1 Kings Chapter 14  (Original 1611 KJV Bible)

14:1 At that time - Presently after the things described in the formerchapter; which, though related in the beginning of his reign, yet might bedone a good while after it, and so Ahijah the prophet might be very old,as he is described to be ver.#4|. It is probable he was his eldest son.

14:2 His wife - Because she might without suspicion enquire concerningher own child; and because she would enquire exactly, and diligently, andfaithfully acquaint him with the truth. Disguise - Change thy habit, andvoice, and go like a private and obscure person. This caution proceeded:first, from the pride of his heart, which made him loth to confess his follyin worshipping such helpless idols, and to give glory to the God whom he hadforsaken. Secondly, from jealousy and suspicion, lest the prophet knowingthis, should either give her no answer, or make it worse than indeed it was.Thirdly, from policy, lest his people should by his example be drawn toforsake the calves, and to return to the God of Judah.

14:3 And take - A present, after the manner, but mean, as became anordinary country woman, which she personated. It had been more pious toenquire, why God contended with him.

14:6 Thou wife - By which discovery he both reproves their folly, whothought to conceal themselves from God, and withal gives her assuranceof the truth, and certainty of that message which he was to deliver.

14:8 David - Who though he fell into some sins, yet, first, heconstantly persevered in the true worship of God; from which thou artrevolted. Secondly, he heartily repented of, and turned from all hissins whereas thou art obstinate and incorrigible.

14:9 Above all - Above all the former kings of my people, as Saul,and Solomon, and Rehoboam. Images - Namely the golden calves: notas if they thought them to be other gods in a proper sense; for it isapparent they still pretended to worship the God of their fathers, butbecause God rejected their whole worship, and, howsoever they accountedit, he reckoned it a manifest defection from him, and a betaking themselvesto other gods, or devils, as they are called, #2Chron 11:15|,whom alone they served and worshipped therein, whatsoever pretences theyhad to the contrary. To provoke - Whereby thou didst provoke me. Forotherwise this was not Jeroboam's design in it, but only to establishhimself in the throne. Hast cast - Despised and forsaken me, and mycommands, and my worship, as we do things which we cast behind our backs.

14:10 Shut up - Those who had escaped the fury of their enemiesinvading them, either because they were shut up in caves, or castles,or strong towns, or, because they were left, over - looked or neglectedby them, or spared as poor, impotent, helpless creatures. But now, saithhe, they shall be all searched out, and brought to destruction.Dung - Which they remove, as a loathsome thing, out of their houses, andthat throughly and universally.

14:11 Eat - So both sorts shall die unburied.

14:12 When, &c. - Presently upon thy entrance into the city; when thouart gone but a little way in it, even as far as to the threshold of theking's door, ver.#17|, which possibly was near the gates of the city.And by this judge of the truth of the rest of my prophecy.

14:13 Shall mourn - For the loss of so worthy and hopeful a person, andfor the sad calamities which will follow his death, which possibly hismoderation, and wisdom, and virtue, might have prevented. So they shouldmourn, not simply for him, but for their own loss in him. Grave - Shallhave the honour of burial. Some good - Pious intentions of taking awaythe calves, and of permitting or obliging his people to go up toJerusalem to worship, if God gave him life and authority to do it, andof trusting God with his kingdom. In the house - Which is added for hisgreater commendation; he was good in the midst of so many temptations andwicked examples; a good branch of a bad flock.

14:14 A king - Baasha, chap.#15:28|.That day - When he is so raised; in the very beginning of his reign,chap.#15:29|.But what? - But what do I say, he shall raise, as it were a thing tobe done at a great distance of time: the man is now in being if not inpower, who shall do this: this judgment shall be shortly executed.Sometimes God makes quick work with sinners. He did so with the house ofJeroboam. It was not twenty four years from his first elevation, to thefinal extirpation of his family.

14:15 Is shaken - Hither and thither, with every wind. So shall thekingdom and people of Israel be always in an unquiet and unsettledposture, tossed to and fro by foreign invasions and civil wars; by oppositekings and factions, and by the dissensions of the people.The river - Euphrates, so called by way of eminency, this wasaccomplished in part #2Kings 15:29|, and more fully, #2Kings 17:6|.Groves - For the worship of their idols, God having before condemned themaking and worshipping of the calves, by which they pretended to worship thetrue God; he now takes notice that they were not contented with the calves,but (as it is in the nature of idolatry, and all sin, to proceed from evilto worse) were many of them fallen into a worse kind of idolatry, even theirworship of the heathenish Baals, which they commonly exercised in groves.

14:16 Who made, &c. - By his invention, and making the occasion oftheir sin, the calves; by his example, encouraging those and only thosethat worshipped the calves; and by his authority requiring and compellingthem to do it. This is mentioned as a monstrous aggravation of hiswickedness, that he was not content with his own sin, but was the greatauthor of drawing others into sin, and of corrupting and undoing the wholekingdom, which therefore God would never forgive him, but upon all occasionsmentions him with this eternal brand of infamy upon him.

14:17 Tirzah - An ancient and royal city, in a pleasant place, wherethe kings of Israel had a palace, whither Jeroboam was now removedfrom Shechem, either for his pleasure, or for his son's recovery, bythe healthfulness of the place. The threshold - Of the king's house,which probably was upon, or by the wall of the city, and near the gate.

14:18 Mourned - And justly: not only for the loss of an hopeful prince,but because his death plucked up the floodgates, at which an inundation ofjudgments broke in.

14:19 The chronicles - not that canonical book of chronicles; for thatwas written long after this book: but a book of civil records, the annals,wherein all remarkable passages were recorded by the king's command fromday to day; out of which the sacred penman by the direction of God'sspirit, took those passages which were most useful for God's honour, andmens edification.

14:21 Forty one years - Therefore he was born a year before Solomonwas king, as appears from chap.#11:42|, this is noted as an aggravationof Rehoboam's folly, that he was old enough to have been wiser.An Ammonitess - A people cursed by God, and shut out of the congregationof his people for ever. This is observed as one cause both of God'sdispleasure in punishing Solomon with such a son, and of Rehoboam'sapostacy after his three first years, #2Chron 11:17|. None can imaginehow fatal and how lasting are the consequence of being unequally yoked withan unbeliever.

14:22 In the sight of the Lord - In contempt and defiance of him, andthe tokens of his special presence. Jealousy - As the adulterous wifeprovokes her husband, by breaking the marriage covenant.

14:23 They also - Followed the example of the Israelites, althoughthey were better instructed, and had the temple in their kingdom, andliberty of access to it, and the privilege of worshipping God in hisown way, and the counsels, and sermons, and examples of the priests andLevites, and the dreadful example of Israel's horrid apostacy,to caution and terrify them. High places - Which was unlawful, and,now especially when the temple was built, and ready to receive them;unnecessary, and therefore expressed a greater contempt of God and hisexpress command. Groves - Not only after the manner of the Heathensand Israelites, but against a direct and particular prohibition.Under every green tree - The people were universally corrupted: whichis prodigious, all things considered, and is a clear evidence of thegreatness and depth of the original corruption of man's nature.

14:24 Abomination - They dishonoured God by one sin, and then God leftthem to dishonour themselves by another.

14:25 Fifth year - Presently after his and his people's apostacy, whichwas not 'till his fourth year: while apostate, Israel enjoyed peace andsome kind of prosperity, of which difference, two reasons may be given:first, Judah's sins were committed against clearer light, and morepowerful means and remedies of all sorts, and therefore deserved moresevere and speedy judgments. Secondly, God discovered more love to Judahin chastizing them speedily, that they might be humbled, reformed, andpreserved, as it happened; and more anger against Israel, whom he sparedto that total destruction which he intended to bring upon them.Sishak - He is thought to be Solomon's brother - in - law. But how littlesuch relations signify among princes, when their interest is concerned, allhistories witness. Besides Rehoboam was not Solomon's son byPharaoh's daughter and so the relation was in a manner extinct.Came up - Either, from a desire to enlarge his empire: or, byJeroboam's instigation: or from a covetous desire of possessing thosegreat treasures which David and Solomon had left: and above all, byGod's providence, disposing his heart to this expedition for Rehoboam'spunishment.

14:26 He took - First the city: which may seem strange, considering thegreat strength of it, and how much time it took Nebuchadnezzar andTitus to take it. But, first, it might cost Shishak also a longsiege though that be not here related. Secondly, it is probable Davidand Solomon in their building and altering the city, had more respect tostate and magnificence than to its defence, as having no great cause to fearthe invasion of any enemies. And it is certain, that after the divisionbetween Judah and Israel, the kings of Judah added very much tothe fortifications of it.

14:27 Brazen shields - This was an emblem of the diminution of hisglory. Sin makes the gold become dim, it changes the most fine gold andturns it into brass.

14:28 To the house, &c. - By which it seems the affliction had donehim some good, and brought him back to the worship of God, which hehad forsaken.

14:30 Was war - Not an invasive war with potent armies, which wasforbidden, chap.#12:24|, and not revived 'tillAbijam's reign, #2Chron 13:1 |- 3, but a defensive war from thosehostilities which by small parties and skirmishes they did to one another.

14:31 An Ammonitess - This is repeated as a thing very observable.