1 Kings 14:25 kjv
And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem:
1 Kings 14:25 nkjv
It happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem.
1 Kings 14:25 niv
In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem.
1 Kings 14:25 esv
In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem.
1 Kings 14:25 nlt
In the fifth year of King Rehoboam's reign, King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem.
1 Kings 14 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 26:14-16 | "But if you will not listen to me... I will appoint over you a dread, consumption..." | Warning of covenant curses for disobedience, including dread and illness. |
| Deut 28:43-48 | "The alien who is among you shall rise above you higher... serve your enemies" | Prophecy of foreign oppression and servitude as a consequence of turning from God. |
| Judg 2:14-15 | "The anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel... sold them into the hands of..." | Pattern of Israel being delivered to plunderers when they abandoned YHWH. |
| Ps 106:40-42 | "Therefore the anger of the LORD burned against his people... subdued them..." | God's anger at His people's idolatry leads to them being subdued by foes. |
| Isa 3:1-5 | "For behold, the Lord GOD of hosts is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah..." | God removes support and brings judgment on Judah due to their sin. |
| Jer 2:17 | "Have you not brought this upon yourself, by forsaking the LORD your God..." | Idolatry and forsaking God lead to self-inflicted disaster. |
| Ezek 20:30 | "Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers... for them?" | Judgment is due to persistent ancestral idolatry and defilement. |
| Isa 10:5-6 | "Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hand is my fury!..." | God uses pagan nations as instruments of His judgment. |
| Jer 25:9 | "I am sending for all the tribes of the north... even for Nebuchadnezzar..." | God raises foreign kings as "servants" to execute His judgment. |
| Prov 21:1 | "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD..." | God sovereignly directs the hearts of kings, including their actions. |
| Dan 2:21 | "He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings..." | God holds ultimate power over human kingdoms and rulers. |
| 2 Chr 12:1-4 | "When the rule of Rehoboam was established... Shishak king of Egypt came up..." | Parallel account, adding detail on Rehoboam and Judah's faithlessness. |
| 2 Chr 12:5-7 | "Then Shemaiah the prophet came... the LORD said, 'They have humbled themselves'" | God's mercy after repentance, lessening the severity of Shishak's invasion. |
| 2 Chr 12:9-11 | "So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem... he took away the treasures" | Direct confirmation of the plundering mentioned in the following verse (1 Ki 14:26). |
| 1 Ki 14:22-24 | "Judah did what was evil in the sight of the LORD... for the detestable practices" | Immediate context showing Judah's pervasive idolatry that provoked the judgment. |
| 1 Ki 14:26-28 | "He took away the treasures... Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze." | Description of the Temple plunder and replacement, signaling lost glory. |
| 1 Ki 11:29-39 | "And at that time... Ahijah the prophet... 'I am about to tear the kingdom from'" | Prophecy of the kingdom's division and diminished glory before Solomon's death. |
| 1 Ki 12:2-20 | "So when all Israel heard... Jeroboam was made king over all Israel..." | Account of the division of the united monarchy after Solomon's death. |
| Isa 30:1-3 | "Ah, stubborn children... who go down to Egypt without consulting me..." | Warning against trusting in alliances with Egypt instead of YHWH. |
| Isa 31:1-3 | "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses!" | Condemnation of relying on Egyptian military strength. |
| Jer 46:25 | "The LORD of hosts... 'Behold, I am bringing punishment upon Amon of Thebes'" | Example of God's judgment over specific Egyptian gods and rulers. |
1 Kings 14 verses
1 Kings 14 25 Meaning
1 Kings 14:25 describes the military invasion of Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, by Shishak, the king of Egypt, which occurred during the fifth year of King Rehoboam's reign. This event marked a significant historical moment and a divine judgment upon Judah for its widespread apostasy and idolatry.
1 Kings 14 25 Context
The verse falls within the narrative of Rehoboam's reign as king of Judah following the division of the united monarchy after Solomon's death. 1 Kings 14 explicitly details Judah's spiritual decline under Rehoboam. Verses 22-24 lament that Judah did what was "evil in the sight of the LORD," surpassing even the abominations of the nations dispossessed by Israel. They erected high places, sacred pillars, Asherim (pagan idols), and engaged in cultic prostitution, thoroughly provoking YHWH. The invasion by Shishak, described in verse 25, is presented as the immediate and severe consequence of this widespread apostasy and direct divine judgment for their unfaithfulness. Historically, Rehoboam's reign (c. 931-913 BC) followed Solomon's period of prosperity. The Egyptian pharaoh Shishak is identified with Sheshonk I, the founder of Egypt's 22nd Dynasty. His campaign against the Levant is historically well-documented outside the Bible, notably by an inscription on the walls of the Temple of Amun at Karnak in Egypt, which lists towns conquered in Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel. This extra-biblical corroboration lends significant historical authenticity to the biblical account, demonstrating God's sovereign hand using historical figures to enact His will.
1 Kings 14 25 Word analysis
- In the fifth year: Hebrew
בַּשָּׁנָה֙ הַחֲמִשִׁ֔ית(ba-shanah ha-ḥamishit). This precise chronological marker indicates the invasion occurred swiftly into Rehoboam's reign, likely around 926/925 BC. This short span highlights the rapid descent into idolatry and God's prompt judgment. - of King Rehoboam: Hebrew
לַמֶּלֶךְ֙ רְחַבְעָ֔ם(la-meleḵ rəḥaḇʿām). Rehoboam was Solomon's son, known for his harsh leadership that alienated the northern tribes and led to the kingdom's division (1 Ki 12). His name means "the people have become wide" or "he enlarges the people," a poignant irony given his reign saw the nation diminished, fractured, and plundered. - Shishak: Hebrew
שִׁישַׁ֣ק(Šîšaq). This refers to Pharaoh Sheshonk I, the Libyan-origin founder of the 22nd Dynasty of Egypt. The mention of his specific name anchors the biblical narrative firmly in external ancient history, confirming the historicity of the event. Shishak served as God's instrument for judgment, unknowingly fulfilling divine purpose. - king of Egypt: Hebrew
מֶלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם(meleḵ-Miṣrayim). Egypt, often an oppressor or seducer for Israel, appears as an instrument of God's righteous wrath. Its identity signifies a historical pattern of foreign powers being used to discipline Israel. - came up: Hebrew
עָלָ֥ה(ʿālāh), meaning "ascended" or "went up." This verb specifically denotes movement from a lower geographical region, such as the Nile Delta or coastal plain, to the higher elevated Judean hill country where Jerusalem is located, signifying a deliberate military advance into the territory. - against Jerusalem: Hebrew
עַל־יְרוּשָׁלָ֑ם(ʿal-Yərûšālāyim). The direct targeting of Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, the City of David, and the site of YHWH's Temple, underscored the severity of God's judgment. It symbolized the breaking of a key divine protection over the city, contingent upon covenant obedience. The city, meant to be secure, was exposed due to national sin.
1 Kings 14 25 Bonus section
The more detailed account of this invasion in 2 Chronicles 12 highlights a crucial aspect: King Rehoboam and the princes of Israel humbled themselves before YHWH. Because of this, God demonstrated mercy, preventing total destruction by Shishak but allowing the invasion to proceed as a form of servitude, so they might understand the difference between serving YHWH and serving an earthly king (2 Chr 12:7-8). This incident demonstrates God's immediate judgment balanced with His ever-present grace upon repentance. The physical evidence of Shishak's campaign, documented at Karnak, provides unique external archaeological validation for a biblical event, illustrating the historical groundedness of the biblical narrative. The loss of the golden shields crafted by Solomon, replaced by bronze ones by Rehoboam (1 Ki 14:26-28), vividly symbolized the loss of prosperity and glory that directly resulted from Judah's spiritual decline.
1 Kings 14 25 Commentary
1 Kings 14:25 succinctly conveys the dire consequences of Judah's unfaithfulness. The swiftness of Shishak's invasion, just five years into Rehoboam's reign, underscores that God's judgment is not delayed indefinitely when His people persist in open sin and idolatry. This event was not a mere political skirmish but a divinely ordained consequence of Rehoboam's leadership and the nation's spiritual rebellion detailed in previous verses. God, sovereign over all nations and their rulers, employed a powerful Egyptian pharaoh to humble His unfaithful covenant people. The targeting of Jerusalem and its impending plunder (described in 1 Kings 14:26) represented a profound blow to Judah's pride, its wealth, and symbolically, to the glory of God's presence that was meant to dwell amongst a holy people. It teaches that divine protection and blessing are contingent upon obedience to the covenant, not merely on location or historical lineage.