John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 5. And the Lord said unto Abijah , etc.] Either in a dream, or by an impulse upon his mind, before Jeroboam’s wife came in: behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh to ask a thing of thee for her son, for he is sick ; to know whether he will recover or not: thus and thus shall thou say unto her ; as after expressed in some following verses: for it shall be, when she cometh in, that she shall feign herself another woman ; to the people that let her in, and introduce her to the prophet, and to the prophet himself; pretend herself to be a countrywoman come to ask a question of the prophet concerning her son that was ill of a disease.
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 ויהוה3068 אמר559 אל413 אחיהו281 הנה2009 אשׁת802 ירבעם3379 באה935 לדרשׁ1875 דבר1697 מעמך5973 אל413 בנה1121 כי3588 חלה2470 הוא1931 כזה2090 וכזה2088 תדבר1696 אליה413 ויהי1961 כבאה935 והיא1931 מתנכרה׃5234
