This chapter relates the false steps Solomon took, notwithstanding all his wisdom, in marrying strange wives, and worshipping other gods, 1 Kings 11:1–8 upon which the Lord threatens him to rend the kingdom in his son’s time, 1 Kings 11:9–13 and he raised up adversaries against him, Hadad, Rezon,…

But King Solomon loved many strange women His love was a lustful and not a lawful one, and of women who were not only of foreign countries, but not his lawful wives, and these many: together with the daughter of Pharaoh; besides her, or as he loved her, and perhaps more; his sin was not that he…

Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you That is, they should not intermarry with one another; this is to be understood of the last mentioned, the Hittites, who were one of the seven nations this law…

And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines In all 1000, a prodigious number; though these might not be all for use, but for state after the manner of the eastern monarchs; these were a far greater number than are alluded to in , unless the virgins without number there,…

And it came to pass, when Solomon was old Toward the latter end of his reign, when he might be near sixty years of age; for Rehoboam his son and successor was forty one when he began to reign, which is observed either as an aggravation of the sin of Solomon, that in his old age, when by long…

And Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, &c.] Enticed by the Zidonian women, or woman, he had, . According to the Phoenician histories [[8]], Solomon married a daughter of Hiram, king of Tyre and Zidon; so Clemens of Alexandria says [[9]], that Hiram gave his daughter to…

And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord As idolatry is, nothing more provoking to him: and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father; for though he did not relinquish the worship of the true God, and the service of the temple, yet inasmuch as he worshipped other gods besides, or…

Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Mesh Of this idol, (See Gill on Jer. 48:7), an high place for which he ordered to be built, or at least suffered it to be built, at the instigation of his Moabitish woman or women, , this was built in the hill that is before…

And likewise did he for all his strange wives That is, built high places for their idols, or suffered them to be built; for when he had done it for one, he could not refuse it to another, without greatly disobliging them; even for as many of them, which burnt incense, and sacrificed unto their…

And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel Or from the fear of him, as the Targum, which must in a great measure be cast off, or he could not have given in to idolatry in any shape as he did; for it was for that the Lord was displeased, the which…

And had commanded him concerning this thing that he should not go after other gods Which is another aggravation of his sin that it was against an express command of God, and was particularly given him, and he was warned to observe it, and threatened with evil should he break it: but he kept not…

Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon Not in a vision, as before, but by a prophet; the Jews say [[12]], Ahijah the Shilonite, which is probable, see forasmuch as this is done of thee, that thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes which I have commanded thee; but broke them by his idolatry: I…

Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake Not for the merits of David, but the promises made to him, (2 Sam. 7:12, 2 Sam. 7:13) , but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son; and immediate successor, Rehoboam.

Howbeit, I will not rend away all the kingdom The whole kingdom of Israel: but will give one tribe to thy son; but it seems he had both Benjamin and Judah, and only ten tribes were rent from him; the reason of this mode of expression may be, either because he gave him one of the tribes of Israel,…

And the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite Though he did not take his kingdom from him for his sin, he chastised him with the rod of men, as he said he would; suffering one, and then another, to rise up and disturb his peace in his old age, see he was of the king’s seed in…

For it came to pass, when David was in Edom Fighting with the Edomites, and subduing them, and putting garrisons in the land, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain: the Israelites that fell in battle, or whom the Edomites afterwards, through stratagem and surprise, fell…

For six months did Joab remain with all Israel With the whole army: until he had cut off every male in Edom; as he supposed; for it was not fact, since after this they increased again, and became a powerful people, and had a king over them, and revolted from Judah, .

That Hadad fled While Joab was burying the slain: he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him; who either was a king, and these some of his officers and courtiers; or however was of the royal family, and had an equipage, and these some of them: to go into Egypt; that was their view at…

And they arose out of Midian A country which lay in their way to Egypt, and where it seems they made some stay, and then departed: and came to Paran; near to which was a wilderness of the same name, in which the Israelites wandered when they came out of Egypt, and which lay between Edom and Egypt:…

And Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh Perhaps for his comely personage, princely qualities, and good behaviour, as he grew up: so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen; it seems the kings of Egypt used to marry their favourites to great…

And the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son Which signifies “stealth”, and the name might be given in memory of himself being carried away by stealth from his own land: whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house: who was so fond of the child, that she took it, and weaned it for her in the…

And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers Was dead and buried, as the death of princes is soon known in other countries, and especially a king of such fame as David: and that Joab the captain of the host was dead: whose name might be terrible to Hadad, because of the slaughter…

Then Pharaoh said unto him, but what hast thou lacked with me, &c.] Either of an equipage suitable to his birth and marriage, or of provisions for his household, or of honour and respect, or of any favour from him: that, behold, thou seekest to go into thine own country? as if not well used where…

And God stirred him up another adversary One from the north, as the other was from the south: Rezon, the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah: when David fought with him; and this man seeing the battle go against his master, and that he was like to be worsted, deserted…

And he gathered men unto him Perhaps some of the scattered forces of his master: and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah; some that escaped enlisted under this man, and lived by plunder the remainder of David’s reign, and so in the reign of Solomon unto his old age, when his…

And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, &c.] Not all the days of his life, see , but all his days, from his first going into idolatry, to the end of his life: beside the mischief that Hadad did; and which, whatever it was, was not done till this time; for either, when he got…

And Jeroboam the son of Nebat According to some Jewish writers [[16]], this was Sheba the son of Bichri; but, as Kimchi observes, he was of the tribe of Benjamin, this of Ephraim; and besides, his head was cut off, and thrown over the wall to Joab, (2 Sam. 20:1, 2 Sam.

And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king The occasion of it, his being advanced to some posts under Solomon, which elated him, and what passed between him and the prophet Ahijah, after related: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father:…

And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour A man of great strength of body, and fortitude of mind: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious; in what he was set about in the above buildings and repairs: he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph; the tribes of…

And it came to pass at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem Either to enter upon his new office: or having been with Solomon to pay in the revenues, and to make up his accounts with him was going back to the country to do the duty of his office: that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found…

And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him This looks as if it was Jeroboam’s garment, having got a new one to appear before the king in; though the sense may be this, that the prophet took hold of his own garment that was upon himself: and rent it in twelve pieces; as symbolical of the…

And he said to Jeroboam, take thee ten pieces Of the twelve, an emblem of the ten tribes he was to have: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon; that is, out of his family: and will give ten tribes unto thee; to rule over.

But he shall have one tribe for my servant David’s sake (See Gill on 1 Kings 11:13).

Because that they have forsaken me My worship, as the Targum; both Solomon and the children of Israel following his example; which is not to be wondered at, considering how prone they always were to idolatry: and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the…

Howbeit, I will not take the kingdom out of his hand Not any part of it, , but I will make him prince all the days of his life; that is, he shall continue to hold the government of all the tribes so long as he lives: for David my servant’s sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my…

But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand All but the tribes of Judah and Benjamin: and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes: signified by ten pieces of the rent garment he had given him, .

And unto his son will I give one tribe Judah and Benjamin reckoned as one; (See Gill on 1 Kings 11:13), that David my servant may have a light always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there; or a kingdom, as the Targum; or an illustrious prince, a successor,…

And I will take thee From the low estate in which he was, to be king: and thou shall reign according to all that thy soul desireth; he being ambitious of the kingdom, and having already formed in his mind some designs upon it: and shall be king over Israel; the ten tribes.

And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee And be obedient thereunto: and wilt walk in my ways; directed to in the law of Moses: and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes, and my commandments; those particularly respecting divine worship: as David my servant did;…

And I will for this afflict the seed of David For the idolatry Solomon had been guilty of, and connived at: but not for ever; for when the ten tribes were carried captive, the kingdom of Judah flourished under Hezekiah, Josiah and though the tribe of Judah was carried captive, yet it returned after…

Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam Which is another instance of his folly, to seek to detest the counsel of God, when he himself was assured by the Lord the kingdom should be rent, and given to his servant, and especially if he was informed of what passed between Ahijah and Jeroboam, as it…

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? ] Either written by himself, as Kimchi suggests, though not in being; or by some chronologer or historiographer employed by him in writing the most memorable things…

And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem, over all Israel, was forty years. ] The same says Eupolemus [[24]], an Heathen writer, who makes him to live but fifty two years; which is the common tradition of the Jews, who suppose he was but twelve years of age when he began to reign; which is to…

And Solomon slept with his fathers Died as they did: and was buried in the city of David his father; not in Bethlehem, but Zion, and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead; of whom more in the following chapter.