1 Kings 14:9 kjv
But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:
1 Kings 14:9 nkjv
but you have done more evil than all who were before you, for you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molded images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back?
1 Kings 14:9 niv
You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have aroused my anger and turned your back on me.
1 Kings 14:9 esv
but you have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made for yourself other gods and metal images, provoking me to anger, and have cast me behind your back,
1 Kings 14:9 nlt
You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made other gods for yourself and have made me furious with your gold calves. And since you have turned your back on me,
1 Kings 14 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 20:3-5 | "You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself..." | Idolatry, direct violation of the first two commandments. |
| Deu 4:15-19, 23 | "...take heed... lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image..." | Warning against creating idols and the consequence of provoking God. |
| Deu 6:14 | "You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you." | Explicit command not to follow foreign deities. |
| Josh 24:16 | "...far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods!" | A community's pledge of faithfulness, broken by Jeroboam. |
| 1 Kgs 12:28-30 | "...King Jeroboam made two calves of gold... and said, 'It is too much for you...'" | Jeroboam's initial act of making the molten images (golden calves). |
| 1 Kgs 13:33-34 | "After this thing Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but again made priests..." | Jeroboam's persistence in sin despite warnings. |
| 1 Kgs 15:26 | "...walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel commit." | Jeroboam's sin becomes the pattern for all subsequent kings of Israel. |
| 1 Kgs 15:34 | "He did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin..." | Asa's condemnation, noting Jeroboam's lasting wicked legacy. |
| 2 Kgs 17:7-12 | "...had sinned against the Lord... feared other gods, and walked in the statutes... and had built high places..." | Explains Israel's exile as a direct consequence of this idolatry and other sins. |
| 2 Kgs 17:21-23 | "When He had torn Israel from the house of David, they made Jeroboam... King... Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam..." | Highlights Jeroboam's culpability for Israel's eventual destruction. |
| Psa 78:58 | "For they provoked Him with their high places and moved Him to jealousy with their carved images." | Idolatry actively angers God. |
| Psa 106:19-20 | "They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a molded image. Thus they exchanged their glory for the image of an ox..." | Connects Jeroboam's calves to the sin at Sinai, equating it with exchanging God's glory. |
| Neh 9:26 | "...and cast Your Law behind their backs..." | Echoes the profound disrespect and abandonment of God and His commands. |
| Ezek 8:17-18 | "...have they added profanation? For behold, they put the branch to their nose. Therefore I will deal in fury..." | God's escalating anger due to continued provocation through idolatry. |
| Ezek 23:35 | "Therefore thus says the Lord God: 'Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back...'" | Similar strong condemnation for rejecting God's memory and presence. |
| Isa 44:9-20 | "All who make carved images are useless, and their delectable things shall not profit..." | Emphasizes the utter futility and emptiness of idolatry. |
| Jer 7:18-19 | "...to make cakes for the queen of heaven... do they provoke Me to anger?" | Illustrates how such worship directly provokes God. |
| Rom 1:22-23 | "Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image..." | New Testament parallel to exchanging the true God for idols. |
| 1 Cor 10:14 | "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." | Exhortation for believers to shun all forms of idol worship. |
| Rev 9:20 | "...did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold and silver..." | Condemnation of idolatry persisting until the end times. |
1 Kings 14 verses
1 Kings 14 9 Meaning
This verse conveys God's severe condemnation of King Jeroboam, pronounced through the prophet Ahijah. It declares that Jeroboam has committed greater evil than any king before him by actively establishing and promoting the worship of other gods, specifically through the creation of molten images. These actions were not only a direct violation of God's commands but were also understood by God as a deliberate and profound insult, designed to provoke His anger and signify a complete disregard for His presence and authority.
1 Kings 14 9 Context
This verse is delivered as a prophetic judgment from God through the old and blind prophet Ahijah to Jeroboam's wife, who came in disguise to inquire about her sick son, Abijah. Jeroboam, previously elevated by God to be king over ten tribes, had deliberately established golden calf worship at Bethel and Dan (1 Kgs 12:26-33) to prevent his people from returning to Jerusalem to worship God at the Temple. This political maneuvering was a profound act of unfaithfulness and distrust in God's providence. This specific verse (1 Kgs 14:9) serves as the core divine indictment against Jeroboam, explaining why God's wrath would be poured out not only on his immediate son but also on his entire dynasty, leading to its swift extermination (1 Kgs 14:10-16). Jeroboam's sin was so grave because he not only practiced idolatry but institutionalized it, making it the official state religion of the Northern Kingdom, thereby leading an entire nation astray.
1 Kings 14 9 Word analysis
- "but have done evil": The Hebrew verb
וַתָּרַע(va'tā'ra') signifies active, deliberate doing of evil, not merely passive falling into it. The "but" establishes a stark contrast to God's earlier favor and election of Jeroboam to be king, highlighting his inexcusable apostasy after God had promised him a lasting dynasty like David's if he remained obedient. - "above all that were before thee": This does not mean Jeroboam was the first to sin, but that his particular brand of evil, the institutionalization of idolatry as king, was uniquely egregious and comprehensive. No king of a unified Israel before him had actively led the entire nation into a state-sanctioned, permanent apostasy by providing alternative, illegitimate forms of worship and priesthood. He laid the foundation for the subsequent spiritual decay of the Northern Kingdom.
- "for thou hast gone and made thee other gods": The phrase "gone and made" emphasizes Jeroboam's intentionality and proactive decision.
אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים(Elohim acheerim), "other gods," directly infringes the first commandment (Exo 20:3). It implies a turning away from the unique, singular Yahweh who delivered Israel, towards non-existent deities or the worship of created things as divine. This was a direct challenge to God's exclusive claim over His people. - "and molten images": The Hebrew
וּמַסֵּכוֹת(u'massekhot) specifically refers to images cast from molten metal, directly referencing the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. This violated the second commandment (Exo 20:4). The imagery was a visible symbol of his apostasy and a snare to the people, presenting a "visible god" for worship in contradiction to the invisible, living God. - "to provoke me to anger": The verb
לְהַכְעִיסֵ֑נִי(le'hakh'i'seni) means "to vex, irritate, cause grief to." It shows God's righteous indignation. Idolatry is not a minor transgression; it is a personal affront to God's glory, a direct attack on His character, and an act that stirs His jealousy and wrath against those who worship what is not Him. - "and hast cast me behind thy back": This is a powerful, graphic metaphor. The Hebrew
הִשְׁלַכְתָּ֥ אַחֲרֵי־גַוֶּֽךָ׃(hishlakhta akharei-gavvekha) implies complete dismissal, disregard, and contempt. To cast something behind one's back is to utterly ignore, neglect, or scorn it as if it is worthless and beneath one's consideration. Jeroboam was not merely neglecting God; he was actively rejecting His presence, authority, and covenant relationship in favor of self-devised worship that suited his political ambitions. It conveys a profound and deliberate abandonment of the living God.
1 Kings 14 9 Bonus section
Jeroboam's "sin" (1 Kgs 12:30) became a theological shorthand in the Hebrew Scriptures, a recurring condemnation cited against nearly every subsequent king of Israel in the Northern Kingdom. His specific form of idolatry — the golden calves at Dan and Bethel, established religious feasts, and appointing non-Levitical priests — constituted the blueprint for all future Northern apostasy, solidifying a break with true worship at Jerusalem. This sustained sin led ultimately to the complete overthrow and exile of the Northern Kingdom by Assyria (2 Kgs 17:21-23), illustrating the lasting and destructive consequences of a leader's foundational spiritual errors.
1 Kings 14 9 Commentary
King Jeroboam's actions, though politically shrewd, represented a radical and systemic spiritual apostasy that deeply offended God. His sin was unique not necessarily in its substance (idolatry had happened before) but in its scope and deliberate institutionalization, elevating it "above all that were before him." He replaced true worship with his own corrupt innovations, not out of ignorance but out of a calculated distrust in God's ability to maintain his kingdom if people worshipped in Jerusalem. By introducing "other gods" in the form of "molten images" (the golden calves), he directly defied God's fundamental commandments. This active rebellion was seen by God as a direct "provocation" of His holy "anger." The powerful metaphor "cast me behind thy back" encapsulates the utter contempt and dismissal Jeroboam showed toward the God who had chosen him. It's a vivid picture of rejection, demonstrating a heart that no longer valued God's presence or commandments, sealing his fate and setting a devastating precedent for the entire Northern Kingdom.