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.

1 KINGS 14:18KJV
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1 Kings 14:18 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 14:18 mean?

1 Kings 14:18 describes how the people of Israel buried Jeroboam’s son and mourned his death, just as the LORD had said would happen through the prophet Ahijah. The verse highlights that the events took place exactly as God had foretold.

This verse comes after the prophet Ahijah had delivered a message from the LORD to Jeroboam’s wife, predicting the child’s death as a sign of judgment on Jeroboam’s house. The public mourning and burial show the seriousness of the event and confirm the reliability of the prophet’s words. The verse emphasizes that God’s message, spoken through His servant, was fulfilled in detail.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 14:18

  • "mourned" (סָפַד, safad): This word means to lament or grieve, often in a public or communal way. The use of this word shows that the mourning was not just private sorrow but a significant event for all Israel.
  • "word" (דָּבָר, davar): This term refers to the message or declaration from the LORD. Its use here underlines that what happened was not random but directly connected to God’s spoken promise.
  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of Israel’s God, highlighting that the prophecy and its fulfillment came from the covenant God of Israel, not just any deity.
  • "spake" (דָּבַר, dabar): This verb is closely related to "word" and stresses that the LORD actively communicated His will through the prophet.
  • "hand" (יָד, yad): In Hebrew, acting "by the hand" of someone means through their agency. Here, it shows that Ahijah was the instrument God used to deliver His message.

Why 1 Kings 14:18 matters

  • The verse confirms that God’s word, delivered through His prophet, comes true exactly as spoken, reinforcing the reliability of prophetic messages in the Bible.
  • It connects the personal tragedy in Jeroboam’s family to the larger story of Israel’s relationship with God, showing that even kings are subject to God’s word.
  • The public mourning by "all Israel" highlights the significance of the event and the impact of Jeroboam’s actions on the whole nation, not just his own family.

Where else these words appear

“Ahijah” Hebrew H281 · used in 23 verses

  • 1 Samuel 14:3 And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD'S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.
  • 1 Kings 14:4 And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age.
  • 2 Kings 9:9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah:

“mourned” 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 14:13 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.
  • 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.

“buried” 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.