1 Kings 11

In 1 Kings 11, Solomon’s later years are marked by his spiritual downfall. Despite his wisdom and early faithfulness, Solomon strays from God, marrying many foreign wives who lead him into idolatry. As a result, God becomes angry and announces that the kingdom will be torn from his descendants. The chapter also describes adversaries that arise against Solomon, foreshadowing the division of Israel after his death.

1 Kings 11:1-5 (NKJV)
1 But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites—
2 from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.
3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.
4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.
5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

Solomon’s love for foreign women, against God's command, becomes his spiritual downfall. God had warned the Israelites not to marry people from surrounding nations, as they would lead them into idolatry. Solomon’s enormous number of wives and concubines influenced him in his later years, leading him to worship false gods like Ashtoreth and Milcom. This stands in stark contrast to the faithfulness of David, his father, who kept his heart loyal to the Lord. Solomon’s actions demonstrate how disobedience to God's commands can lead even the wisest of men into sin.

1 Kings 11:6 (NKJV)
6 Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David.

Though Solomon had once been faithful to God, his compromise with idolatry marked a significant spiritual decline. He did not completely abandon the Lord but did not follow Him wholeheartedly. This half-hearted devotion was seen as evil in God’s sight, unlike his father David, who pursued God with full commitment despite his flaws. Solomon’s failure shows the dangers of partial obedience and the impact of divided loyalty.

1 Kings 11:7-8 (NKJV)
7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon.
8 And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

Solomon’s spiritual decay reached its peak when he actively built places of worship for detestable gods like Chemosh and Molech. These gods were associated with cruel practices, such as child sacrifice. By allowing his foreign wives to practice their pagan religions in Israel, Solomon led the nation into spiritual compromise. His decision to accommodate these abominations near Jerusalem, the city of God’s temple, was especially grievous and contributed to Israel’s future struggles with idolatry.

1 Kings 11:9-10 (NKJV)
9 So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,
10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded.

God’s anger was not unjustified. Despite appearing to Solomon twice and giving him direct warnings, Solomon failed to obey God’s commands. The fact that Solomon had such close encounters with God made his disobedience even more serious. His heart turned away from the Lord, and the consequences of this rebellion were imminent. God had shown him great favor, yet Solomon ignored these blessings, prioritizing his relationships and desires over obedience to God.

1 Kings 11:11-13 (NKJV)
11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.
12 Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son.
13 However, I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.”

God's judgment on Solomon was severe but tempered by His faithfulness to David. The kingdom would be torn from Solomon’s lineage, but for David’s sake, the punishment would not occur during Solomon’s lifetime. God’s promise to David remained, and He would preserve one tribe, Judah, for the sake of His covenant with David and His chosen city, Jerusalem. This foreshadows the division of the kingdom under Solomon’s son, Rehoboam.

1 Kings 11:14 (NKJV)
14 Now the Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was a descendant of the king in Edom.

Hadad’s emergence as an adversary was part of God’s judgment on Solomon. Hadad, from the royal family of Edom, was a longtime enemy of Israel. His opposition symbolized the external consequences of Solomon’s internal spiritual decline. God allowed these adversaries to arise as a means of discipline and as a direct consequence of Solomon's actions, further weakening the kingdom.

1 Kings 11:15-18 (NKJV)
15 For it happened, when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury the slain, after he had killed every male in Edom
16 (because for six months Joab remained there with all Israel, until he had cut down every male in Edom),
17 that Hadad fled to go to Egypt, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him. Hadad was still a little child.
18 Then they arose from Midian and came to Paran; and they took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, apportioned food for him, and gave him land.

Hadad’s escape to Egypt occurred during David’s campaign in Edom, when Joab, David’s general, carried out a devastating military campaign, killing all the males in Edom. Hadad, a child at the time, fled to Egypt with some of his father’s servants. In Egypt, Hadad was treated favorably by Pharaoh, which allowed him to grow and develop into a potential adversary against Solomon. This background explains Hadad’s hatred for Israel and sets up his role as a future threat to Solomon’s reign.

1 Kings 11:19-22 (NKJV)
19 And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him as wife the sister of his own wife, that is, the sister of Queen Tahpenes.
20 Then the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house. And Genubath was in Pharaoh’s household among the sons of Pharaoh.
21 So when Hadad heard in Egypt that David rested 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 Then Pharaoh said to him, “But what have you lacked with me, that suddenly you seek to go to your own country?” So he answered, “Nothing, but do let me go anyway.”

Hadad had become deeply integrated into Egyptian society, even marrying into the royal family. Yet, upon hearing of David and Joab’s deaths, he saw an opportunity to return to Edom and possibly retaliate against Israel. Despite Pharaoh’s attempts to keep him, Hadad’s desire for revenge and to reclaim his homeland drove him to leave. His return foreshadows increasing opposition to Solomon’s rule.

1 Kings 11:23-25 (NKJV)
23 And God raised up another adversary against him, Rezon the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his lord, Hadadezer king of Zobah.
24 So he gathered men to him and became captain over a band of raiders, when David killed those of Zobah. And they went to Damascus and dwelt there, and reigned in Damascus.
25 He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon (besides the trouble that Hadad caused); and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.

Rezon, another adversary of Solomon, was raised by God as a consequence of Solomon’s unfaithfulness. Like Hadad, Rezon’s hostility was rooted in events from David’s time. After David defeated his lord, Hadadezer, Rezon became a leader of raiders and established himself as king in Damascus. His enmity toward Israel persisted throughout Solomon’s reign, adding to the external pressures and threats the kingdom faced. The rise of these enemies highlights how Solomon’s spiritual decline resulted in both internal and external turmoil for Israel.

1 Kings 11:26-28 (NKJV)
26 Then Solomon’s servant, Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zereda, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also rebelled against the king.
27 And this is what caused him to rebel against the king: Solomon had built the Millo and repaired the damages to the City of David his father.
28 The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon, seeing that the young man was industrious, made him the officer over all the labor force of the house of Joseph.

Jeroboam, one of Solomon’s officials, became a key figure in the rebellion against Solomon. An industrious and capable man, Jeroboam caught Solomon’s attention, and he was appointed over the labor force of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (the house of Joseph). However, Solomon’s actions in building the Millo and repairing Jerusalem created tensions, likely due to forced labor and increased burdens on the people. These underlying issues, combined with divine intervention, set the stage for Jeroboam’s eventual rebellion and rise to power.

1 Kings 11:29-31 (NKJV)
29 Now it happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the way; and he had clothed himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field.
30 Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him, and 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, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you.’”

The prophet Ahijah delivered a divine message to Jeroboam, symbolized by the tearing of a new garment into twelve pieces. The twelve pieces represented the twelve tribes of Israel, and Jeroboam was given ten of those pieces, symbolizing his future rule over ten tribes. This act signified God’s decision to tear the kingdom away from Solomon due to his disobedience and idolatry. The splitting of the kingdom was not random; it was God's direct judgment on Solomon’s unfaithfulness.

1 Kings 11:32-33 (NKJV)
32 (but he shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel),
33 because they have forsaken Me, and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the people of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways to do what is right in My eyes and keep My statutes and My judgments, as did his father David.

Despite the division, God promised to preserve one tribe (Judah) for the sake of David and Jerusalem. The judgment was a direct result of Solomon’s idolatry, as he had turned away from God and followed the gods of other nations. This reiterates the severity of Solomon’s spiritual fall and how far the nation had strayed from the path of obedience. Yet, God remained faithful to His covenant with David, preserving a remnant of the kingdom in Jerusalem, the city He had chosen.

1 Kings 11:34-36 (NKJV)
34 However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of My servant David, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and My statutes.
35 But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and give it to you—ten tribes.
36 And to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there.

God showed mercy by allowing Solomon to remain king until his death, honoring His covenant with David. The kingdom would be taken from Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, but not entirely. Judah, representing David’s lineage, would remain intact so that David’s “lamp” (his dynasty) would continue to shine in Jerusalem, the city God had chosen for His name. This highlights both the seriousness of Solomon’s disobedience and the enduring nature of God’s promises to David.

1 Kings 11:37-39 (NKJV)
37 So I will take you, and you shall reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel.
38 Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you.
39 And I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever.”

God offered Jeroboam an enduring dynasty, similar to David’s, if he would follow God's commandments and walk in His ways. This conditional promise demonstrated God’s willingness to bless obedience, even to a leader raised out of rebellion. However, God’s plan to discipline David’s descendants was clear. Though they would suffer consequences for Solomon’s disobedience, the affliction would not last forever. This pointed to God’s ultimate faithfulness to His covenant with David, despite temporary judgment.

1 Kings 11:40 (NKJV)
40 Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

Upon learning of Jeroboam’s potential rebellion, Solomon sought to eliminate him. However, Jeroboam fled to Egypt for refuge, where he stayed until Solomon’s death. This mirrors the pattern of adversaries raised by God during Solomon’s reign, with Egypt once again providing sanctuary for Israel’s enemies. Jeroboam’s escape to Egypt sets the stage for his return and eventual rise to power after Solomon’s death.

1 Kings 11:41-43 (NKJV)
41 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?
42 And the period that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.
43 Then Solomon rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

Solomon’s reign lasted forty years, marked by both great accomplishments and significant failures. His wisdom and achievements were recorded in other historical accounts, but his spiritual decline and the division of the kingdom were his lasting legacy. After his death, Solomon was buried in the City of David, and his son Rehoboam succeeded him. Solomon’s passing signaled the beginning of a new chapter in Israel’s history, one that would be defined by the fracture of the united kingdom.