1 Kings 11 Footnotes

11:2 The term “intermarry” is an idiom used for more than just marriage. While the context clearly centers upon marriage, it is the entire cultural package that went along with marriage (economic, political) and the negative moral influence of close association with unbelievers that was in view here.

11:5 “Milcom” was the national deity of the Ammonites; the name apparently means “the king,” and was identified with Chemosh, the deity of Moab, by Jephthah in Jdg 11:24. Some suggest Milcom is the same god as Molech, see Jr 49:1.

11:6 “Did what was evil”; literally “The Evil.” This expression with the definite article, referring to idolatry, is very common in the Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings (Ex 20). The use of capitalization captures the original intent. Of all sin, the greatest in the eyes of the biblical authors was idolatry, and they often wrote of it this way.

11:25 “Aram” is modern Syria.

11:30 The Hebrew word used here for “cloak,” (salmah) was a pun on Solomon’s name (Hb shelomoh), having almost exactly the same consonants. The cloak was symbolic of the entire nation about to be divided, and the pun emphasized the irony: it was Solomon who was about to be divided.