1 Kings Chapter 11

Solomon’s Wives

¹ King Solomon loved many foreign women along with Pharaoh’s daughter: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women. ² They came from the nations Yahveh had told the Israelites not to associate with, “They’ll turn your heart away after their gods.” Solomon held fast to them in love. ³ He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. ⁴ When he was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods. He wasn’t wholly devoted to Yahveh like David was. ⁵ Solomon went after Ashtoreth, goddess of the Sidonians; and Milcom, the detestable idol of the Ammonites. ⁶ He did what was sin and didn’t follow Yahveh faithfully. ⁷ He built a high place for Chemosh, detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain east of Jerusalem, and for Molech, detestable idol of the Ammonites. ⁸ He did that for all his foreign wives, who^pl burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. 1 Kg 11:1-8

⁹ Yahveh was angry with him because he turned his heart away. The God of Israel had appeared to him twice, ¹⁰ and commanded him not to go after other gods. But he didn’t obey that command. ¹¹ God told him,

“Because you’ve done this and haven’t kept my covenant and statutes, I’ll tear the kingdom from you and give it to one of your servants. ¹² But for David’s sake, I won’t do it in your lifetime. I’ll tear it away from your son, ¹³ but not all of it. I’ll give him one tribe for the sake of David and Jerusalem that I’ve chosen.”    

                                                                                                      1 Kg 11:9-13

Solomon’s Adversaries

¹⁴ Yahveh raised up Hadad the Edomite against Solomon. He was from the royal line. ¹⁵ When David was in Edom, Joab, commander of the army, had gone up to bury the slain and strike down every male in Edom. ( ¹⁶ Joab and all Israel stayed there six months, until he’d killed every male in Edom.) ¹⁷ Hadad fled to Egypt with some of his father’s officials when he was a boy. ¹⁸ They left Midian and went to Paran. They took people with them from Paran and went on to Pharaoh. He gave him a house and land and assigned him food. ¹⁹ He came to like Hadad so much that he gave him in marriage the sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes. ²⁰ She had Hadad’s son Genubath and weaned him in Pharaoh’s palace. Genubath was in Pharaoh’s palace with his sons. ²¹ But when Hadad heard that David had died and Joab was dead, he said to Pharaoh, “Let me leave so I can go to my own country.”

²² “What have you lacked with me?”

“Nothing; but you need to let me go.”                                                              1 Kg 11:14-22

²³ God raised up another adversary, Rezon Ben-Eliada, who had fled from his lord Hadadezer, king of Zobah. ^24-25 He gathered men and led a marauding band after David killed the people in Zobah. They went to Damascus and ruled^pl Aram from there. He hated Israel and was its adversary all of Solomon’s life like Hadad was.

Jeroboam Rebels Against Solomon

²⁶ Jeroboam Ben-Nebat rebelled against Solomon. He was an Ephraimite from Zeredah, one of Solomon’s officials, whose mother was Zeruah, a widow. ²⁷ He rebelled when Solomon was building the Millo and closing up the breach in The City of David. ²⁸ Jeroboam was a trained soldier. When Solomon saw that the young man was industrious, he appointed him over the forced labor of Joseph’s house. ²⁹ During that time, when Jeroboam left Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road. Ahijah had dressed in a new cloak, and both of them were alone in a field. ³⁰ Ahijah took his new cloak and tore it into 12 pieces. ³¹ He told Jeroboam,

“Take ten pieces. Yahveh says, ‘I’ll tear the kingdom away from Solomon and give you ten tribes (³² but he’ll have one tribe, for the sake of David and Jerusalem, the city I’ve chosen from the tribes). ³³ They’ve left me and worshiped Ashtoreth goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh god of Moab, and Milcom god of the Ammonites. They haven’t done what I’ve considered right or observed my statutes and ordinances like David did. ³⁴ I won’t take the whole kingdom away from Solomon. I’ll let him rule all his life for David’s sake, ³⁵ but I’ll take ten tribes away from his son and give them to you. ³⁶ I’ll give his son one tribe so David will always have a lamp in Jerusalem, the city I’ve chosen to identify with. ³⁷ I’ll take you, and you’ll reign over whatever you desire and be king of Israel. ³⁸ If you listen to everything I tell you like David did, I’ll be with you and build you an enduring dynasty like I built for David. ³⁹ That’s how I’ll punish David’s descendants for this, but not forever.’”

⁴⁰ Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but he fled to Shishak {Shoshenq I}, king of Egypt, and stayed there till Solomon died.         

Solomon’s Death

⁴¹ The rest of what Solomon did and his wisdom are recorded in The Book of the Acts of Solomon. ⁴² He ruled Israel in Jerusalem for 40 years. ⁴³ When he died, they buried him in The City of David. His son Rehoboam reigned. 1 Kg 11:23-43