1 Kings 14:16 kjv
And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.
1 Kings 14:16 nkjv
And He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who sinned and who made Israel sin."
1 Kings 14:16 niv
And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit."
1 Kings 14:16 esv
And he will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned and made Israel to sin."
1 Kings 14:16 nlt
He will abandon Israel because Jeroboam sinned and made Israel sin along with him."
1 Kings 14 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 28:64 | "And the LORD will scatter you among all peoples..." | Scattering as consequence of disobedience. |
| Lev 26:33 | "I will scatter you among the nations..." | Covenant curses for national sin. |
| Judges 2:13-14 | "...they forsook the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel... and He gave them over..." | God giving up Israel due to idolatry. |
| Ps 81:12 | "So I gave them over to their stubborn heart, to follow their own counsels." | God abandoning rebellious Israel to their ways. |
| Isa 5:5 | "And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured..." | God's removal of protection due to unfaithfulness. |
| Acts 7:42 | "But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven..." | Divine judgment against persistent idolatry. |
| Rom 1:24 | "Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity..." | God abandoning people to their sins. |
| Rom 1:26 | "For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions." | Further instance of God giving up. |
| Rom 1:28 | "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind..." | Final abandonment due to rejection of God. |
| 1 Kgs 12:28-33 | "...the king made two calves of gold... and said, 'You have gone up enough to Jerusalem. Behold your gods, O Israel...'" | Jeroboam's initiation of national idolatry. |
| 1 Kgs 13:33-34 | "After this thing Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way... this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam..." | Jeroboam's persistence in his sin. |
| 1 Kgs 15:26 | "He walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel to sin..." | Nadab, Jeroboam's son, following his father's sin. |
| 1 Kgs 15:30 | "...because of the sins of Jeroboam which he committed, and because of the sins which he made Israel to commit..." | Asaiah's destruction linked to Jeroboam's sin. |
| 1 Kgs 16:2 | "Forasmuch as I exalted you... but you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made My people Israel to sin..." | God's condemnation of Baasha's adherence to Jeroboam's path. |
| 1 Kgs 22:52 | "He walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin." | Ahabiah's wicked reign linked to Jeroboam. |
| 2 Kgs 17:7-18 | "And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD... they served idols... And the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and gave them into the hand of plunderers..." | Comprehensive reason for Northern Kingdom's fall and exile. |
| 2 Kgs 21:12-15 | "...because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations... Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing such disaster upon Jerusalem and Judah... because they have done what was evil in My sight and have provoked Me to anger, since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day." | Judah's later exile due to kings like Manasseh leading people astray. |
| Ezra 9:7 | "From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities, we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today." | Corporate guilt and leadership responsibility leading to judgment. |
| Neh 9:30 | "Many years You bore with them and warned them by Your Spirit through Your prophets. Yet they would not listen. Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands." | God's long-suffering before judgment, leading to giving them over. |
| Jer 24:9-10 | "I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, a reproach, a byword, a taunt, and a curse... and I will send sword, famine, and pestilence among them, till they are consumed..." | National devastation as consequence of sin. |
1 Kings 14 verses
1 Kings 14 16 Meaning
This verse declares God's decisive judgment against the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It states that the Lord will abandon or "give up" Israel, removing His protection and delivering them into affliction. The singular, pivotal reason for this severe judgment is identified as the cumulative "sins of Jeroboam"—both his personal transgressions and, more significantly, the systemic idolatry and apostasy he instituted, which caused the entire nation of Israel to fall into sin. This abandonment foreshadows their eventual scattering and exile from the Promised Land.
1 Kings 14 16 Context
First Kings chapter 14 describes a period of deep crisis for Jeroboam, the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. His son, Abijah, falls gravely ill, prompting Jeroboam to send his wife in disguise to consult the prophet Ahijah in Shiloh—the same prophet who initially foretold Jeroboam's ascent to kingship (1 Kgs 11:29-39). Despite his hope for a favorable word, Ahijah delivers a crushing prophecy of divine judgment. He announces the destruction of Jeroboam's entire dynasty, his son Abijah's immediate death, and the complete cutting off of his lineage from the earth. The culminating declaration of this judgment is 1 Kings 14:16, which broadens the scope from Jeroboam's house to the entire Northern Kingdom, stating their ultimate abandonment and expulsion from the Promised Land, specifically because of the pervasive sin introduced and maintained by Jeroboam. This prophecy sets the stage for the chronic instability and eventual demise of the Northern Kingdom, continually plagued by the "sin of Jeroboam."
1 Kings 14 16 Word analysis
- And he: Refers implicitly to "the LORD God of Israel" mentioned in verse 1 Kgs 14:7 and 1 Kgs 14:15. This signifies the divine author and executor of the judgment, emphasizing God's sovereignty and His direct intervention in the affairs of His covenant people.
- will give up (Hebrew: natash - נָטַשׁ): This verb conveys the sense of abandoning, forsaking, or casting off. It implies a deliberate withdrawal of protection, care, and covenant faithfulness on God's part, allowing the nation to become vulnerable to their enemies and the consequences of their sin. This is a severe form of judgment, marking a profound shift in God's relationship with Israel from protective Father to judging King.
- Israel: Refers specifically to the Northern Kingdom, the ten tribes that rebelled against Rehoboam and formed their own kingdom under Jeroboam. This highlights the distinct identity and destiny of the Northern Kingdom as opposed to the Southern Kingdom of Judah, which, though also sinning, remained linked to the Davidic covenant and the true worship center in Jerusalem.
- because of: This phrase establishes a direct causal link. The ensuing judgment is not arbitrary but a just and direct consequence of Jeroboam's actions. It underscores the principle of divine justice, where sin has its inevitable recompense.
- the sins of Jeroboam (Hebrew: ḥaṭṭō’t Yārāb‘ām): This is a pivotal phrase that became a theological shorthand throughout the books of Kings. It refers specifically to the idolatrous cult established by Jeroboam. To consolidate his political power and prevent his people from returning to Jerusalem (and thus to Rehoboam), Jeroboam erected golden calves in Bethel and Dan, declaring them to be the gods who brought Israel out of Egypt. He also appointed non-Levitical priests and created his own festival calendar, directly violating Mosaic law and corrupting the worship of Yahweh.
- which he sinned: This emphasizes Jeroboam's personal responsibility and direct violation of God's covenant. His actions were not just errors but deliberate acts of rebellion and apostasy. This highlights his personal guilt before God.
- and which he made Israel to sin (Hebrew: wa’asher heḥĕṭî’ ’et-Yiśrā’ēl): This clause, utilizing the Hiphil (causative) stem of the verb "to sin" (ḥāṭā’), is crucial. It signifies that Jeroboam not only sinned himself but actively and systematically caused the entire nation to sin. He created an institutionalized system of idolatry that seduced the people away from true worship. This highlights his devastating impact as a leader who used his authority to lead a whole nation into deep spiritual corruption, a legacy that haunted every succeeding Northern king.
1 Kings 14 16 Bonus section
The phrase "the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned and which he made Israel to sin" becomes a recurring motif throughout the Books of Kings, functioning as a theological indictment against every subsequent king of the Northern Kingdom who perpetuated the golden calf cult. This demonstrates the long-term spiritual consequence of foundational national decisions. It underscores a concept of corporate responsibility, where the nation as a whole is held accountable for the leadership's sins, especially when the people follow willingly. This also illustrates the deep-seated nature of covenant disobedience when it is embedded in the very fabric of national life, rather than just isolated individual transgressions. The "giving up" signifies not the end of God's covenant love but a disciplinary measure, akin to a parent letting a rebellious child experience the painful outcomes of their choices, with the ultimate hope (though not explicitly stated here) of future restoration through judgment.
1 Kings 14 16 Commentary
1 Kings 14:16 encapsulates the primary theological explanation for the eventual downfall and exile of the Northern Kingdom of Israel: the pervasive and deeply rooted "sins of Jeroboam." This prophecy, delivered by Ahijah, unveils a multi-faceted judgment. Firstly, God's promise to "give up Israel" signifies a terrifying withdrawal of divine favor and protection, exposing the nation to the full force of their enemies and the natural consequences of covenant breaking. This abandonment is not impulsive but a calculated and just response to Israel's persistent idolatry. Secondly, the verse lays the entire culpability squarely at the feet of Jeroboam, who, out of political expediency, initiated an idolatrous worship system—the golden calves—that constituted a fundamental rejection of Yahweh and His unique dwelling in Jerusalem. His actions were not merely personal transgressions but a systemic, institutionalized corruption that "made Israel to sin," trapping generations in apostasy. This reveals a crucial biblical principle: the profound spiritual influence, for good or ill, that leaders have upon their people. Jeroboam's foundational sin became the defining moral yardstick for successive Northern kings, leading inevitably to God's judgment and the kingdom's dispersion.