Ahijah אֲחִיָּ֫הוּ
Prophet from Shiloh who prophesied to Jeroboam
Who is Ahijah in the Bible?
Ahijah the Shilonite was a prophet during the reigns of Solomon and Jeroboam I who delivered one of the most significant prophecies in Israel's history. He foretold the division of the united kingdom, famously encountering Jeroboam on the road and tearing his garment into twelve pieces, giving ten pieces to Jeroboam to symbolize the ten tribes he would rule over (1 Kings 11:29-30). Later, when Jeroboam's son fell ill, Ahijah received God's word and prophesied both the child's death and the destruction of Jeroboam's dynasty due to the king's idolatry (1 Kings 14:2-18). Ahijah's prophecies were pivotal in establishing that the division of Israel's kingdom was ordained by God as judgment against Solomon's turn to idolatry, making him a crucial messenger of divine will during a transformative period in Israel's monarchy.
Biography
Ahijah was a prophet from Shiloh who lived during the reigns of Solomon and Jeroboam I. He is best known for his prophecy to Jeroboam, foretelling the division of the kingdom and Jeroboam's rise as king over ten tribes of Israel. (1Ki.11.29-39)
Ahijah encountered Jeroboam and symbolically tore his new garment into twelve pieces, giving ten to Jeroboam to represent the ten tribes he would rule. Ahijah also prophesied the downfall of Solomon's dynasty due to idolatry. (1Ki.11.29-39).
Later, when Jeroboam's son Abijah fell ill, Jeroboam sent his wife in disguise to seek Ahijah's counsel. Ahijah, now blind, received a message from God and predicted the child's death and the destruction of Jeroboam's house for his idolatry. (1Ki.14.2-18)
Ahijah's prophecies concerning the division of the kingdom and the rise of Jeroboam came to pass, as recorded in both 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. (1Ki.12.15; 2Ch.10.15) His writings are mentioned as a source for the acts of Solomon. (2Ch.9.29)
In Scripture
2 biblical books1 Kings 5 verses
- 1 Kings 11:29
"During that time, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met Jeroboam on the road as he was going out of Jerusalem. Now Ahijah had wrapped himself in a new cloak, and the two of them were alone in the open field."
- 1 Kings 11:30
"And Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing, tore it into twelve pieces,"
- 1 Kings 12:15
"So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word He had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite."
- 1 Kings 14:2
"and Jeroboam said to his wife, “Now get up, disguise yourself so they will not recognize you as my wife, and go to Shiloh. For Ahijah the prophet is there; it was he who spoke about my kingship over this people."
- 1 Kings 14:4
"Jeroboam’s wife did as instructed; she arose and went to Shiloh and arrived at Ahijah’s house. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age."
2 Chronicles 2 verses
- 2 Chronicles 9:29
"As for the rest of the acts of Solomon, from beginning to end, are they not written in the Records of Nathan the Prophet, in the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat?"
- 2 Chronicles 10:15
"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."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | אֲחִיָּ֫הוּ |