1 Kings 14:1

ยถ At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick.

At that time {H6256} Abijah {H29} the son {H1121} of Jeroboam {H3379} fell sick {H2470}.

At this time, Aviyah the son of Yarov'am fell ill.

At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill,

At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick.

Commentary

1 Kings 14:1 KJV: "At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick."

Context

This verse marks a pivotal moment in the reign of King Jeroboam I, the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel after the division of the united monarchy. "At that time" refers to the period following Jeroboam's establishment of idolatry by setting up golden calves in Dan and Bethel. This act was a deliberate attempt to prevent his subjects from returning to Jerusalem to worship, thereby securing his political power but fundamentally violating God's law. His son, Abijah, whose name ironically means "my father is Yahweh," falls gravely ill, setting the stage for a significant prophetic encounter and a pronouncement of divine judgment against Jeroboam's house.

Key Themes

  • Sickness as a Catalyst: Abijah's illness serves as the immediate trigger for the events that follow, forcing Jeroboam to confront a crisis that his idols cannot resolve. It highlights how personal suffering can sometimes lead individuals to seek divine intervention, even if hypocritically.
  • Consequences of Sin: The narrative immediately ties the son's illness to the broader context of Jeroboam's rebellion against God. The impending judgment on Jeroboam's family, revealed in the subsequent verses, underscores the severe consequences of spiritual apostasy and leading a nation astray.
  • Hypocrisy of Jeroboam: Despite his public promotion of idolatry, Jeroboam secretly sends his wife to consult with the prophet Ahijah, the very prophet who had previously prophesied his rise to kingship. This reveals his underlying awareness of Yahweh's true power, even as he defied Him.

Linguistic Insights

The name Abijah (Hebrew: ืึฒื‘ึดื™ึผึธื”, 'Avijah) means "my father is Yahweh." This is profoundly ironic given his father Jeroboam's actions, which actively turned the people away from the worship of Yahweh and towards pagan idols. The simple phrase "fell sick" (Hebrew: ื—ึธืœึธื”, chalah) indicates a serious, life-threatening illness, emphasizing the gravity of the situation that prompts Jeroboam's desperate action.

Reflection and Application

This verse serves as a sober reminder that even those in positions of power are not immune to personal suffering and divine consequences. Jeroboam, who had led an entire kingdom into sin, now faces a crisis within his own household. It illustrates that God's judgment can begin at home and that sin, especially that which leads others astray, has far-reaching and often devastating effects. The narrative invites us to consider our own spiritual integrity: do we genuinely seek God in all circumstances, or only when crises expose the futility of our self-made solutions? The subsequent prophecy in 1 Kings 14:7-16 further details the heavy price of Jeroboam's disobedience.

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Cross-References

  • 1 Kings 13:33

    After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became [one] of the priests of the high places.

  • 1 Kings 13:34

    And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut [it] off, and to destroy [it] from off the face of the earth.

  • Exodus 20:5

    Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me;

  • 2 Samuel 12:15

    ยถ And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.

  • 1 Samuel 4:19

    ยถ And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, [near] to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.

  • 1 Samuel 4:20

    And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard [it].

  • 1 Samuel 31:2

    And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.
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