Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of 1 Kings
Chapter 11: His Wives Turned Away His Heart
The saddest chapter of Solomon's reign. The wisest man on earth loves many strange women, and in his old age his heart is turned after other gods. God, who had appeared to him twice, is angry, and sentences the kingdom to be rent from his house. Adversaries rise, a prophet tears a new garment into twelve pieces, and Solomon dies with the seeds of division already sown.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of 1 Kings chapter 11. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Solomon's Apostasy (1 Kings 11:1-13)
The wisest king's heart is drawn after strange gods, and God sentences the kingdom to be torn from his son.
His Heart Was Not Perfect With the LORD
"But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; 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: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen."
Word Study
"his heart was not perfect with the LORD," Hebrew shalem (שָׁלֵם), whole, complete, undivided. The tragedy of Solomon is summed up in one phrase: "his heart was not perfect (shalem) with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father." To have a perfect heart is not to be sinless (David sinned grievously), but to be wholly, undividedly the LORD's. David fell, but his heart never divided its worship; Solomon's did. He "clave unto these in love," the same verb (davaq) used of a man cleaving to his wife (Genesis 2:24) and of Israel cleaving to God (Deuteronomy 10:20); Solomon cleaved to what God forbade. Note the pattern of decline: he loved (verse 1), he clave (verse 2), his heart turned (verses 3-4), he went after other gods (verse 5), he did evil and built high places for abominations (verses 6-7). Sin is a slope, not a cliff. And note the aggravation: God "had appeared unto him twice," yet still he turned. Great light makes great responsibility. The wisest man who ever lived fell, not by ignorance, but by a divided heart. "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23), words Solomon himself wrote, and failed to heed.
Explanation
Here the great reign begins its fall. Solomon, contrary to God's explicit command, married many foreign women from the very nations God had warned would turn Israel's heart to idols. With seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, his heart was gradually drawn away, until in his old age he not only tolerated but promoted the worship of Ashtoreth, Milcom, Chemosh, and Molech, building high places for these abominations opposite Jerusalem itself. His heart was no longer wholly the LORD's, as David's had been. God, who had graciously appeared to Solomon twice and commanded him not to go after other gods, was angry, and pronounced the sentence: the kingdom would be torn from his house and given to his servant. For David's sake it would not happen in Solomon's own days, and one tribe would be preserved to his son, but the united kingdom was doomed by the king's divided heart.
Gospel Focus
No fall in Scripture is more sobering than Solomon's. The man who built God's house, who prayed the great prayer of dedication, who was given wisdom beyond all men and saw God appear to him twice, ended his days building shrines to demons. It proves that no gift, no experience, no height of blessing can keep a heart that will not be kept. The ruin came slowly, through what he loved; his affections were captured before his worship was. This is how the enemy works still, not by frontal assault on our creed, but by dividing our love. "Little children, keep yourselves from idols" (1 John 5:21). Guard what you love and whom you join yourself to, for these shape the heart. And take warning: the fall began with the marriages God had forbidden. "Be ye not unequally yoked together" (2 Corinthians 6:14) is not a small rule. Yet even here grace shines: "for David my servant's sake" God preserves a tribe and a lamp in Jerusalem, guarding the line from which Christ would come. Where the best of men fail, God's covenant faithfulness holds, and out of David's preserved line came the Son of David whose heart was perfect with God for ever.
Hadad and Rezon (1 Kings 11:14-25)
The LORD stirs up enemies against Solomon, and the peace of his reign begins to break.
The LORD Stirred Up an Adversary
"And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom. For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom; (For six months did Joab remain there with all Israel, until he had cut off every male in Edom:) That Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt; Hadad being yet a little child. And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran: and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt; which gave him an house, and appointed him victuals, and gave him land. And Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen. And the sister of Tahpenes bare him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house: and Genubath was in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh. And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to mine own country. Then Pharaoh said unto him, But what hast thou lacked with me, that, behold, thou seekest to go to thine own country? And he answered, Nothing: howbeit let me go in any wise. And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah: And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus. And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria."
Word Study
"the LORD stirred up an adversary," Hebrew satan (שָׂטָן), an adversary, one who opposes. Twice we read that God "stirred up an adversary (satan)" against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite and Rezon of Damascus. The word here is the common noun for an opponent, though it is the same word that became the proper name of the great enemy of souls. The point is striking: the very rest and peace Solomon had enjoyed (chapter 5:4, "neither adversary nor evil occurrent") is now withdrawn. So long as his heart was right, God gave him rest on every side; when his heart turned, God raised up adversaries. God governs even the enemies of His people; He "stirred them up" as instruments of chastening. Nothing rises against us but by His permission, and often what troubles us is His discipline calling us back. The removal of Solomon's peace is not random misfortune but the hand of a Father correcting a straying son. "Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth" (Hebrews 12:6). The adversaries were the shadow of the sin; the outward troubles mirrored the inward turning.
Explanation
With Solomon's heart turned from God, the peace that had marked his reign begins to unravel. God raised up two adversaries. The first was Hadad, a prince of the royal house of Edom who as a child had escaped David's conquest by fleeing to Egypt, where Pharaoh gave him refuge, land, and a royal marriage. On hearing that David and Joab were dead, Hadad returned to trouble Israel. The second was Rezon of Zobah, who had gathered a band of followers, seized Damascus, and reigned there as a persistent enemy of Israel throughout Solomon's days, ruling over Syria and abhorring Israel. These risings were no accident: the God who had given Solomon rest now, in discipline, withdrew it, stirring up foes on his borders as the outward sign of the inward decline.
Gospel Focus
The same God who had given Solomon "rest on every side" now "stirred up" adversaries against him. The lesson is that our peace is bound up with our walk with God. While Solomon's heart was whole, no enemy could stand; when it turned, the troubles came, not to destroy him, but to call him back. So the trials that break into our lives are often the loving discipline of a Father: "whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth" (Hebrews 12:6). The withdrawal of peace is a mercy when it drives us home. And note who rules the adversaries: God does. No Hadad, no Rezon, and no satan can move against a child of God except by His permission and for His purposes. If your peace has been disturbed, ask whether God is calling you back to a whole heart. The Prince of Peace gives a peace the world cannot give and cannot take, but He guards it jealously, and He will let the storms rise rather than let us rest content in a divided heart.
Jeroboam and Ahijah's Prophecy (1 Kings 11:26-40)
A prophet tears a new garment into twelve pieces and gives ten to Jeroboam: the kingdom will be divided.
I Will Rend the Kingdom
"And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph. And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field: And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces: And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:) Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father. Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes: But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes. And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there. And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel. And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee. And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever. Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon."
Word Study
"a light alway before me in Jerusalem," Hebrew nir (נִיר), a lamp, a light kept burning. Even as God announces judgment, He wraps it in mercy. Ten tribes will go to Jeroboam, but one tribe will remain to David's son so "that David my servant may have a light (nir) alway before me in Jerusalem." The lamp is the covenant promise that David's line would never be wholly extinguished; a light would always burn in Jerusalem. This "lamp of David" recurs through Kings (15:4; 2 Kings 8:19) as the pledge of God's faithfulness to His word, and it points to Christ, "the bright and morning star" (Revelation 22:16), the Son of David in whom the lamp burns for ever. Note too the prophetic sign-act: Ahijah tears a new garment into twelve pieces and gives Jeroboam ten. The prophets often preached with actions as well as words. And note the offer to Jeroboam, "if thou wilt hearken... I will build thee a sure house," the same covenant terms offered to Solomon. Jeroboam, as chapters to come will show, would fail exactly as Solomon did. God's kindness is real, but so is the condition; the promise, "not for ever," assures that David's affliction has a limit, for mercy has the last word.
Explanation
God now identifies the "servant" to whom the kingdom will pass. Jeroboam, an able young Ephraimite whom Solomon had promoted over the labor force of the house of Joseph, was met by the prophet Ahijah of Shiloh on a lonely road. Ahijah tore his own new cloak into twelve pieces and handed Jeroboam ten, declaring in God's name that He would tear ten tribes from Solomon's house and give them to Jeroboam, leaving one tribe to David's line for the sake of David and of Jerusalem. The judgment was because the nation had forsaken the LORD for idols. Yet God offered Jeroboam the same covenant given to David: obedience would bring an enduring house. He also promised that the affliction of David's seed would not last for ever. When Solomon learned of it, he tried to kill Jeroboam, who fled to Egypt until Solomon's death.
Gospel Focus
In the very sentence of judgment, God preserves a lamp: "that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem." Ten tribes are torn away, but the lamp of David is not put out, because through that line the promised Redeemer must come. Here is the wonder of the gospel: God's judgments never cancel His covenant. Man's sin tears the kingdom, but God keeps His word, and the light burns on until it blazes in Christ, "the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:9), the Son of David and "the bright and morning star." Notice also the tragic contrast in Solomon: he who once asked only for wisdom to serve now seeks to kill the man God has chosen, fighting against the very will of God, as Saul had fought against David. When a heart turns from God it will even war against His purposes. But God's purpose cannot be broken. Where kings rend and murder, God builds and keeps His promise. And to us He still offers the covenant He offered Jeroboam: "if thou wilt hearken... I will be with thee." The lamp still burns; the invitation still stands.
The Death of Solomon (1 Kings 11:41-43)
After forty years, Solomon sleeps with his fathers, and Rehoboam reigns in his stead.
Solomon Slept With His Fathers
"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? And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead."
Word Study
"Solomon slept with his fathers," Hebrew shakab (שָׁכַב), to lie down, a gentle idiom for death. The record of the most glorious reign in Israel's history closes with the same quiet formula used of ordinary men: "Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David." Forty years of unequalled wisdom, wealth, and glory, and it ends in a grave. "Sleeping with the fathers" speaks of death as a rest and a gathering to one's people, and for the believer it carries the hope of waking; "them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him" (1 Thessalonians 4:14). But it also levels every earthly greatness. The wisest and richest king who ever lived died and was buried like all before him. Solomon himself had written the epitaph of all human glory: "vanity of vanities... all is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 1:2). Whether Solomon repented at the last, Scripture does not say plainly, though Ecclesiastes reads as the sober reflection of a man come back to "fear God, and keep his commandments" (Ecclesiastes 12:13). His son Rehoboam succeeded him, and with the next chapter the kingdom would be torn in two.
Explanation
The account of Solomon ends with the customary summary. Further records of his deeds and wisdom were kept in "the book of the acts of Solomon," now lost. He reigned over all Israel for forty years, the same length as David and Saul before him, the last king of the undivided nation. Then he died, "slept with his fathers," and was buried in the city of David, and his son Rehoboam became king. The stage is now set for the disaster of chapter 12, when Rehoboam's folly and Jeroboam's return would split the kingdom exactly as Ahijah had prophesied.
Gospel Focus
The wisest, richest, most glorious king of Israel "slept with his fathers, and was buried." All the gold of Ophir, all the wisdom that drew the queen of Sheba, all the splendor of the temple and the throne of ivory, and it ends in a tomb in the city of David. This is the sermon Solomon himself preached in Ecclesiastes: apart from God, "all is vanity," and the conclusion of the whole matter is to "fear God, and keep his commandments." Death levels every earthly greatness; "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). But there is a greater Son of David who was also buried in a garden tomb, and who did not stay there. Solomon slept with his fathers and his tomb is known; Jesus, the true Son of David, rose the third day, and His tomb is empty. He "hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10). Learn from Solomon that the glory of this world cannot follow you past the grave, and set your hope on the risen King whose kingdom, unlike Solomon's, shall never be divided and shall never end.
Chapter in Review
First Kings 11 is the tragic turning point of the book. Solomon, whom God had blessed above all men and to whom He had appeared twice, lets many strange wives turn his heart, until the builder of God's temple builds high places for idols. God is angry and sentences the kingdom to be rent from his house, though for David's sake He preserves one tribe and a lamp in Jerusalem. Adversaries rise where once there was rest, the prophet Ahijah tears a garment into twelve pieces and gives ten to Jeroboam, and Solomon, once the seeker of wisdom, seeks to murder God's chosen man. After forty years he sleeps with his fathers, and the divided kingdom lies just ahead. The chapter is a solemn warning that no height of blessing can keep a heart that will not be kept, and a quiet testimony that God's covenant faithfulness outlasts even His people's failure.
Key Takeaways
- A divided heart is the root of ruin. Solomon's heart "was not perfect with the LORD"; wisdom and blessing could not save a heart that would not stay whole.
- Sin is a slope, not a cliff. He loved, then clave, then turned, then built shrines to demons; guard the affections before they capture the worship.
- God disciplines those He loves. The peace He had given was withdrawn and adversaries stirred up, to call a straying king home.
- God's covenant outlasts man's failure. The lamp of David was kept burning "for David my servant's sake," guarding the line of Christ.
- Earthly glory ends in a grave. The greatest of kings "slept with his fathers"; only the risen Son of David reigns for ever.
Questions for Reflection
- Is your heart "perfect," that is, whole and undivided, with the LORD, or are there rival loves drawing it away?
- What do you love and cleave to? Solomon's affections turned his worship; what are yours shaping?
- Has God withdrawn some peace from your life? Could it be a Father's call to return to Him?
- Solomon fell despite great light and privilege. What safeguards are you keeping so that you do not fall?
- The lamp of David burned on to Christ. Are you resting your hope in the risen Son of David rather than in earthly glory that ends in a grave?
References
- Scripture: 1 Kings 11:1-43, King James Version.
- Cross-references: Genesis 2:24; Deuteronomy 10:20; 17:17; 1 Kings 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19; Proverbs 4:23; Ecclesiastes 1:2; 12:13; John 1:9; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Hebrews 9:27; 12:6; 1 Thessalonians 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:10; 1 John 5:21; Revelation 22:16.
- Hebrew word meanings: standard lexical sources (Strong's, BDB) for shalem, davaq, satan, nir, and shakab.