1 Kings 11:29

And it came to pass at that time [a general expression = "when he was thus employed"] when [Heb. that ] Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem that [Heb. and ] , the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite [ i.e; of Shiloh, as is expressed 1 Kings 14:2-4 , where see notes. He too, therefore, was an Ephraimite ( Joshua 16:5 ). This portion of the history is probably derived from his writings ( 2 Chronicles 9:29 ). We may be pretty sure that Nathan was now dead] found him in the way; and he [ i.e; Ahijah. Ewald understands Jeroboam to be meant, and would see in the new garment his "splendid robe of office"] had clad himself with a new garment [ שַׂלְמָה same word as שְׂמְלָה such transpositions of letters being common. The simlah was the outer garment ( Genesis 9:23 ; 1 Samuel 21:10 , etc.), which served at night as a covering ( Deuteronomy 22:17 ). It was probably identical in shape, etc; with the camel's-hair burnous, or abba, worn by the Arabs at the present day, and being almost a square would lend itself well to division into twelve parts]; and they two were alone in the field [ i.e; open country.]