1 Kings 14 15

1 Kings 14:15 kjv

For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger.

1 Kings 14:15 nkjv

For the LORD will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River, because they have made their wooden images, provoking the LORD to anger.

1 Kings 14:15 niv

And the LORD will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their ancestors and scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they aroused the LORD's anger by making Asherah poles.

1 Kings 14:15 esv

the LORD will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water, and root up Israel out of this good land that he gave to their fathers and scatter them beyond the Euphrates, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the LORD to anger.

1 Kings 14:15 nlt

Then the LORD will shake Israel like a reed whipped about in a stream. He will uproot the people of Israel from this good land that he gave their ancestors and will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, for they have angered the LORD with the Asherah poles they have set up for worship.

1 Kings 14 verses

1 Kings 14 15 Meaning

This verse declares the divine judgment upon the northern kingdom of Israel due to their pervasive idolatry, particularly their worship of Asherim. The LORD will inflict severe punishment, likened to a reed violently shaken in water, signifying their instability and the ease with which they will be overthrown. He will forcibly remove them from the promised "good land" given to their forefathers and scatter them into exile beyond the Euphrates River, explicitly stating their worship of Asherim as the primary reason for provoking His just anger. This prophecy directly foreshadows the Assyrian exile of the northern kingdom.

1 Kings 14 15 Context

This verse is part of the grim prophecy delivered by the aged prophet Ahijah of Shiloh to Jeroboam's wife, disguised as an ordinary woman seeking guidance for her sick son, Abijah. Ahijah had previously prophesied Jeroboam's rise to kingship over ten tribes of Israel (1 Kgs 11). Now, a new divine message of severe judgment, not just on Jeroboam's house, but on the entire northern kingdom of Israel, is delivered. This prophecy contrasts sharply with God's promise to maintain David's lamp forever, highlighting the conditional nature of the land covenant for Israel based on their faithfulness. Historically, Jeroboam established new religious centers and made golden calves to prevent his people from going to Jerusalem for worship, introducing pervasive idolatry which was then reinforced by the widespread adoption of Canaanite worship practices like the Asherim, provoking the LORD.

1 Kings 14 15 Word analysis

• For the LORD (וַֽיהוָה - waiyahweh): Signifies the covenant God, Yahweh, taking direct action. His name emphasizes His unchanging character and the fulfillment of His promises, both of blessing and judgment. The judgment is not arbitrary but proceeds from the divine character and violated covenant.
• will strike (וְהִכָּה - vehikkah): From the verb נָגַף (nagaph), meaning to smite, strike, or defeat. Often used for a plague or a decisive blow from God (e.g., Exod 12:23; Deut 28:27). It indicates a forceful, comprehensive act of divine intervention, leading to suffering or destruction.
• Israel (אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל - et-Yisrael): Refers specifically to the northern kingdom, not the united kingdom or the patriarch. This highlights the particular judgment on the kingdom that separated from Judah and wholeheartedly embraced Jeroboam's religious apostasy.
• as a reed (כַּקָּנֶה - kakkaneh): From קָנֶה (qaneh), a reed, a common plant growing along water bodies, known for being thin, flexible, and easily swayed or broken by currents or wind (e.g., Job 40:21). Symbolizes weakness, instability, and vulnerability.
• is shaken (אֲשֶׁר יִטַּפְטָף - asher yitattāf): From טָפַף (taphaph), meaning to totter, or more vividly, "to flutter/oscillate gently." Here in a poetic, intensive sense. This implies an unstoppable, uncontrollable back-and-forth movement caused by external forces. It paints a picture of being tossed aimlessly.
• in the water (בַּמָּיִם - bammayim): The water signifies the overwhelming forces of judgment or trouble that engulf them. Reeds thrive in water but are vulnerable to the currents of water. It shows they are caught in an uncontrollable torrent of divine wrath.
• and he will uproot (וְנָתַשׁ - venatash): From נָתַשׁ (natash), to pluck up, pull out by the roots, destroy completely (e.g., Jer 1:10; Ezek 17:9). This metaphor signifies a forceful, irreversible removal, a tearing away from their foundation and heritage. It is a reversal of God's act of planting them in the land.
• Israel (אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל - et-Yisrael): Reiterates the direct target of this comprehensive uprooting – the entire northern kingdom.
• from this good land (מֵעַל הָאֲדָמָה הַטּוֹבָה - meal ha'adamah hattovah): "The good land" is a key phrase from Deuteronomy (e.g., Deut 8:7-10) describing the land promised to Abraham and given to Israel. It highlights the preciousness of God's gift and the severity of its forfeiture.
• that he gave (אֲשֶׁר נָתַן - asher natan): Emphasizes the divine initiative and grace in bestowing the land as a gift, which makes their expulsion a direct reversal of God's earlier benevolence due to their sin.
• to their fathers (לַאֲבוֹתֵיהֶם - la'avoteihem): Refers to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and through them, to the patriarchs of the tribes of Israel. This connects the present judgment to the ancient covenants, underscoring Israel's failure to uphold their part.
• and scatter them (וְזֵרָה - vezerah): From זָרָה (zarah), to scatter, to disperse. Similar to winnowing chaff (Psa 1:4), implying widespread and disorderly dispersion, often associated with judgment.
• beyond the River (מֵעֵבֶר לַנָּהָר - me'ever lanahăr): Refers to the Euphrates River, geographically indicating the distant lands of Mesopotamia, where the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles would take them. This was a place of exile, signifying removal from their cultural and spiritual home.
• because (יַעַן אֲשֶׁר - yaan asher): Introduces the reason or cause for the severe judgment. Direct correlation between their action and God's reaction.
• they have made their Asherim (עָשׂוּ אֲשֵׁרֵיהֶם - asu ashereihem): Asherim (plural of Asherah) were wooden cultic objects, often poles or trees, representing the Canaanite goddess Asherah, consort of Baal or El. This was a direct violation of the first commandment (Exod 20:3-4) and a core reason for the covenant's forfeiture. It represents the depth of their idolatrous rebellion against Yahweh.
• provoking the LORD to anger (מַכְעִיסִים אֶת־יְהוָה - makh'isim et-yahweh): The Hiphil participle of כָּעַס (ka'as), meaning to provoke, enrage. Their actions directly caused God's holy wrath, which is not an emotional outburst but a righteous response to deliberate rebellion against His covenant and character.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "For the LORD will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water": This powerful metaphor juxtaposes the almighty, sovereign LORD with the utter vulnerability of Israel. The reed's helplessness against the current illustrates the ease with which God will overwhelm His disobedient people, lacking stability and resistance in the face of divine judgment. It emphasizes the direct, irresistible nature of God's action against them.
• "and he will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their fathers": This phrase underlines the reversal of God's covenant blessing. The land, specifically described as "good" and divinely "given" to their revered "fathers," represents the culmination of God's promises. Uprooting them signifies a complete forfeiture of their covenantal privilege, tearing away their identity, heritage, and security which were tied to the land. This is an undoing of the very act of their establishment.
• "and scatter them beyond the River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the LORD to anger": This segment provides the consequence and the precise reason for the judgment. Scattering "beyond the River" indicates a forced, far-reaching exile, removing them entirely from their promised homeland. The core cause is explicitly stated as their manufacture and worship of "Asherim," which represents the ultimate rejection of God's sole sovereignty and an embrace of detestable pagan practices, directly "provoking the LORD to anger," indicating a breach of the covenant leading to righteous divine retribution.

1 Kings 14 15 Bonus section

• Significance of "The River": While not explicitly named, "the River" in a Hebrew context almost universally refers to the Euphrates, which was a natural geographical and political boundary of ancient Israel, and the primary path of major empires that would eventually conquer them. It therefore denotes a profound and distant exile, a complete removal from their land.
• Jeroboam's Lasting Sin: This prophecy concerning the Asherim and the subsequent exile stems directly from Jeroboam's initial sin of setting up the golden calves in Dan and Bethel (1 Kgs 12). While the calves were Yahwistic symbols gone astray, the introduction of Asherim demonstrates an even deeper syncretism and outright pagan worship that corrupted Israel. Subsequent kings of Israel "walked in the sins of Jeroboam," continually provoking God's anger.
• Apostasy of the People: Though initiated by Jeroboam, the judgment against the entire kingdom indicates the people's active participation and embrace of these idolatrous practices. It highlights a corporate responsibility and complicity in sin, not merely a punishment for the king's actions alone.
• Contrast with Judah: While Judah would also face exile, the language used here is specifically about the complete removal of the northern kingdom, foreshadowing its unique fate of assimilation and loss of tribal identity after the Assyrian conquest, as opposed to Judah's later Babylonian exile from which a remnant eventually returned to their land.

1 Kings 14 15 Commentary

This verse stands as a severe prophetic indictment against the northern kingdom of Israel, serving as a solemn warning against idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness. It reveals God's unyielding commitment to justice and His righteous wrath against sin. The vivid imagery of the "shaken reed" illustrates Israel's profound instability and vulnerability when cut off from divine favor, highlighting their helplessness before the impending judgment. The phrase "uproot Israel from this good land" signifies the undoing of God's covenant blessings, particularly the promise of dwelling securely in the land He graciously bestowed upon their forefathers. Their expulsion "beyond the River" pinpoints the dreaded reality of foreign exile, specifically foreshadowing the Assyrian deportation that would fully materialize for the northern kingdom. The root cause of this cataclysmic judgment is unequivocally attributed to their widespread construction and worship of "Asherim," a direct violation of God's commands and a blatant provocation of His holy anger. This verse teaches that God's grace and promises are contingent on obedience, and that national apostasy inevitably leads to severe divine discipline, culminating in the loss of privileged status and the very blessings previously granted.