1 Kings 11:14-43

14 And the LORD raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. He was of the royal house in Edom.
15 For 1when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army went up to bury the slain, he struck down every male in Edom
16 (for Joab and all Israel remained there six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom).
17 But Hadad fled to Egypt, together with certain Edomites of his father's servants, Hadad still being a little child.
18 They set out from Midian and came to 2Paran and took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house and assigned him an allowance of food and gave him land.
19 And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him in marriage the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.
20 And the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house. And Genubath was in Pharaoh's house among the sons of Pharaoh.
21 But when Hadad heard in Egypt 3that David slept with his fathers and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, "Let me depart, that I may go to my own country."
22 But Pharaoh said to him, "What have you lacked with me that you are now seeking to go to your own country?" And he said to him, "Only let me depart."
23 God also raised up as an adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master 4Hadadezer king of Zobah.
24 And he gathered men about him and became leader of a marauding band, 5after the killing by David. And they went to Damascus and lived there and made him king in Damascus.
25 He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon, doing harm as Hadad did. And he loathed Israel and reigned over Syria.
26 6Jeroboam the son of Nebat, 7an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow, also 8lifted up his hand against the king.
27 And this was the reason why he lifted up his hand against the king. 9Solomon built the Millo, and closed up the breach of the city of David his father.
28 The man Jeroboam was very able, and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious he gave him charge over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph.
29 And at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet 10Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had dressed himself in a new garment, and the two of them were alone in the open country.
30 Then Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, 11and tore it into twelve pieces.
31 And he said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Behold, 12I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes
32 (but 13he shall have one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, 14the city that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel),
33 because they have[a] forsaken me 15and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and they have not walked in my ways, doing what is right in my sight and keeping my statutes and my rules, as David his father did.
34 Nevertheless, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of David my servant whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my statutes.
35 16But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand and will give it to you, ten tribes.
36 Yet to his son 17I will give one tribe, that David my servant may always have 18a lamp before me in Jerusalem, 19the city where I have chosen to put my name.
37 And I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your soul desires, and you shall be king over Israel.
38 And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, 20I will be with you and 21will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.
39 And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not forever.'"
40 Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, to 22Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
41 23Now 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?
42 And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.
43 And Solomon 24slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And 25Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

1 Kings 11:14-43 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.

Cross References 25

  • 1. 2 Samuel 8:14; 1 Chronicles 18:12, 13
  • 2. Numbers 10:12; Deuteronomy 33:2
  • 3. 1 Kings 2:10
  • 4. [2 Samuel 10:16]
  • 5. 2 Samuel 8:3; 2 Samuel 10:8, 18
  • 6. 1 Kings 12:2; 2 Chronicles 13:6
  • 7. 1 Samuel 1:1
  • 8. 2 Samuel 20:21
  • 9. 1 Kings 9:24; [2 Samuel 5:9]
  • 10. 1 Kings 12:15; 1 Kings 14:2; 1 Kings 15:29; 2 Chronicles 9:29
  • 11. [1 Samuel 15:27]
  • 12. ver. 11-13
  • 13. ver. 13; 1 Kings 12:21
  • 14. 1 Kings 14:21; See Deuteronomy 12:5
  • 15. ver. 5, 7
  • 16. ver. 12; 1 Kings 12:16, 17
  • 17. [See ver. 32 above]
  • 18. 1 Kings 15:4; 2 Samuel 21:17; 2 Kings 8:19; 2 Chronicles 21:7
  • 19. [See ver. 32 above]
  • 20. Joshua 1:5
  • 21. 1 Samuel 2:35; 2 Samuel 7:11, 27
  • 22. 1 Kings 14:25; 2 Chr. 12:2, 5, 7, 9
  • 23. For ver. 41-43, see 2 Chronicles 9:29-31
  • 24. 1 Kings 2:10; 1 Kings 14:20
  • 25. Matthew 1:7

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate he has; twice in this verse
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.