1 Kings 14 17

1 Kings 14:17 kjv

And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: and when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died;

1 Kings 14:17 nkjv

Then Jeroboam's wife arose and departed, and came to Tirzah. When she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.

1 Kings 14:17 niv

Then Jeroboam's wife got up and left and went to Tirzah. As soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died.

1 Kings 14:17 esv

Then Jeroboam's wife arose and departed and came to Tirzah. And as she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.

1 Kings 14:17 nlt

So Jeroboam's wife returned to Tirzah, and the child died just as she walked through the door of her home.

1 Kings 14 verses

1 Kings 14 17 Meaning

This verse powerfully depicts the immediate and precise fulfillment of divine prophecy. It records the death of Abijah, the son of King Jeroboam, precisely as his mother crossed the threshold of her home in Tirzah. This event underscores God's absolute sovereignty over life and death, His perfect knowledge even of disguised intentions, and the inevitable execution of His judgment upon those who rebel against Him, such as Jeroboam, who led Israel into widespread idolatry.

1 Kings 14 17 Context

1 Kings chapter 14 describes God's severe judgment upon King Jeroboam for his establishment of idol worship (the golden calves) and leading Israel into sin. Jeroboam's son, Abijah, falls gravely ill, and Jeroboam, despite his rebellion, sends his wife disguised to the prophet Ahijah in Shiloh to inquire about the child. However, God had already revealed to the now blind Ahijah the identity of Jeroboam's wife and His pronouncements of judgment against Jeroboam's entire household. Ahijah prophecies that Jeroboam's lineage will be cut off, his descendants will meet dishonorable deaths, and only Abijah will receive a proper burial because "something good was found in him toward the Lord God of Israel" (1 Kgs 14:13). The verse 14:17 precisely fulfills the prophecy concerning the moment of Abijah's death, emphasizing divine immediacy and precision. This event served as a stark warning to Israel about the consequences of idolatry and rebellion against the Lord. Tirzah, at this time, was the primary royal residence for the northern kingdom of Israel before Samaria was built.

1 Kings 14 17 Word analysis

• And Jeroboam's wife: This phrase refers to the unnamed queen consort, whose identity was supernaturally revealed to the blind prophet Ahijah despite her attempt at disguise (1 Kgs 14:5-6). It highlights the futility of human deception against divine knowledge.

• arose, and departed, and came: This sequence of verbs denotes her swift action and journey from Shiloh back to Tirzah. The urgency implied here is immediately contrasted with the fulfillment of God's unyielding word.

• to Tirzah: Tirtsah (תִּרְצָה). This city served as the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam and subsequent kings until Omri built Samaria (1 Kgs 15:21, 33; 16:6-9, 15). Its mention sets the specific geographical stage for the prophetic fulfillment, emphasizing the precise destination and event location. It was known for its beauty (Song 6:4).

• and when she came to the threshold of the door: Saph ha-bayith (סַף הַבַּיִת), meaning "threshold of the house/door." This is a crucial, specific detail emphasizing the immediate and precise timing of the prophecy's fulfillment. The threshold often symbolized a liminal space—a point of entry or departure, or a transition between states. Here, it is the exact moment life transitions to death, signaling God's precise control and perfect timing in executing His word.

• the child died: Ha-yeled met (הַיֶּלֶד מֵת). This is a direct, stark statement. The child, Abijah, the son of the king, whose very illness was the catalyst for the divine pronouncement, immediately succumbed to death. This swift death underscores the irreversible nature of God's decree and His sovereign power over life itself, perfectly synchronizing with the mother's arrival. This specific child's death was foretold, yet unique, as he was to receive a burial because of a shred of "goodness" found in him toward the Lord (1 Kgs 14:13).

• Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: This phrase group signifies the diligent, albeit futile, effort to receive human insight while divine judgment was already set in motion. Her journey back is a race against an unseen clock, ultimately arriving precisely when God's timing dictated.

• when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died: This conjunction of events is the climactic moment of the prophecy's fulfillment. It demonstrates God's perfect precision and timing. The very act of her reaching the entryway of her own home marked the pre-ordained moment of her son's demise, powerfully showcasing that no human intervention or action could delay or alter the divine decree. This simultaneous occurrence links the divine word directly to tangible, tragic reality.

1 Kings 14 17 Bonus section

• The Unnamed Queen: The fact that Jeroboam's wife remains unnamed throughout the narrative might subtly emphasize the greater divine player in the scene—the Lord God of Israel—over human personalities, especially those in rebellion. Her disguise and journey also amplify the idea that human efforts to thwart divine will are ultimately useless.
• Geographical Specificity: The detail of "Tirzah" as the location adds historical grounding. The threshold (saph) is not merely a generic entry point but can carry a symbolic weight in the Ancient Near East as a sacred boundary or a point of critical transition, further enhancing the moment's significance.
• Dramatic Irony: The reader knows the outcome from Ahijah's prophecy (1 Kgs 14:6, 12), creating dramatic irony as Jeroboam's wife rushes home, unaware she is heading straight for the point of divine judgment. This tension heightens the impact of the final "the child died."
• Divine Contrast: This scene powerfully contrasts Jeroboam's false gods, who are silent and impotent, with the living God of Israel, who speaks, knows, and acts with undeniable power, even controlling the breath of life itself.

1 Kings 14 17 Commentary

1 Kings 14:17 serves as a stark testament to God's omniscience, justice, and absolute sovereignty. Despite Jeroboam's attempt to deceive the prophet Ahijah, God knew all and revealed His precise judgment. The immediate death of the child Abijah upon his mother's return to Tirzah's threshold is a dramatic and poignant fulfillment of the divine word. It highlights that God's prophecies are not merely predictions but declarations of His sovereign will, executed with perfect timing and without fail. This event underscored the severity of God's wrath against Jeroboam's widespread idolatry, yet also displayed a glimmer of divine mercy for the young Abijah due to some "good" found in him. It reinforces the theological principle that divine judgment, though certain, is always just and precise. Practically, it teaches us that seeking the Lord sincerely is vital, as deception and rebellion cannot circumvent God's knowledge or judgment.