1 Kings 14:17
New International Version
Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and left and went to Tirzah. As soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died.

New Living Translation
So Jeroboam’s wife returned to Tirzah, and the child died just as she walked through the door of her home.

English Standard Version
Then Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed and came to Tirzah. And as she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and departed for Tirzah, and as soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died.

King James Bible
And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: and when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died;

New King James Version
Then Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed, and came to Tirzah. When she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.

New American Standard Bible
Then Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed, and came to Tirzah. As she was entering the threshold of the house, the child died.

NASB 1995
Then Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed and came to Tirzah. As she was entering the threshold of the house, the child died.

NASB 1977
Then Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed and came to Tirzah. As she was entering the threshold of the house, the child died.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Jeroboam’s wife arose and went away and came to Tirzah. As she was entering the threshold of the house, the child died.

Amplified Bible
So Jeroboam’s wife arose and left and came to Tirzah [the king’s residence]. As she was entering the threshold of the house, the child [Abijah] died.

Christian Standard Bible
Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and left and went to Tirzah. As she was crossing the threshold of the house, the boy died.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and left and went to Tirzah. As she was crossing the threshold of the house, the boy died.

American Standard Version
And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: and as she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.

Contemporary English Version
Jeroboam's wife left and went back home to the town of Tirzah. As soon as she set foot in her house, her son died.

English Revised Version
And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: and as she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jeroboam's wife got up, left, and went to Tirzah. When she walked across the threshold of her home, the boy died.

Good News Translation
Jeroboam's wife went back to Tirzah. Just as she entered her home, the child died.

International Standard Version
Then Jeroboam's wife got up and left for Tirzah. As soon as she set foot over the threshold of the house, the child died.

Majority Standard Bible
Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and departed for Tirzah, and as soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died.

NET Bible
So Jeroboam's wife got up and went back to Tirzah. As she crossed the threshold of the house, the boy died.

New Heart English Bible
Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah. As she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: and when she came to the threshhold of the door, the child died;

World English Bible
Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed, and came to Tirzah. As she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the wife of Jeroboam rises, and goes, and comes to Tirzah; she has come to the threshold of the house, and the youth dies;

Young's Literal Translation
And the wife of Jeroboam riseth, and goeth, and cometh to Tirzah; she hath come in to the threshold of the house, and the youth dieth;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jeroboam's wife will arise and go, and come to Tirzah: she came upon the threshold of the house, and the boy died.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the wife of Jeroboam arose, and departed, and came to Thersa: and when she was coming in to the threshold of the house, the child died;

Catholic Public Domain Version
And so, the wife of Jeroboam rose up, and she went away. And she arrived at Tirzah. And as she was entering the threshold of the house, the boy died.

New American Bible
So Jeroboam’s wife left and went back; when she came to Tirzah and crossed the threshold of her house, the child died.

New Revised Standard Version
Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and went away, and she came to Tirzah. As she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then Jeroboam's wife arose and departed and came to Tirzah; and when she came to the threshold of her house, the child died;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the wife of Yorbaam arose and she went, and she entered Tertsa. She entered at the gate of her house, and the boy died.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah; and as she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Ahijah's Prophecy Against Jeroboam
16So He will give Israel over on account of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.” 17Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and departed for Tirzah, and as soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died. 18And they buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servant Ahijah the prophet.…

Cross References
1 Kings 14:12-13
As for you, get up and go home. When your feet enter the city, the child will die. / All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. For this is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will receive a proper burial, because only in him has the LORD, the God of Israel, found any good in the house of Jeroboam.

1 Kings 15:29-30
As soon as Baasha became king, he struck down the entire household of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam anyone who breathed, but destroyed them all according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, / because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he had provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger.

2 Kings 9:7-9
And you are to strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD shed by the hand of Jezebel. / The whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, both slave and free, in Israel. / I will make the house of Ahab like the houses of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah.

2 Chronicles 10:15-16
So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from God, in order that the LORD might fulfill the word that He had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. / When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So all the Israelites went home,

2 Chronicles 11:4
that this is what the LORD says: ‘You are not to go up and fight against your brothers. Each of you must return home, for this is My doing.’” So they listened to the words of the LORD and turned back from going against Jeroboam.

2 Chronicles 12:15-16
Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the Prophet and of Iddo the Seer concerning the genealogies? There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout their days. / And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And his son Abijah reigned in his place.

2 Chronicles 13:20
Jeroboam did not again recover his power during the days of Abijah, and the LORD struck him down and he died.

Hosea 13:11
So in My anger I gave you a king, and in My wrath I took him away.

Amos 7:9
The high places of Isaac will be deserted, and the sanctuaries of Israel will be laid waste; and I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with My sword.”

Matthew 1:7
Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa.

Matthew 12:25
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.

Luke 11:17
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and a house divided against a house will fall.

John 11:49-52
But one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! / You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” / Caiaphas did not say this on his own. Instead, as high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the nation, ...

Acts 13:22
After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’

Romans 11:4-5
And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” / In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.


Treasury of Scripture

And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: and when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died;

1 Kings 6:4
And for the house he made windows of narrow lights.

1 Kings 15:21,33
And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah…

1 Kings 16:6,8,9,15,23
So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead…

when she came

1 Kings 14:12,13
Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die…

1 Samuel 2:20-34
And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home…

1 Samuel 4:18-20
And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years…

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Boy Child Death Departed Died Dieth Door Doorway Entering House Jeroboam Jeroboam's Jerobo'am's Riseth Soon Stepped Threshhold Threshold Tirzah Wife Youth
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1 Kings 14
1. Abijah being sick,
2. Jeroboam sends his wife, disguised, with presents to the prophet Ahijah
5. Ahijah forewarned by God, denounces God's judgment
17. Abijah dies, and is buried
19. Nadab succeeds Jeroboam
21. Rehoboam's wicked reign,
25. Shishak raids Jerusalem
29. Abijam succeeds Rehoboam














So Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed
This phrase marks the beginning of a significant and somber journey. Jeroboam's wife, unnamed in this passage, represents the silent yet pivotal roles women often played in biblical narratives. Her arising and departing signify obedience to the prophet Ahijah's instructions, despite the grim prophecy she received. The Hebrew root for "arose" (קוּם, qum) often implies a decisive action, suggesting her resolve and acceptance of the divine message. This moment reflects the broader biblical theme of human response to God's word, highlighting the importance of obedience even in difficult circumstances.

and she came to Tirzah
Tirzah, meaning "delight" or "pleasantness" in Hebrew, was a significant city in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Historically, it served as a royal city before Samaria became the capital. Archaeological findings suggest Tirzah was a place of considerable importance and beauty, which contrasts with the tragedy unfolding in this narrative. The journey to Tirzah underscores the tension between the city's name and the sorrow awaiting Jeroboam's wife, illustrating the often paradoxical nature of life and divine judgment.

As she stepped over the threshold of the house
The threshold in ancient cultures was more than a physical boundary; it symbolized transition and change. In this context, stepping over the threshold marks the fulfillment of Ahijah's prophecy. The Hebrew word for "threshold" (מִפְתָּן, miftan) can also imply a place of decision or judgment. This moment is a poignant reminder of the inevitability of God's word coming to pass. It serves as a metaphor for crossing from one state of being to another, from hope to despair, and from life to death.

the boy died
This phrase delivers the tragic culmination of the prophecy. The death of Jeroboam's son is not merely a personal loss but a national one, symbolizing the spiritual decay of Israel under Jeroboam's rule. The Hebrew word for "died" (מוּת, muth) is stark and final, emphasizing the seriousness of divine judgment. In a broader scriptural context, this event serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of idolatry and disobedience to God. It calls believers to reflect on the importance of faithfulness and the reality of divine justice.

(17) Tirzah.--From this incidental notice it would seem that Jeroboam had removed his habitation, temporarily or permanently, to Tirzah, a place renowned for beauty (Song of Solomon 6:4), and farther from the hostile frontier than Shechem. It seems to have continued as the capital till the foundation of Samaria. Its site is generally identified with a spot now called Tell-zah, about nine miles north-east of Shechem, still in the high ground of Mount Ephraim.

Verse 17. - And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came [possibly she lingered for some time on the road, dreading to return] to Tirzah [Identified by Robinson and Van de Velds (Narrative, 2:334, 335), with Telluzah, or Taluse, a place in the mountains, six miles north of Shechem. See Joshua 12:24. Both these writers admit, however, that if this is indeed Tirzah, "all traces of royalty have disappeared." "With the exception of a few sepulchral caves, subterranean granaries, wells, and old hewn stones, nothing of ancient Tirzah remains in Taluse." Condor recognizes the name in the modern Teiasir - a village near Jezreel, in the Great Plain which "contains the exact letters of the Hebrew word, though the two last radicals are interchanged in position." "The beauty of the position... the ancient remains, and the old main road from the place to Shechem seem to agree well with the idea of its having once been a capital" ("Tentwork," p. 57). Some of its "numerous rock-cut sepulchres," he thinks, may be the tombs of the early kings of Israel. It was famed for its beauty (Song of Solomon 6:4), and for this reason, perhaps, among others (see on ver. 1) was selected by Jeroboam for his residence. It is not certain that it had taken the place of Shechem as the political capital]: and when she came [the Hebrew is much more graphic. "She came to... and the child died"] to the threshold of the door [Heb. house], the child died. [This statement seems at first sight to contradict that of ver. 12, which says the child should die as she entered the city. But the palace may have been on the edge of the city (Rawl.), or the "city" may have been little more than the palace.]

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then Jeroboam’s
יָרָבְעָ֔ם (yā·rā·ḇə·‘ām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3379: Jeroboam -- 'the people increase', the name of two Israelites kings

wife
אֵ֣שֶׁת (’ê·šeṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

got up
וַתָּ֙קָם֙ (wat·tā·qām)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

and departed
וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ (wat·tê·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

for
וַתָּבֹ֣א (wat·tā·ḇō)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

Tirzah,
תִרְצָ֑תָה (ṯir·ṣā·ṯāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 8656: Tirzah -- daughter of Zelophehad, also a Canaanite city

and as soon as she
הִ֛יא (hî)
Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

stepped over
בָּאָ֥ה (bā·’āh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

the threshold
בְסַף־ (ḇə·sap̄-)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5592: A vestibule, a dish

of the house,
הַבַּ֖יִת (hab·ba·yiṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

the boy
וְהַנַּ֥עַר (wə·han·na·‘ar)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5288: A boy, lad, youth, retainer

died.
מֵֽת׃ (mêṯ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill


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OT History: 1 Kings 14:17 Jeroboam's wife arose and departed and came (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 14:16
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