1 Kings 14:17Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah. As she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.
The setting
Tirzah, Israel, ~930 BC. A mother returns home with false hope, only to find her worst fear realized at her own doorstep. Modern-day West Bank.
The emotion here: clinical documentation while processing profound tragedy
The original word
saf (סַף) — threshold, the exact moment of crossing from outside hope to inside reality
Why it matters
Tirzah was the beautiful capital of northern Israel before Samaria was built
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Kings 14:17
The timing is precise - the child died the exact moment she crossed the threshold, fulfilling Ahijah's specific prophecy
Common misconceptionPeople think this shows God is cruel, but the child's death actually spared him from seeing Israel's destruction and ensured he got a proper burial with mourning.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Kings 14:17
Bible Genome reading
1 Kings 14:17 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Kings 14:17 comes from the book of 1 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include prophecy fulfillment, tragic timing, divine precision. Notable phrases: came to the threshold; the child died.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does 1 Kings 14:17 mean to you, today?
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