1 Kings 14:9

9 but hast done evil above all that were before thee, for thou hast gone and made thee other gods and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back;

1 Kings 14:9 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 14:9

But hast done evil above all that were before thee
Not only above David, but above Saul, who never gave into idolatry, yea, even above Solomon, who, though he connived at idolatry, and might be guilty of it in some instances, yet did not attempt to draw his people into it; and if this was the latter end of Jeroboam's reign, which is probable, Rehoboam and Abijam might be both dead; and though they were blameworthy in some things, yet not so bad as Jeroboam; though perhaps this may respect only such who had been kings of Israel before him:

for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to
provoke me to anger;
the two calves of gold; for however he might colour things over, and pretend he did not look upon these as gods, but as representations of God, and that he did not worship them, but God by them, yet the Lord considered it as idolatry, than which nothing is more provoking to him:

and hast cast me behind thy back;
as unworthy of his regard; or my worship, as the Targum, which he neglected, and showed no concern for.

1 Kings 14:9 In-Context

7 Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus hath the LORD God of Israel said, Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people and made thee prince over my people Israel,
8 and rent the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it thee, and yet thou hast not been as my slave David, who kept my commandments and who followed me with all his heart, to doing only that which was right in my eyes,
9 but hast done evil above all that were before thee, for thou hast gone and made thee other gods and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back;
10 therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam everyone that pisses against the wall, the one that is shut up along with the one that is left in Israel, and will burn away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns away dung until it is all gone.
11 The one that dies of those of Jeroboam in the city, the dogs shall eat, and the one that dies in the field, the fowls of the air shall eat; for the LORD has spoken it.
The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010