1 Kings 14:2

2 So Jeroboam told his wife, “Disguise yourself so that no one will recognize you as my wife. Then go to the prophet Ahijah at Shiloh—the man who told me I would become king.

1 Kings 14:2 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 14:2

And Jeroboam said to his wife
Who she was is not known:

arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself;
put off her royal apparel, and clothe herself like a common person, mimic the dress and language of a country woman:

that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam:
by any that should see her on the road, or at the city she was to go to, or by the prophet to whom she would be sent:

and get thee to Shiloh;
which, according to Bunting ^F7, was twenty four miles, from Tirzah, where Jeroboam now lived, see ( 1 Kings 14:17 )

behold, there is Ahijah the prophet:
called from thence the Shilonite, ( 1 Kings 11:29 ) ,

which told me that I should be king over this people:
and this coming to pass, proved him to be a true prophet, and to be credited in what he should say concerning their child. Jeroboam desired his wife to go on this errand, because he did not care it should be known that he applied to any of the prophets of the Lord; nor did he choose it should be known whose child was inquired about, which another must have told, whereas his wife could speak of it as her own; and she was the fittest person to give an account of the child's illness, and would ask the most proper and pertinent questions, and bring him back a faithful report; and he would have her be disguised, lest the prophet, who bore no good will to him because of his apostasy, should refuse to give any answer at all, or else give a very rough and disagreeable one.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F7 Travels p. 161.

1 Kings 14:2 In-Context

1 At that time Jeroboam’s son Abijah became very sick.

2 So Jeroboam told his wife, “Disguise yourself so that no one will recognize you as my wife. Then go to the prophet Ahijah at Shiloh—the man who told me I would become king.

3 Take him a gift of ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and ask him what will happen to the boy.”

4 So Jeroboam’s wife went to Ahijah’s home at Shiloh. He was an old man now and could no longer see.

5 But the LORD had told Ahijah, “Jeroboam’s wife will come here, pretending to be someone else. She will ask you about her son, for he is very sick. Give her the answer I give you.”