And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.

1 KINGS 14:13KJV
Know the Bible

1 Kings 14:13 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 14:13 mean?

1 Kings 14:13 says that all Israel will mourn for Jeroboam’s son and give him a proper burial, because he is the only one in Jeroboam’s family in whom something good was found in relation to the LORD, the God of Israel. This verse highlights that, out of Jeroboam’s household, only this son is shown special honor in death because of his character.

The prophet Ahijah is speaking to Jeroboam’s wife, who has come to ask about her sick son. The situation is tense: Jeroboam, the king of Israel, has led the people into idolatry, and God has pronounced judgment on his family. This verse singles out the son as an exception—he alone will be mourned and buried respectfully, which was a sign of favor, because he had some genuine goodness toward the LORD.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 14:13

  • "mourn" (סָפַד, saphad): This word means to lament or grieve, usually in a public and formal way. The verse emphasizes that the whole nation will recognize and honor this son’s death, which was not common for the rest of Jeroboam’s family.
  • "bury" (קָבַר, qavar) and "grave" (קֶבֶר, qeber): These words point to the act of burial and the grave itself. In ancient Israel, being buried properly was a mark of respect and dignity, especially compared to dying unburied or dishonored.
  • "good" (טוֹב, tov): This word means good or pleasing. The verse says that some "good thing" was found in this son, suggesting he had a heart or actions that pleased the LORD, setting him apart from his family.

Why 1 Kings 14:13 matters

  • This verse clears up that not everyone in a condemned family is judged the same way; individual character and faithfulness still matter to God.
  • The verse highlights the seriousness of being denied a proper burial in Israelite culture, showing that this son’s burial is a sign of divine approval.
  • In the wider story, this moment shows that God’s judgment is not indiscriminate—He recognizes and honors even small acts of goodness, even within a corrupt household.

Where else these words appear

“mourn” Hebrew H5594 · used in 29 verses

  • Genesis 23:2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
  • 1 Kings 14:18 And they buried him; and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by the hand of his servant Ahijah the prophet.
  • Jeremiah 25:33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

“grave” Hebrew H6913 · used in 62 verses

  • Genesis 23:4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
  • 1 Kings 13:31 And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones:
  • Job 17:1 My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.

“Jeroboam” Hebrew H3379 · used in 95 verses

  • 1 Kings 11:26 And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.
  • 1 Kings 15:1 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah.
  • 2 Kings 15:8 In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.

“bury” Hebrew H6912 · used in 122 verses

  • Genesis 15:15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
  • Judges 16:31 Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.
  • 2 Kings 15:7 So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.