Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.

1 KINGS 14:10KJV
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1 Kings 14:10 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 14:10 mean?

1 Kings 14:10 announces that God will bring disaster on Jeroboam’s family, wiping out every male descendant and leaving nothing behind, just as someone completely removes waste. The verse uses strong language to show that Jeroboam’s entire household will be cut off and disgraced because of his actions.

The prophet Ahijah is speaking God’s message to Jeroboam’s wife, who has come in disguise to ask about her sick son. God’s judgment is harsh because Jeroboam led Israel into idolatry. The phrase “him that pisseth against the wall” is a blunt way of saying every male, and the comparison to removing dung means the destruction will be total and humiliating.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 14:10

  • רָעָה (ra‘ah, H7451) — “evil” or “disaster”: This word means not moral evil, but calamity or harm. Here, it stresses that the coming judgment is a severe misfortune sent by God.
  • מַשְׁתִּין בְּקִיר (mashtin b’qir, H8366 + H7023) — “him that pisseth against the wall”: This is a vivid Hebrew idiom for every male, emphasizing that no male descendant will survive.
  • גָּלָל (galal, H1557) — “dung”: The comparison to dung highlights the utter contempt and thoroughness with which Jeroboam’s house will be removed.

Why 1 Kings 14:10 matters

  • The verse clears up that God’s judgment on Jeroboam is not partial or symbolic; it is a complete removal of his family line, leaving no chance for recovery.
  • The language used is intentionally graphic to show the seriousness of Jeroboam’s sin and the shame that will come upon his house.
  • This verse connects to the larger story of how Israel’s kings are held accountable for leading the people away from God, setting a pattern for later judgments in the books of Kings.

Where else these words appear

“pisseth” Hebrew H8366 · used in 6 verses

  • 1 Samuel 25:22 So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
  • 1 Samuel 25:34 For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
  • 1 Kings 21:21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

“up” Hebrew H6113 · used in 45 verses

  • Genesis 16:2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
  • 1 Kings 8:35 When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:
  • 2 Chronicles 20:37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

“gone” Hebrew H8552 · used in 62 verses

  • Genesis 47:15 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
  • Joshua 5:8 And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.
  • Isaiah 16:4 Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.

“wall” Hebrew H7023 · used in 64 verses

  • Exodus 30:3 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.
  • 1 Kings 6:29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.
  • Ezekiel 8:10 So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.