Lexical Summary Shiloni: Shilonite Original Word: שִׁילוֹנִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Shilonite Or Shiyloniy {shee-lo-nee'}; or Shiloniy {shee-lo-nee'}; from Shiyloh; a Shilonite or inhabitant of Shiloh -- Shilonite. see HEBREW Shiyloh NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom Shiloh Definition inhab. of Shiloh NASB Translation Shilonite (6), Shilonites (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs שִׁילֹנִי, שִׁילוֺנִי etc., adjective, of a people of foregoing: הַשִׁילֹנִי of Ahijah 1 Kings 11:29; 1 Kings 15:29, הַשִּׁלֹנִי, 1 Kings 12:15; הַשִּׁילוֺנִי2Chronicles 9:29; הַשִּׁלוֺנִי2Chronicles 10:15; also הַשִּׁילוֺנִי (collective) 1 Chronicles 9:5, in "" Nehemiah 11:5 הַשִּׁלֹנִי without proper name, masculine, but in both these read הַשֵּׁ(י)לָנִי Be Ke Ryle GuHpt SiegfNe Buhl, etc.; see II. שֵׁלָה. שַׁלְהֶ֫בֶת see above Topical Lexicon Geographical and Historical BackgroundShiloh lay in the hill country of Ephraim, some 20 miles north of Jerusalem. From the days of Joshua until the early monarchy the tabernacle stood there (Joshua 18:1; 1 Samuel 1:3), making the town the spiritual center of the nation. Anyone identified as “the Shilonite” carried with him the heritage of that sacred site—its history of covenant worship, the annual feasts, and the priestly ministry that shaped Israel’s faith before the temple was built in Jerusalem. Occurrences in Scripture Shilonite (Strong’s H7888) appears six times: • 1 Kings 11:29 Five of these texts describe the prophet Ahijah; one names a post-exilic clan that settled in Jerusalem. Ahijah the Shilonite: Prophet of Covenant Division “During that time, Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, and the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road… the two of them were alone in the countryside” (1 Kings 11:29). Ahijah’s ministry bridged the reigns of Solomon, Rehoboam, and Jeroboam, and his prophetic word determined the political map of Israel for four centuries. 1. Pronouncing judgment on Solomon’s house (1 Kings 11:31-39). Ahijah’s rending of the cloak into twelve pieces signified the tearing of the united kingdom because of idolatry, yet preserved “one tribe” for David’s sake. 2. Installing Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:15; 2 Chronicles 10:15). The refusal of Rehoboam to lighten the yoke “came from the LORD to fulfill the word He had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat” (1 Kings 12:15). Thus the prophet’s oracle became the hinge on which history turned. 3. Announcing Jeroboam’s downfall (1 Kings 14:6-16). Though not using the Shilonite title in that chapter, the same prophet later condemned Jeroboam’s calf worship, showing that divine election never excuses disobedience. 4. Foretelling the extinction of Baasha’s dynasty (1 Kings 15:29). The chronicler links Baasha’s assassinations directly to “the word of the LORD, which He had spoken through His servant Ahijah the Shilonite,” underscoring that God’s sentence, once uttered, is inescapable. The location of Ahijah’s origin is significant. Growing up in the shadow of the tabernacle, he exemplified faithfulness to the covenant worship that Shiloh once embodied, and he judged kings by that very standard. The Shilonites in Post-Exilic Jerusalem 1 Chronicles 9:5 records, “From the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn and his sons.” These descendants of the Judahite family of Shelah (compare Numbers 26:20 “the Shelanite clan”) returned from Babylon and settled in Jerusalem. Their presence beside priests, Levites, and Benjaminites testifies that the restored community embraced all branches of the covenant people. The name Shilonite thus binds together pre-monarchic worship, prophetic authority, and post-exilic hope. Fulfillment of Prophecy and the Reliability of Scripture The chronicler, writing after the exile, points his readers to “the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite” as a trustworthy historical source (2 Chronicles 9:29). By doing so he affirms that the prophetic word both interprets and governs history. What the LORD uttered through the Shilonite came to pass despite the intentions of powerful monarchs. The divided kingdom, the downfall of dynasties, and even the exile itself unfolded precisely as foretold. Believers therefore read the title “Shilonite” as a reminder that “the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Theological Themes • Sovereignty and human responsibility: Ahijah declared God’s decree, yet Solomon’s idolatry and Rehoboam’s arrogance were genuine moral choices. Lessons for Today 1. God’s word shapes history, not merely comments on it; therefore believers trust Scripture’s promises and warnings alike. Forms and Transliterations הַשִּֽׁילוֹנִ֗י הַשִּֽׁלוֹנִ֔י הַשִּׁ֣ילוֹנִ֔י הַשִּׁילֹנִ֔י הַשִּׁילֹנִ֨י הַשִּׁילֹנִֽי׃ השילוני השילני השילני׃ השלוני haš·šî·lō·nî haš·ši·lō·w·nî haš·šî·lō·w·nî hashshiloNi haššîlōnî haššilōwnî haššîlōwnîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Kings 11:29 HEB: אֹת֡וֹ אֲחִיָּה֩ הַשִּׁילֹנִ֨י הַנָּבִ֜יא בַּדֶּ֗רֶךְ NAS: Ahijah the Shilonite found KJV: Ahijah the Shilonite found INT: found Ahijah the Shilonite the prophet the road 1 Kings 12:15 1 Kings 15:29 1 Chronicles 9:5 2 Chronicles 9:29 2 Chronicles 10:15 6 Occurrences |
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