John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 2. And Jeroboam said to his wife , etc.] 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 f331 , 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, ( 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.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - "At that time," when Jeroboam did evil, his child sickened. When sickness comes into our families, we should inquire whether there ma not be some particular sin harboured in our houses, which the affliction is sent to convince us of, and reclaim us from. It had bee more pious if he had desired to know wherefore God contended with him had begged the prophet's prayers, and cast away his idols from him; but most people would rather be told their fortune, than their faults of their duty. He sent to Ahijah, because he had told him he should be king. Those who by sin disqualify themselves for comfort, yet expec that their ministers, because they are good men, should speak peace an comfort to them, greatly wrong themselves and their ministers. He sen his wife in disguise, that the prophet might only answer her questio concerning her son. Thus some people would limit their ministers to smooth things, and care not for having the whole counsel of God declared to them, lest it should prophesy no good concerning them, but evil. But she shall know, at the first word, what she has to trust to Tidings of a portion with hypocrites will be heavy tidings. God wil judge men according to what they are, not by what they seem to be.
Original Hebrew ויאמר559 ירבעם3379 לאשׁתו802 קומי6965 נא4994 והשׁתנית8138 ולא3808 ידעו3045 כי3588 אתי859 אשׁת802 ירבעם3379 והלכת1980 שׁלה7887 הנה2009 שׁם8033 אחיה281 הנביא5030 הוא1931 דבר1696 עלי5921 למלך4428 על5921 העם5971 הזה׃2088
