1But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites; 2from the nations of whom Jehovah had said to the children of Israel, You shall not go in to them, nor they to you. Truly they will thrust aside your hearts after their gods. These, Solomon clung to in love. 3And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives thrust away his heart. 4For so it was, when Solomon was old, that his wives thrust his heart aside after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God, as was the heart of his father David. 5For Solomon departed after Ashtaroth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6Solomon did evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and did not fully follow after Jehovah, like his father David. 7And Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon. 8And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. 9And Jehovah was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned aside from Jehovah the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10and had charged him concerning this thing, that he should not depart after other gods; but he had not kept what Jehovah had charged. 11Therefore Jehovah said to Solomon, Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have charged you, I will rend to tear the kingdom away from you, and have given it to your servant. 12Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I shall tear it out of the hand of your son. 13However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I shall give one tribe to your son for the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen. 14And Jehovah raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was of the seed of the king in Edom. 15For 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), 17that Hadad fled to go to Egypt, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him. Hadad was still a little child. 18And they rose up out of 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. 19And Hadad found great favor in the eyes of Pharaoh, so that he gave him as wife the sister of his own wife, that is, the sister of Queen Tahpenes. 20And 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. 21So when Hadad heard in Egypt that David had rested with his fathers, and that Joab the commander of the army had died, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to my own land. 22And Pharaoh said to him, But what have you lacked with me, that behold you are seeking to go to your own land? And he answered, Nothing, however send me away to let me go. 23And God raised up another adversary against him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his lord, Hadadezer king of Zobah. 24So he gathered men to him and became leader over a band of raiders, when David killed those of Zobah. And they went to Damascus and dwelt there, and reigned in Damascus. 25He was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon (besides the evil that Hadad did); and he loathed Israel, and reigned over Syria. 26And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Solomon's servant, an Ephrathite from Zereda, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, also lifted up his hand against the king. 27And this was the matter for which he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon had built the Millo and repaired the breaches to the City of David his father. 28And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon saw that the young man was industrious, and made him overseer over the burden bearers of the house of Joseph. 29And it happened at that time, when Jeroboam had gone out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the way; and he was clothed with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field. 30And Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces. 31And he said to Jeroboam, Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says Jehovah the God of Israel: Behold, I am tearing the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and have given ten tribes to you 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), 33because they have forsaken Me, and bowed down to Ashtaroth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways to do what is right in My eyes and to keep My statutes and My judgments, as did his father David. 34However 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 have chosen because he has kept My commandments and My statutes. 35But I have taken the kingdom out of his son's hand and given it to you; ten tribes. 36And 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. 37And I will take you, and you shall reign according to all your soul's desires, and you shall be king over Israel. 38And it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My eyes, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David has done, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I have built for David, and will give Israel to you. 39And I will afflict the seed of David because of this, but not for all time. 40Solomon 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. 41Now 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. 42And the days that Solomon had reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. 43And Solomon rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 SOLOMON'S WIVES AND CONCUBINES IN HIS OLD AGE. (
1Kgs 11:1-8)
But King Solomon loved many strange women--Solomon's extraordinary gift of wisdom was not sufficient to preserve him from falling into grievous and fatal errors. A fairer promise of true greatness, a more beautiful picture of juvenile piety, never was seen than that which he exhibited at the commencement of his reign. No sadder, more humiliating, or awful spectacle can be imagined than the besotted apostasy of his old age; and to him may be applied the words of Paul (
Gal 3:3), of John (
Rev 3:17), and of Isaiah (
Isa 14:21). A love of the world, a ceaseless round of pleasure, had insensibly corrupted his heart, and produced, for a while at least, a state of mental darkness. The grace of God deserted him; and the son of the pious David--the religiously trained child of Bath-sheba (
Pro 31:1-
Pro 31:3), and pupil of Nathan, instead of showing the stability of sound principle and mature experience became at last an old and foolish king (
Eccl 4:13). His fall is traced to his "love of many strange women." Polygamy was tolerated among the ancient Hebrews; and, although in most countries of the East, the generality of men, from convenience and economy, confine themselves to one woman, yet a number of wives is reckoned as an indication of wealth and importance, just as a numerous stud of horses and a grand equipage are among us. The sovereign, of course, wishes to have a more numerous harem than any of his subjects; and the female establishments of many Oriental princes have, both in ancient and modern times, equalled or exceeded that of Solomon's. It is probable, therefore, that, in conformity with Oriental notions, he resorted to it as a piece of state magnificence. But in him it was unpardonable, as it was a direct and outrageous violation of the divine law (
Deut 17:17), and the very result which that statute was ordained to prevent was realized in him. His marriage with the daughter of Pharaoh is not censured either here or elsewhere (see on
1Kgs 3:1). It was only his love for many strange women; for women, though in the East considered inferiors, exert often a silent but powerful seductive influence over their husbands in the harem, as elsewhere, and so it was exemplified in Solomon.
3 he had seven hundred wives, princesses--They were, probably, according to an existing custom, the daughters of tributary chiefs, given as hostages for good conduct of their fathers.
concubines--were legitimate, but lower or secondary wives. These the chief or first wife regards without the smallest jealousy or regret, as they look up to her with feelings of respectful submission. Solomon's wives became numerous, not all at once, but gradually. Even at an early period his taste for Oriental show seems to have led to the establishment of a considerable harem (
Song 6:8).
4 when Solomon was old--He could not have been more than fifty.
his wives turned away his heart after other gods--Some, considering the lapse of Solomon into idolatry as a thing incredible, regard him as merely humoring his wives in the practice of their superstition; and, in countenancing their respective rites by his presence, as giving only an outward homage--a sensible worship, in which neither his understanding nor his heart was engaged. The apology only makes matters worse, as it implies an adding of hypocrisy and contempt of God to an open breach of His law. There seems no possibility of explaining the language of the sacred historian, but as intimating that Solomon became an actual and open idolater, worshipping images of wood or stone in sight of the very temple which, in early life, he had erected to the true God. Hence that part of Olivet was called the high place of Tophet (
Jer 7:30-
Jer 7:34), and the hill is still known as the Mount of Offense, of the Mount of Corruption (
2Kgs 23:13).
5 Ashtoreth--Astarte,
Milcom--Molech,
and Chemosh--He built altars for these three; but, although he is described (
1Kgs 11:8) as doing the same for "all his strange wives," there is no evidence that they had idols distinct from these; and there is no trace whatever of Egyptian idolatry.
8 burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods--The first was considered a higher act of homage, and is often used as synonymous with worship (
2Kgs 22:17;
2Kgs 23:5).
9 GOD THREATENS HIM. (
1Kgs 11:9-13)
the Lord was angry with Solomon--The divine appearance, first at Gibeon [
1Kgs 3:5], and then at Jerusalem [
1Kgs 9:2], after the dedication of the temple, with the warnings given him on both occasions [
1Kgs 3:11-14;
1Kgs 9:3-9], had left Solomon inexcusable; and it was proper and necessary that on one who had been so signally favored with the gifts of Heaven, but who had grossly abused them, a terrible judgment should fall. The divine sentence was announced to him probably by Ahijah; but there was mercy mingled with judgment, in the circumstance, that it should not be inflicted on Solomon personally--and that a remnant of the kingdom should be spared--"for David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, which had been chosen" to put God's name there; not from a partial bias in favor of either, but that the divine promise might stand (
2Sam 7:12-16).
13 I will give one tribe to thy son--There were left to Rehoboam the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi (
2Chr 11:12-13); and multitudes of Israelites, who, after the schism of the kingdom, established their residence within the territory of Judah to enjoy the privileges of the true religion (
1Kgs 12:17). These are all reckoned as one tribe.
14 SOLOMON'S ADVERSARIES. (1Ki. 11:14-40)
the Lord stirred up an adversary--that is, permitted him, through the impulse of his own ambition, or revenge, to attack Israel. During the war of extermination, which Joab carried on in Edom (
2Sam 8:13), this Hadad, of the royal family, a mere boy when rescued from the sword of the ruthless conqueror, was carried into Egypt, hospitably entertained, and became allied with the house of the Egyptian king. In after years, the thought of his native land and his lost kingdom taking possession of his mind, he, on learning the death of David and Joab, renounced the ease, possessions, and glory of his Egyptian residence, to return to Edom and attempt the recovery of his ancestral throne. The movements of this prince seem to have given much annoyance to the Hebrew government; but as he was defeated by the numerous and strong garrisons planted throughout the Edomite territory, Hadad seems to have offered his services to Rezon, another of Solomon's adversaries (
1Kgs 11:23-25). This man, who had been general of Hadadezer and, on the defeat of that great king, had successfully withdrawn a large force, went into the wilderness, led a predatory life, like Jephthah, David, and others, on the borders of the Syrian and Arabian deserts. Then, having acquired great power, he at length became king in Damascus, threw off the yoke, and was "the adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon." He was succeeded by Hadad, whose successors took the official title of Ben-hadad from him, the illustrious founder of the powerful kingdom of Damascene-Syria. These hostile neighbors, who had been long kept in check by the traditional fame of David's victories, took courage; and breaking out towards the latter end of Solomon's reign, they must have not only disturbed his kingdom by their inroads, but greatly crippled his revenue by stopping his lucrative traffic with Tadmor and the Euphrates.
26 Jeroboam--This was an internal enemy of a still more formidable character. He was a young man of talent and energy, who, having been appointed by Solomon superintendent of the engineering works projected around Jerusalem, had risen into public notice, and on being informed by a very significant act of the prophet Ahijah of the royal destiny which, by divine appointment, awaited him, his mind took a new turn.
29 clad--rather, "wrapped up." The meaning is, "Ahijah, the Shilonite, the prophet, went and took a fit station in the way; and, in order that he might not be known, he wrapped himself up, so as closely to conceal himself, in a new garment, a surtout, which he afterwards tore in twelve pieces." Notwithstanding this privacy, the story, and the prediction connected with it [
1Kgs 11:30-39], probably reached the king's ears; and Jeroboam became a marked man [
1Kgs 11:40]. His aspiring ambition, impatient for the death of Solomon, led him to form plots and conspiracies, in consequence of which he was compelled to flee to Egypt. Though chosen of God, he would not wait the course of God's providence, and therefore incurred the penalty of death by his criminal rebellion. The heavy exactions and compulsory labor (
1Kgs 11:28) which Solomon latterly imposed upon his subjects, when his foreign resources began to fail, had prepared the greater part of the kingdom for a revolt under so popular a demagogue as Jeroboam.
40 Shishak--He harbored and encouraged the rebellious refugee, and was of a different dynasty from the father-in-law of Solomon.