1 Kings 11:1-13

Solomon's Unfaithfulness to God

1 King Solomon loved many foreign women in addition to Pharaoh's daughter: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women
2 from the nations that the Lord had told the Israelites about, "Do not intermarry with them, and they must not intermarry with you, because they will turn you away [from Me] to their gods."[a] Solomon was deeply attached to these women and loved [them].
3 He had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 concubines, and they turned his heart away [from the Lord].[b]
4 When Solomon was old, his wives seduced him [to follow] other gods. His heart was not completely with the Lord his God, as his father David's heart had been.[c]
5 Solomon followed Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom, the detestable idol of the Ammonites.
6 Solomon did what was evil in the Lord's sight, and unlike his father David, he did not completely follow the Lord.
7 At that time, Solomon built a high place[d] for Chemosh, the detestable idol of Moab, and for Milcom,[e] the detestable idol of the Ammonites on the hill across from Jerusalem.
8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who were burning incense and offering sacrifices to their gods.
9 The Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.
10 He had commanded him about this, so that he would not follow other gods, but Solomon did not do what the Lord had commanded.
11 Then the Lord said to Solomon, "Since you have done this[f] and did not keep My covenant and My statutes, which I commanded you, I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.
12 However, I will not do it during your lifetime because of your father David; I will tear it out of your son's hand.
13 Yet, I will not tear the entire kingdom away from him. I will give one tribe to your son because of my servant David and because of Jerusalem that I chose."

1 Kings 11:1-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 11

This chapter relates the false steps Solomon took, notwithstanding all his wisdom, in marrying strange wives, and worshipping other gods, 1Ki 11:1-8 upon which the Lord threatens him to rend the kingdom in his son's time, 1Ki 11:9-13 and he raised up adversaries against him, Hadad, Rezon, and Jeroboam, 1Ki 11:14-26 of which last an account is given, and of his being assured by Ahijah the prophet of his having ten of the tribes of Israel given to him; which Solomon having notice of sought to slay him, 1Ki 11:27-40 and the chapter is concluded with an account of Solomon's death and burial, 1Ki 11:41-43.

Footnotes 6

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