown me behind your back,
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10therefore, behold, I will bring evil on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam everyone who urinates on a wall, he who is shut up and he who is left at large in Israel, and will utterly sweep away the house of Jeroboam, as a man sweeps away dung until it is all gone.
In plain English: so, look, I will bring disaster (this Bible: evil) on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam everyone who urinates on a wall (see the note), the one shut up and the one left free (this Bible: left at large) in Israel. I will sweep away (or: burn up) the house of Jeroboam, as a man sweeps away (or: burns up) dung until it is all gone.
The Hebrew words: "Everyone who urinates on a wall" uses shathan, "to make water". It is in 6 verses of the Bible, and in all of them it is said of the men of a house being cut off, so that not one is left, as in and . "Shut up" is atsar, which the dictionary gives as "to inclose; by analogy, to hold back", and "left at large" is azav, "to loosen, i.e. relinquish".
What changes: The text does not explain the pair. Read as this Bible has it here, it means the one shut in and the one left free to go about. Read as this Bible gives the same two words in , it means "slave and free". Either way, the pair takes in everyone. "Sweeps away" is ba'ar, which the dictionary gives as "to kindle, i.e. consume (by fire or by eating)", so it can also be read "burns up".
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11The dogs will eat whoever belongs to Jeroboam who dies in the city; and the birds of the sky will eat whoever dies in the field, for Yahweh has spoken it.”’
In plain English: Anyone of Jeroboam's who dies in the city, the dogs will eat; and anyone who dies in the open country (this Bible: the field), the birds of the sky will eat. For Yahweh has spoken it."'
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12Arise therefore, and go to your house. When your feet enter into the city, the child will die.
In plain English: As for you, get up and go to your house. When your feet enter the city, the child will die.
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13All Israel will mourn for him and bury him; for he only of Jeroboam will come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward Yahweh, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam.
In plain English: All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one of Jeroboam's family who will come to a grave, because in him something good toward Yahweh, the God of Israel, was found in the house of Jeroboam.
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14Moreover Yahweh will raise up a king for himself over Israel who will cut off the house of Jeroboam. This is the day! What? Even now.
In plain English: Yahweh will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the house of Jeroboam. This is the day! And what? Even now (see the note).
Good to know: The end of this verse is only a few short words in the Hebrew: "this the day, and what? also now". The text does not explain them.
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15For Yahweh will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and he will root up Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River, because they have made their Asherah poles, provoking Yahweh to anger.
In plain English: For Yahweh will strike Israel, as a reed sways (this Bible: is shaken) in the water. He will root up Israel out of this good land that he gave to their fathers, and he will scatter them beyond the River, because they have made their Asherah poles and provoked Yahweh to anger.
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16He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he has sinned, and with which he has made Israel to sin.”
In plain English: He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned and which he made Israel sin."
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17Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed, and came to Tirzah. As she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.
In plain English: Jeroboam's wife got up and left, and came to Tirzah. As she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.
Good to know: The text has not said before that Jeroboam lived at Tirzah. says that he built Shechem and lived there, and built Penuel.
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18All Israel buried him and mourned for him, according to Yahweh’s word, which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the prophet.
In plain English: All Israel buried him and mourned for him, according to Yahweh's word that he spoke through (literally: by the hand of) his servant Ahijah the prophet.
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19The rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he fought and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
In plain English: The rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he fought and how he reigned, are written in the book of the chronicles (literally: the matters of the days) of the kings of Israel.
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20The days which Jeroboam reigned were twenty two years; then he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his place.
In plain English: Jeroboam reigned twenty-two years. Then he died (literally: slept with his fathers), and his son Nadab reigned in his place.
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21Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Yahweh had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess.
In plain English: Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city Yahweh had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite.
Good to know: These are the text's own numbers. gives the same: forty-one years old, and seventeen years in Jerusalem. Solomon loved Ammonite women among his foreign wives (), and the text names Rehoboam's mother, Naamah the Ammonite, here and again in .
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22Judah did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, above all that their fathers had done.
In plain English: Judah did what was evil in Yahweh's eyes. They provoked him to jealousy with the sins they committed, more than all that their fathers had done.
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23For they also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.
In plain English: They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green (or: leafy) tree.
The Hebrew words: "Sacred pillars" is matsevah, which the dictionary gives as "something stationed, i.e. a column or (memorial stone); by analogy, an idol". On high places, see the note on , and on Asherah poles, the note on .
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24There were also sodomites in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which Yahweh drove out before the children of Israel.
In plain English: There were also sodomites (or: male cult prostitutes; see the note) in the land. They did all the detestable things (this Bible: abominations) of the nations that Yahweh had driven out before the children of Israel.
The Hebrew word: "Sodomites" is qadesh, from the word for "holy" (see the note on ). The dictionary gives it as "a (quasi) sacred person, i.e. (technically) a (male) devotee (by prostitution) to licentious idolatry".
How it is translated: This Bible says "sodomite" or a longer form in 4 of the 6 verses that use the word, and "male shrine prostitutes" in 1 (). The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has "there was a conspiracy in the land".
What changes: The English word "sodomite" points to men who lie with men. The dictionary's meaning points to men given to prostitution in the worship of other gods. The verse itself says only that they were in the land; it does not describe them further.
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25In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem;
In plain English: In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem.
Good to know: Jeroboam had fled to this Shishak (). gives the same year and gives a reason: "because they had trespassed against Yahweh".
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26and he took away the treasures of Yahweh’s house and the treasures of the king’s house. He even took away all of it, including all the gold shields which Solomon had made.
In plain English: He took away the treasures of Yahweh's house and the treasures of the king's house. He took everything, and he took all the gold shields that Solomon had made.
Good to know: Solomon's gold shields are told of in and : two hundred bucklers of beaten gold, and three hundred shields of beaten gold.
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27King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who guarded the door of the king’s house.
In plain English: King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and put them in the care (literally: the hand) of the commanders of the guard (literally: the runners), who guarded the door of the king's house.
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28It was so, that as often as the king went into Yahweh’s house, the guard bore them, and brought them back into the guard room.
In plain English: Whenever the king went into Yahweh's house, the guard (literally: the runners) carried them, and then brought them back into the guardroom.
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29Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
In plain English: The rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did: are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
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30There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.
In plain English: There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually (literally: all the days).
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31Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in David’s city. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. Abijam his son reigned in his place.
In plain English: Rehoboam died (literally: slept with his fathers) and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite. His son Abijam reigned in his place.
Good to know: Here, and in , the text calls Rehoboam's son Abijam. calls him Abijah.
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