U t 1-8. Sins. Committed.
u 9-. Yahaveh's anger.
t -9,10. Sins. Charged.
u 11-40. Yahaveh's punishment.897-880 B.C.
1 Kings 11)
1 But king Solomon loved many foreign women (note the frequent reference to these in the Book of Proverbs. Note the 3 steps in Solomon's fall: wealth, weapons, and women. Cp. Deut. 17:16-17, where note the items in which Solomon failed), together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, [and] Hittites;
2 Of the nations [concerning] which the Lord said to the sons of Israel (see Ex.34:16), “You all shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: [for] surely they will turn away your heart after their gods:” Solomon clove to these in love.
3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart (or better translated "mind").
4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, [that] his wives turned away his mind after other gods: and his mind was not perfect with the Lord his God (see 8:61), according to as [was] the mind of David his father (David was faultless as to idolatry).
5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians (cp. Judg.2:13. 1 Sam. 7:3; 12:10; 31:10), and after Milcom (same as Malcham, the Aramaic pronunciation of Molech [v.7]. See Zeph.1:5. Translated "their king" [Jer.49:1. Amos 1:15]) the abomination of the Ammonites (the word used for an idol by Fig., because of Yehovah's hatred which is produced. Cp. 2 Kings 23:13. Dan. 9:27).
6 And Solomon did the evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord , according to as [did] David his father.
7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh (= sub-doer. Cp. Num. 21:29. Jer. 48:7,13,46. 2 Kings 23:13), the abomination of Moab, in the hill that [is] before Jerusalem (= Mount of Olives! Hence called "the Mount of Corruption" [2 Kings 23:13]), and for Molech (= king. Generally has the article and denotes the king-idol. [Lev. 18:21; 20:2,3,4,5. 1 Kings 11:7. 2 Kings 23:10. Jer. 32:35]. Isa. 30:33 and 57:9 may be Molech, the idol, and not Melek, "king"), the abomination of the sons of Ammon.
8 And likewise did he for all his foreign wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed to their gods.
9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon (Fig. Heb. ’ănaph. Used only of Divine anger. Occurs 14 times in the Hithpael = to force one's self to be angry [as with one loved]. See the 6: Deut. 1:37; 4:21; 9:8,20. 1 Kings 11:9. 2 Kings 17:18),
because his mind was turned from the Lord God of Israel, Which had appeared to him twice (cp. 3:5; 9:2),
10 And had commanded him concerning this thing (cp. 6:12), that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded him.
u Ją 11-13. Threatening (diminution). J˛ 14-40. Execution (adversaries).
11 Wherefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Forasmuch as this is done of you, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant.
12 Notwithstanding in your days I will not do it for David your father's sake: [but] I will tear it out of the hand of your son.
13 However I will not tear away all the kingdom; [but] will give one tribe (Benjamin reckoned as part of Judah. Cp. vv.30-32) to your son for David My servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.”
J˛ v x 14. Hadad.
y 15-22. Cause.
w 23-25. Rezon.
v x 26. Jeroboam.
y 27-40. Cause.14 And the Lord stirred up an adversary (= a Satan) to Solomon, Hadad (= mighty) the Edomite: he [was] of the king's seed in Edom (= red).
15 For it came to pass (cp. 2 Sam. 8:3-13), when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain (cp. Ps. 60 title, and see note on 2 Sam. 8:13), after he had smitten every male [whom he found] in Edom (i.e. who did not flee, as Hadad did);
16 {For six months did Joab remain there with all Israel (see 2 Sam.8:13), until he had cut off every male in Edom:}
17 That Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt; Hadad [being] yet a little child.
18 And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran: and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt; which gave him a house, and appointed him victuals, and gave him land.
19 And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.
20 And the sister of Tahpenes bare him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house: and Genubath was in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh.
21 And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers (cp. Deut. 31:16), and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me depart, that I may go to my own country.”
22 Then Pharaoh said to him, “But what have you lacked with me, that, behold, you seek to go to your own country?” And he answered, “Nothing: however let me go in any wise.”
23 And God stirred him up [another] adversary, Rezon (= prince) the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah:
24 And he gathered men to him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them [of Zobah]: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.
25 And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad [did]: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria (David has subdued Syria [2 Sam. 8:3,6; 10:8,18]. Now Solomon, weakened by sin, loses Syria.).
26 And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zereda (as in 1 Sam.1:1. Not a Bethlehemite, as in Ruth 1:2. Zealous therefore for his tribe as against Judah), Solomon's servant, whose mother's name [was] Zeruah, a widow woman (1 of 9 mentioned in Scripture. See Gen. 38:19), even he lifted up [his] hand against the king.
27 And this [was] the cause that he lifted up [his] hand against the king: Solomon built the Millo, [and] repaired the breaches of the city of David his father.
28 And the man Jeroboam [was] a mighty man of valor: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he gave him oversight over all the charge of the house of Joseph (which gave him opportunity to oppress and create disaffection).
29 And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah (= friend of Yehovah. He afterwards rebuked Jeroboam [14:6-16]) the Shilonite (= a native of Shiloh, where the Tabernacle and Ark had bee placed [Josh. 18:1]. Cp. 1 Sam. 4:3) found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two [were] alone in the field:
30 And Ahijah caught the new garment that [was] on him, and tore it [in] twelve pieces (symbolic act. Cp. 22:11. Isa. 20:2, &c. Jer. 19:1-13. Ezek. 12:1-20. Zech. 11:7,10,14. #12= governmental completeness):
31 And he said to Jeroboam (= whose people are many), “Take you ten pieces: for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to you (Levi not reckoned):
32 {But he shall have one tribe for My servant David's sake (put for, and including, Simeon, Benjamin, and Levi, and others who joined later. Cp. 12:23. 2 Chron. 11:13; 15:9. All included in 12:20 by Fig. of speech), and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:}
33 Because that they have forsaken Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon (see vv.5,7), and have not walked in My ways, to do [that which is] right in My eyes, and [to keep] My statutes and My judgments, as [did] David his father.
34 However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept My commandments and My statutes:
35 But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand (fulfilled in 12:16-20), and will give it to you, [even] ten tribes.
36 And to his son will I give one tribe, that David My servant may have a lamp always before Me in Jerusalem (cp. the "furnace" of 8:51, and see Gen. 15:17. Cp. 2 Kings 8:19. Ps. 18:28. Jer. 25:1: implying the continued existence of the Divine purpose), the city which I have chosen Me to put My name there.
37 And I will take you, and you shall reign according to all that your soul desires, and shall be king over Israel.
38 And it shall be, if you will listen to all that I command you (same conditions as in 9:4), and will walk in My ways, and do [that is] right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with you, and build you a sure house (i.e. a long and unbroken line of descendants), as I built for David, and will give Israel to you.
39 And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever’ ” (thus confirming the prophecy of Gen. 49:10, which refers to the tribal pre-eminence of Judah [not national existence], which was preserved till fulfilled in Christ, when David's line ended in Him).
40 Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt (this explains much. He must have thought of Joseph's exaltation, and the blessing pronounced on Ephraim [Gen. 48:13-20; 49:22-26]; and by Moses [Deut. 33:13-17]. It explains also the origin of the "golden calves" [12:28]), to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
41 And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, [are] they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? (see Ex. 17:14)
920 to 880 B.C.
42 And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel [was] forty years (#40 = probation).
43 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.