Westminster Annotations, 1 Kings (3 Kings) · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII.
AT that time] While Jeroboam persisted in his idolatrous courses.
Ahijah] The same name the king of Judah's son had, 2 Chr. 13. 1.
son] Eldest son, heir to the crown, as is supposed.
V. 2. Arise] A word of quickning, Gen. 13. 17.
disguise thy self] Every way, in attire, attendance, speech and behaviour.
not known] Nor by him, nor by the people.
Shiloh] See Chap. 11. v. 29.
told me] He therefore can tell before-hand what will fall out.
I should be king over this people] Chap. 11. 31.
V. 3. take] It was usuall to carry presents to prophets. See on 1 Sam. 9. 7, 8. 2 King. 8. 8.
with thee] Heb. in thine hand.
ten loaves, &c.] These are countrey commoditius, to imply sh… was some countrey-woman.
cracknels] Or, cakes.
cruse] Or, bottle.
become] Whether he should recover or no: as 2 King. 8. 9.
childe] Of such age and discretion, as he could discern betwixt good and evill courses, and follow the one, and leave the other, v. 13.
V. were set] Heb. stood for his hoarinesse. By reason of the withering and shrinking of the eye-strings, or nerves.
V. 5. a thing] What shall become of him, as v. 3.
thus and thus] As is expressed, v. 7, &c.
feign] By being disguised, as v. 2.
V. 6. sound] Treading, or trampling.
heavy] Heb. hard.
V. 7. I exalted] God hath an hand in ordering and turning …o his own purposes the acts of wicked men, 1 Sam. 15. 17.
from among the people] Being before a subject, and one of the people. So chap. 16. 2.
V. 8. And rent] See chap. 11. 31.
that onelyonly] In the generall course of his life. See chapter 15. 5.
V. 9. above all] Saul made not such idols as the calves. Solomon made not all Israel to sin, chap. 12. 30.
other gods] For representations of gods are as gods.
cast me behinde] As one not regarded thou hast scornfully rejected me, Ezek. 23. 35.
V. 10. I will bring evil upon the house of Jerobeam] Chapter 15. 29.
house] The stock, or all that belong to him, Chap. 16. 3.
him that pisseth against the wall] Chap. 21. 21. 2 Kings 9. 8. The childe that can stand against a wall, or a dog that useth to do so. And usuall phrase, whereby an utter destruction of all that belong to a man is set out (1 Sam. 25. 22.) even all that breathe, chap. 15. v. 29.
shut up and left] Or, left out. Another proverbiall speech, whereby is meant, whatsoever a man hath at home or abroad, whether precious, and much esteemed; as things which men shut up, are; or lesse esteemed, as things lest without: Or it may be applyed to such as ha…e shut themselves up in strong holds, and such as are left in other places: All shall be destroyed, none escap, Deut. 32. 36. See in 2 King. 14. 26.
dung] Because dung is filthy and noysom, men use to take it every whit away. A very fit comparison: like to 2 King. 21. 13. Isai. 14. 23.
V. 11. the dogs eat, &c.] A proverbiall speech, whereby is implyed, that no care at all should be had of their dead corps to bury them, but they should be left to dogs and ravens. Dogs use to be in cities and towns: ravenous sowls in open fields, Chap. 16. 4. and 21. 24. Jere. 15. 3.
V. 12. into the city] And therein to thine own house.
V. 13. mourn] In testimony of that good hope they had of him, and good respect they bare to him.
and bu…y him] For honour sake. See v. 11.
some good, &c.] Seeds of a fear of God, and of true piety.
V. 14. a king] Baasha, chap. 15. 27, &c.
but what?] An elegant communication to work a more thorow consideration of the point. For they were wont to put off divine prophecies of judgement to future times far off, Ezek. 12. 22.
even now] A direct answer to the former question: like to Ezek. 12. 25. For now was Baasha the king spoken of, among them.
V. 15. Israel] Not onelyonly the house of Jeroboam, but all the ten tribes.
as a reed] With the continuall running of water, and blasts of winde: So shall Israel with civill wars, and different …ctions be continually troubled.
root up] Cause the nation to be carried out of their own land.
scatter] Up and down in sundry places disperse them.
the river] Euphrates, which was betwixt the land of Israel and Assyria, whither they were carried captive. See all that is here fore-told, accomplished, 2 King. 17. 6.
groves] For idols. See chap. 3. 4. and 16. 33.
V. 16. made Israel to sin] By causing them to leave the temple, and to worship the calves. See chap. 12. 30.
V. 17. Tirzah] A fair city, where the royall palace for the kings of Israel was, before Omri built Samaria, chap. 16. 24. See chap. 15. 33. and 16. 17, 18.
to the threshold] Which was the first entrance, mentioned, vers. 12.
V. 19. how he warred] With Rehoboam, v. 30. and Abijah, 2 Chron. 13. 2.
chronicles] Such are mentioned, chap. 11. 41.
V. 20. slept] Heb. lay down.
V. 21. Rehobeam was fourty and one yeers old when he began to reign] 2 Chro. 12. 13. Therefore born before Solomon reigned, chap. 11. 42.
choose] See the notes on 1 King. 11. 36.
Ammonitesse] It is probable, that at the time of her marriage, she made profession of the true religion, as Pharaohs daughter, chap. 3. 1. But when Solomon fell away, then she might follow her countrey gods, and be a means to seduce her son, as 2 Chron. 22. 3. See chap. 15. 10.
V. 22. Judah] The people under the government of Rehoboam, following the ill example of their king, or by him being made to sin, as v. 16. This was thre… yeers after Rehoboam began to reign, 2 Chron. 11. 17. in 2 Chron. 12. 1. Rehoboams subjects are called Israel, because they also descended from Israel, and to shew that none of the children of Israel remained faithfull: For ten tribes having revolted with Jeroboam, the other fell with Rehoboam: Yet, so as some particular persons might here and there remain faithfull. See the notes on chap. 19. 10, 18.
jealousie] Jealousie is the wrath of an husband for his wives adultery and disloyalty, God being as an husband to his people, (Isa. 54. 5. Jer. 31. 32.) and idolatry being a spirituall adultery, (Jere. 13. 27. Ezek. 23. 37, 43.) in this case jealousie is attributed to him, Deut. 29. 20. and 32. 16, 21. Jealousie imports the highest displeasure, and greatest degree of anger, Pro…. 6. 34, 35.
their fathers] In no kings time before was there such a generall apostasie of Judah.
V. 23. they also] As well as the ten tribes.
built] To serve their idols, as the heathen, Deut. 12. 2.
images] Or, standing images, or statues.
under every green tree] Under the broad, fair, flourishing trees on those hils they built altars, 2 Chron. 28. 4. Isai. 57. 5. The things which being erected by others God commanded his people to destroy (Deut. 7. 5.) they presumptuously erect.
V. 24. sodomites] Such as against nature burned in their lust one towards another, and committed that kinde of unnaturall and abominable uncleannesse, Rom. 1. 26, 27. So did the Sodomites (Gen. 19. 5.) and the Gibeonites (Judg. 19. 22.) The notation of the Hebrew word is taken from the contrary: for it signifieth an holy one: now such unclean persons being of all others farthest from holinesse, in great scorn have this title given them. Thus the word that properly signifieth blessing, is put for cursing, chap. 21. 10. Or, this sin here mentioned, may be taken for obseene and filthy idolatry.
all the abominations] Such as are specified, Levit. 18. 24. Deut. 18. 10, 11, 12. Such as lewe the LORD, being left of him, give themselves over to all abominable filthinesse.
V. 25. fifth] Two yeers after that he began to fall from the LORD, 2 Chro. 11. 17.
Shishak] He to whom Jeroboam fled (chap. 11. 40.) and …t is probable that he was put on to this expedition by Jeroboam.
V. 26. took away] No marvell that he so prevailed, coming so well prepared as is set down, 2 Chro. 12. 13. against a prince and people forsaken of the LORD.
away all] All that he could finde and finger, and might have done more spoil, but that upon their humiliation the LORD delivered them, 2 Chro. 12. 7.
which Solomon had made] Chap. 10. 16.
V. 27. guard] Heb. ranners. Such as used to run, or go before the king, or to wait on him, 1 Sam. 22. 17.
V. 28. guard-chamber] That they might be safely kept.
V. 29. chronicles] Such as are mentioned, chap. 11. 41. they are said to be written by Shemaiah, and Iddo, 2 Chro. 12. 15.
V. 30. war] On the out-borders of the two kingdoms▪ each maintaining his own.
V. 31. his mothers name was Naamah an Ammonitesse] Vers. 21.
Abijam] Some copies write Abijah. So is he stiled, 2 Chro. 12. 16.