1 Kings 14 Jeroboam sendeth his wife disguised, and with presents, to the prophet Ahijah at Shiloh, to inquire concerning his son, who was sick, 1 Kings 14:1–4.

Either, first, Presently after the things described in the former chapter; which though related in the beginning of his reign, yet might be done a good while after it, and so Ahijah the prophet might be very old, as he is described to be, 1 Kings 14:4. Or, secondly, Many years after it, i.e.

Jeroboam said to his wife; partly, because he would trust none else with this secret; partly, because she might, without suspicion, inquire concerning her own child; and partly, because she would inquire most exactly and diligently, and faithfully acquaint him with the whole truth.

A cruse of honey; a present, after the manner, Judg. 13:17, 1 Sam. 9:7–8, 2 Kings 5:15, 2 Kings 8:8; but mean, as became an ordinary country woman, which she personated. And go to him, to inquire the event of this sickness, as the following words imply.

Or, stood still, or were grown stiff; the nerves, by which the eyes and eye-lids are moved, being contracted and withered.

By this discovery he both reproves their folly, who thought to conceal themselves or their designs from that God from whom they expected and desired the discovery of the most secret things; and withal gives her assurance of the truth and certainty of that message which he was to deliver.

They were God’s people when Jeroboam was first set over them.

As my servant David; who though he fell into some sins, yet, first, he constantly persevered in the true worship of God, from which thou art revolted; secondly, he heartily repented of and turned from all his sins, whereas thou art obstinate and incorrigible.

Above all that were before thee; above all the former kings of my people, as Saul, and Solomon, and Rehoboam. Other gods, and molten images, or other gods, to wit, (for so and oft signifies among the Hebrews, as hath been formerly noted,) molten images, namely, the golden calves; which he calls…

See Poole “1 Sam. 25:22”. Him that is shut up and left; those who had escaped the fury of their enemies invading them, either because they were shut up in caves, or castles, or strong towns; or because they were left, overlooked or neglected by them, or spared as poor, impotent, helpless creatures.

So both sorts shall die unburied.

Presently upon thy entrance into the city; when thou art gone but a little way in it, even as far as to the threshold of the king’s door, 1 Kings 14:17, which possibly was near the gates of the city. And by the event of this branch judge of the truth of the rest of my prophecy.

All Israel shall mourn for him; either, first, for the loss of so worthy and hopeful a person; or, secondly, for the sad calamities which should follow his death, which possibly his moderation, and wisdom, and virtue might have prevented, whereof his death was a certain presage and evidence.

Baasha, 1 Kings 15:28. Who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day; when he is so raised; in the very beginning of his reign, 1 Kings 15:29. But what? but what do I say, he shall raise, as it were a thing to be done at a great distance of time? he hath already raised him in some sort; the man…

The Lord shall smite Israel, because they obeyed Jeroboam’s wicked command of worshipping the calves, and that willingly, Hos. 5:11. As a reed is shaken in the water; easily and variously, hither and thither, with every wind; so shall the kingdom and people of Israel be always in an unquiet and…

To wit, by his invention, and making of the occasion of their sin, the calves; by his example, by encouraging those, and only those, that worshipped the calves; and by his authority, requiring and compelling them to do it.

Tirzah; an ancient and royal city, Josh. 12:24, in a pleasant place, Song 6:4, where the kings of Israel had a palace, 1 Kings 15:33, 1 Kings 16:6, 1 Kings 16:8, 1 Kings 16:15, 1 Kings 16:23; whither Jeroboam was removed from Shechem, either for his pleasure, or for his son’s recovery, by the…

Heb. in the book of the words or things of the days, & c. By which you are not to understand that canonical book of the Chronicles, for that was written long after this book; but a book of civil records, the annals, wherein all remarkable passages were recorded by the king’s command from day to…

So he lived till Asa’s second year, 1 Kings 15:25. He slept with his fathers; either, first, He was buried with his ancestors. But their sepulchre seems to be too mean and improper for a great king; and kings used to be buried in peculiar sepulchres. Or, secondly, He died, as his fathers did.

Rehoboam was forty and one years old; therefore he was born a year before Solomon was king, as appears from 1 Kings 11:42. This is noted as an aggravation of Rehoboam’s folly, that he was old enough to have been wiser.

Judah did evil, after a little time, 2 Chron. 11:17.

They also built them high places; they followed the example of the Israelites, although they were better instructed, and had the temple in their kingdom, and liberty of access to it, which was denied to the Israelites; and the privilege of worshipping God in his own way, and the counsels, and…

Sodomites, i.e. males, who prostituted their bodies to the filthy lusts of others; of whom See Poole “Deut. 23:17”; who also did this in the worship and to the honour of their idols as also the women did, Num. 25:1–2.

In the fifth year of king Rehoboam; presently after his and his people’s apostacy, which was not till his fourth year; when the apostical Israelites enjoyed peace and some kind of prosperity, at first, for many years together; of which difference two reasons may be given: first, That Judah’s sins…

He took away the treasures; it is implied, that first he took the city; which may seem strange considering the great strength of that city, and how much time it took Nebuchadnezzar and Titus to take it.

Whereas the golden shields, as being more precious, were kept in a certain place.

When the king went into the house of the Lord; by which it seems the affliction had done him some good, and brought him back to the worship of God, which he had forsaken.

Such a book of chronicles as that mentioned above, 1 Kings 14:19.

Not an invasive war with potent armies, which was forbidden, 1 Kings 12:24, and not revived until Abijam’s reign, 2 Chron. 13:0; but a defensive war from those hostilities which by small parties and skirmishes they did to one another.

His mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess; this is repeated as a thing very observable. See Poole “1 Kings 14:21”.