1 Kings 11 Study Notes: Solomon Turns Away and the Kingdom Is Torn
In old age Solomon’s many foreign wives lead him to worship their gods, so the LORD vows to take most of his realm from his son, leaving one tribe for David’s sake. God raises up Hadad and Rezon as foes, Ahijah tears his cloak to promise Jeroboam ten tribes, Jeroboam flees to Egypt, and Solomon dies.
General
What does God promise Jeroboam through Ahijah if he obeys as David did (1 Kings 11:38)?
Answer: God will be with him and build him a lasting dynasty
God tells Jeroboam that if he listens to all God commands, walks in His ways, and does what is right by keeping His statutes and commands as David did, then God will be with him and build him an enduring house, just as He did for David, and give him Israel (11:38). The promise is conditional, the same condition God set before Solomon (9:4-5). Jeroboam’s story soon turns when he makes golden calves for the people to worship (12:28).
- 1 Kings 11:38 (BSB)“If you listen to all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight in order to keep My statutes and commandments as My servant David did, then I will be with you. I will build you a lasting dynasty just as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.”God offers Jeroboam a lasting dynasty if he obeys as David did.
- 1 Kings 9:4-5 (BSB)“And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and uprightness, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and ordinances, then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised your father David when I said, ‘You will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’”God had set the same condition of walking as David did before Solomon.
- 1 Kings 12:28 (BSB)“After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.””Jeroboam soon made golden calves, turning from the condition he had been given.
Theological
What conditional promise does the LORD make to Jeroboam in 1 Kings 11:38?
Answer: God will be with him and build him a lasting dynasty
God promises Jeroboam His presence and an enduring dynasty like David’s, together with rule over Israel, on condition of obedience to His statutes and commands as David kept them (11:38). The condition parallels 9:4-5. Jeroboam’s subsequent golden calves (12:28) show how quickly he departed from it.
- 1 Kings 11:38 (BSB)“If you listen to all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight in order to keep My statutes and commandments as My servant David did, then I will be with you. I will build you a lasting dynasty just as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.”God offers Jeroboam a lasting dynasty if he obeys as David did.
- 1 Kings 9:4-5 (BSB)“And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and uprightness, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and ordinances, then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised your father David when I said, ‘You will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’”God had set the same condition of walking as David did before Solomon.
- 1 Kings 12:28 (BSB)“After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.””Jeroboam soon made golden calves, turning from the condition he had been given.
General
When does the LORD say the kingdom will be torn away, and why then (1 Kings 11:12)?
Answer: In his son’s time, for David’s sake
God said He would not take the kingdom during Solomon’s lifetime, out of regard for his father David; instead He would take it from Solomon’s son (11:12). Even in judgment God remembered His promise to David that He would discipline David’s son but never withdraw His loving devotion, His faithful covenant love (2 Samuel 7:14-15). The word came true when the northern tribes broke away in the reign of Rehoboam, Solomon’s son (12:16).
- 1 Kings 11:12 (BSB)“Nevertheless, for the sake of your father David, I will not do it during your lifetime; I will tear it out of the hand of your son.”For David’s sake the division will not happen in Solomon’s lifetime.
- 2 Samuel 7:14-15 (BSB)“I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My loving devotion will never be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.”God promised that He would discipline David’s son but never take His loving devotion from him.
- 1 Kings 12:16 (BSB)“When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So the Israelites went home,”In Rehoboam’s day the northern tribes broke away from David’s house.
Theological
According to 1 Kings 11:12, when will the kingdom be torn away, and on what ground is the judgment delayed?
Answer: In his son’s time, for David’s sake
The rending is deferred from Solomon’s lifetime to his son’s reign, for David’s sake (11:12). God’s covenant commitment to David, discipline for his son but no withdrawal of loving devotion (2 Samuel 7:14-15), shapes even the timing of judgment. The word is fulfilled when the northern tribes reject David’s dynasty under Rehoboam (12:16).
- 1 Kings 11:12 (BSB)“Nevertheless, for the sake of your father David, I will not do it during your lifetime; I will tear it out of the hand of your son.”For David’s sake the division will not happen in Solomon’s lifetime.
- 2 Samuel 7:14-15 (BSB)“I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My loving devotion will never be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.”God promised that He would discipline David’s son but never take His loving devotion from him.
- 1 Kings 12:16 (BSB)“When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So the Israelites went home,”In Rehoboam’s day the northern tribes broke away from David’s house.
General
What reason had the LORD given for forbidding Israel to intermarry with the nations Solomon’s wives came from (1 Kings 11:2)?
Answer: Those marriages would surely turn Israel’s hearts to other gods
Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, Solomon gave his love to many foreign women from Moab, Ammon and Edom, from Sidon, and from among the Hittites (11:1). These were the very nations God had told Israel not to marry, because such marriages would certainly draw their hearts after foreign gods (11:2). The concern was never ethnic but spiritual: worship of the one true God. Moses had given the same command and reason (Deuteronomy 7:3-4; Exodus 34:16), and Joshua had warned that mixing with these nations would become a trap (Joshua 23:12-13). Yet Solomon held on to these wives with deep affection.
- 1 Kings 11:1-2 (BSB)“King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love.”Solomon loves many foreign women from nations God had forbidden Israel to marry.
- Deuteronomy 7:3-4 (BSB)“Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.”Moses forbade intermarriage with the nations because it would turn Israel’s sons to other gods.
- Exodus 34:16 (BSB)“And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.”God warned at Sinai that such marriages would lead Israel into the worship of foreign gods.
- Joshua 23:12-13 (BSB)“For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them, know for sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that the LORD your God has given you.”Joshua warned that marrying among the remaining nations would become a snare to Israel.
Theological
According to 1 Kings 11:2, what was the stated rationale for the prohibition on intermarriage that Solomon ignored?
Answer: Those marriages would surely turn Israel’s hearts to other gods
Solomon’s foreign wives came from nations covered by the prohibition on intermarriage (11:1), and the narrator recalls its rationale: these unions would surely draw Israel’s hearts toward foreign gods (11:2). The issue is religious fidelity, not ethnicity, exactly as the Mosaic and Joshua warnings framed it (Deuteronomy 7:3-4; Exodus 34:16; Joshua 23:12-13). Solomon nevertheless clung to them in love.
- 1 Kings 11:1-2 (BSB)“King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love.”Solomon loves many foreign women from nations God had forbidden Israel to marry.
- Deuteronomy 7:3-4 (BSB)“Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.”Moses forbade intermarriage with the nations because it would turn Israel’s sons to other gods.
- Exodus 34:16 (BSB)“And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.”God warned at Sinai that such marriages would lead Israel into the worship of foreign gods.
- Joshua 23:12-13 (BSB)“For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them, know for sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that the LORD your God has given you.”Joshua warned that marrying among the remaining nations would become a snare to Israel.
General
According to 1 Kings 11:14, who raised up Hadad the Edomite as an adversary against Solomon?
Answer: The LORD
The text says plainly that it was the LORD who stirred up Hadad the Edomite, of the royal family of Edom, as an adversary against Solomon (11:14). Hadad had escaped to Egypt as a boy when Joab struck Edom, found favor with Pharaoh, and asked leave to go home once David and Joab were dead (11:15-22). Earlier Solomon had said that God gave him rest with no adversary (5:4); now, after his idolatry, God Himself stirs up opposition. Scripture often shows God using enemy rulers to discipline His people (Judges 3:12), for the hearts of kings are in His hand (Proverbs 21:1). Hadad’s own hostility is real and his own, yet God rules over it.
- 1 Kings 11:14 (BSB)“Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom.”The LORD raises up Hadad the Edomite as an adversary to Solomon.
- 1 Kings 5:4 (BSB)“But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or crisis.”Earlier Solomon had said God gave him rest with no adversary on any side.
- Judges 3:12 (BSB)“Once again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. So He gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.”God had before given an enemy king power over Israel because of their sin.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”The LORD directs the hearts of kings wherever He pleases.
Theological
Whom does 1 Kings 11:14 identify as the one who raised up Hadad against Solomon?
Answer: The LORD
The narrator attributes Hadad’s opposition directly to the LORD (11:14). The man’s history, flight to Egypt, favor with Pharaoh, request to go home once David and Joab were dead (11:15-22), is fully human, yet God sovereignly raises him up. The rest without adversary Solomon once enjoyed (5:4) is withdrawn after his apostasy. God governs the hostile wills of rulers (Judges 3:12; Proverbs 21:1) without being the author of their sin.
- 1 Kings 11:14 (BSB)“Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom.”The LORD raises up Hadad the Edomite as an adversary to Solomon.
- 1 Kings 5:4 (BSB)“But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or crisis.”Earlier Solomon had said God gave him rest with no adversary on any side.
- Judges 3:12 (BSB)“Once again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. So He gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.”God had before given an enemy king power over Israel because of their sin.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”The LORD directs the hearts of kings wherever He pleases.
General
What did Solomon build on a hill to the east of Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:7-8)?
Answer: High places for Chemosh and Molech and his wives’ gods
Solomon constructed a high place, a hilltop shrine for worship, honoring Chemosh, the detestable god of Moab, and Molech, the detestable Ammonite god, on a hill to the east of Jerusalem (11:7). He built shrines like these for every one of his foreign wives so they could burn incense and offer sacrifices to their own deities (11:8). The king who built the LORD’s temple now built shrines for idols just outside the city, breaking God’s command that Israel worship no god but Him (Exodus 20:3). These shrines stood until King Josiah desecrated them generations later (2 Kings 23:13).
- 1 Kings 11:7-8 (BSB)“At that time on a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.”Solomon builds high places for Chemosh and Molech and for the gods of all his foreign wives.
- 2 Kings 23:13 (BSB)“The king also desecrated the high places east of Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Corruption, which King Solomon of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.”These high places east of Jerusalem stood until King Josiah desecrated them.
- Exodus 20:3 (BSB)“You shall have no other gods before Me.”God had commanded Israel to have no other gods before Him.
Theological
According to 1 Kings 11:7-8, what did Solomon construct east of Jerusalem?
Answer: High places for Chemosh and Molech and his wives’ gods
Solomon built high places for Chemosh of Moab and Molech of Ammon on a hill to the east of the city, and likewise for each foreign wife, so that incense and sacrifices were offered to their deities (11:7-8). The temple builder now sponsors idolatry just outside the temple city, in direct violation of the command against other gods (Exodus 20:3). Josiah later defiled these very shrines (2 Kings 23:13).
- 1 Kings 11:7-8 (BSB)“At that time on a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.”Solomon builds high places for Chemosh and Molech and for the gods of all his foreign wives.
- 2 Kings 23:13 (BSB)“The king also desecrated the high places east of Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Corruption, which King Solomon of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.”These high places east of Jerusalem stood until King Josiah desecrated them.
- Exodus 20:3 (BSB)“You shall have no other gods before Me.”God had commanded Israel to have no other gods before Him.
General
What limit does God set on the humbling of David’s descendants (1 Kings 11:39)?
Answer: It will not last forever
Because of Solomon’s sin, God would bring David’s line low by taking ten tribes from it, but He added that this humbling would not be permanent (11:39). The limit rests on God’s promise that David’s house, kingdom and throne would endure forever (2 Samuel 7:16). The New Testament shows where that promise leads: the angel told Mary that Jesus would receive David’s throne and that His kingdom would never end (Luke 1:32-33), and Paul proclaimed that God brought Jesus the Savior from David’s descendants as He promised (Acts 13:23).
- 1 Kings 11:39 (BSB)“Because of this, I will humble David’s descendants—but not forever.’””God will humble David’s descendants, but not forever.
- 2 Samuel 7:16 (BSB)“Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me, and your throne will be established forever.””God promised that David’s house, kingdom and throne would endure forever.
- Luke 1:32-33 (BSB)“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!””The angel announced that Jesus would receive David’s throne and reign forever.
- Acts 13:23 (BSB)“From the descendants of this man, God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as He promised.”Paul declared that God brought the promised Savior, Jesus, from David’s descendants.
Theological
What qualification does the LORD attach to the humbling of David’s line in 1 Kings 11:39?
Answer: It will not last forever
The LORD will humble David’s offspring through the loss of ten tribes, but not permanently (11:39). The limit rests on the everlasting Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:16), which the New Testament sees fulfilled in Jesus, given David’s throne to reign without end (Luke 1:32-33) and brought from David’s line as the promised Savior (Acts 13:23).
- 1 Kings 11:39 (BSB)“Because of this, I will humble David’s descendants—but not forever.’””God will humble David’s descendants, but not forever.
- 2 Samuel 7:16 (BSB)“Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me, and your throne will be established forever.””God promised that David’s house, kingdom and throne would endure forever.
- Luke 1:32-33 (BSB)“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!””The angel announced that Jesus would receive David’s throne and reign forever.
- Acts 13:23 (BSB)“From the descendants of this man, God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as He promised.”Paul declared that God brought the promised Savior, Jesus, from David’s descendants.
General
How does 1 Kings 11 end?
Answer: Jeroboam flees to Egypt; Solomon dies and Rehoboam reigns
Solomon tried to have Jeroboam put to death, but Jeroboam escaped to Shishak, Egypt’s king, and stayed there until Solomon died (11:40; 12:2). The rest of Solomon’s deeds and wisdom are said to be recorded in a written account of his acts (11:41). He reigned over all Israel from Jerusalem for forty years, was laid in his grave in David’s city like his father (11:42-43; 2:10), and Rehoboam, his son, became king in his place. The judgment announced in 11:11-13 would fall in the days of this son (12:15-16).
- 1 Kings 11:40 (BSB)“Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, where he remained until the death of Solomon.”Solomon tries to kill Jeroboam, who flees to Egypt.
- 1 Kings 11:42-43 (BSB)“Thus the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. And Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.”Solomon reigns forty years, dies, and Rehoboam succeeds him.
- 1 Kings 12:2 (BSB)“When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he was still in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since.”Jeroboam was still in Egypt when Solomon died.
- 1 Kings 2:10 (BSB)“Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.”David too rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.
Theological
Which summary matches the close of 1 Kings 11?
Answer: Jeroboam flees to Egypt; Solomon dies and Rehoboam reigns
Solomon seeks Jeroboam’s life, and Jeroboam takes refuge with Shishak in Egypt until Solomon’s death (11:40; 12:2). The narrator refers readers to the book of Solomon’s acts (11:41), records his forty-year reign over all Israel, his burial in David’s city as with David (11:42-43; 2:10), and Rehoboam’s succession. The judgment of 11:11-13 now awaits fulfillment in the son’s reign (12:15-16).
- 1 Kings 11:40 (BSB)“Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, where he remained until the death of Solomon.”Solomon tries to kill Jeroboam, who flees to Egypt.
- 1 Kings 11:42-43 (BSB)“Thus the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. And Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.”Solomon reigns forty years, dies, and Rehoboam succeeds him.
- 1 Kings 12:2 (BSB)“When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he was still in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since.”Jeroboam was still in Egypt when Solomon died.
- 1 Kings 2:10 (BSB)“Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.”David too rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.
General
Who was Jeroboam before he rebelled (1 Kings 11:26-28)?
Answer: An Ephraimite servant whom Solomon put over Joseph’s labor force
Jeroboam, Nebat’s son, came from Zeredah in Ephraim and was one of Solomon’s officials, yet he rose up against the king (11:26). He was a capable warrior, and when Solomon saw how hard-working Jeroboam was, he made him overseer of all the workers drawn from Joseph’s descendants, the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (11:28). He is the servant God had spoken of when He said He would give the kingdom to Solomon’s servant (11:11), and he later became king of the northern tribes (12:20).
- 1 Kings 11:26 (BSB)“Now Jeroboam son of Nebat was an Ephraimite from Zeredah whose mother was a widow named Zeruah. Jeroboam was a servant of Solomon, but he rebelled against the king,”Jeroboam son of Nebat, Solomon’s servant, rebels against the king.
- 1 Kings 11:28 (BSB)“Now Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. So when Solomon noticed that the young man was industrious, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph.”Solomon puts the capable Jeroboam over the labor force of the house of Joseph.
- 1 Kings 12:20 (BSB)“When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.”Jeroboam later becomes king over the northern tribes.
- 1 Kings 11:11 (BSB)“Then 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 tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.”God had said the kingdom would go to Solomon’s servant.
Theological
What was Jeroboam’s background and position under Solomon (1 Kings 11:26-28)?
Answer: An Ephraimite servant whom Solomon put over Joseph’s labor force
Jeroboam, Nebat’s son, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, was Solomon’s official who rebelled (11:26); recognizing his industry, Solomon set him over the entire workforce of Joseph’s tribes (11:28). He is the servant of 11:11 to whom the kingdom will pass, as fulfilled when the northern tribes make him king (12:20).
- 1 Kings 11:26 (BSB)“Now Jeroboam son of Nebat was an Ephraimite from Zeredah whose mother was a widow named Zeruah. Jeroboam was a servant of Solomon, but he rebelled against the king,”Jeroboam son of Nebat, Solomon’s servant, rebels against the king.
- 1 Kings 11:28 (BSB)“Now Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. So when Solomon noticed that the young man was industrious, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph.”Solomon puts the capable Jeroboam over the labor force of the house of Joseph.
- 1 Kings 12:20 (BSB)“When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.”Jeroboam later becomes king over the northern tribes.
- 1 Kings 11:11 (BSB)“Then 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 tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.”God had said the kingdom would go to Solomon’s servant.
General
What judgment does the LORD announce to Solomon in 1 Kings 11:11?
Answer: He will rip the kingdom from him and hand it to his servant
Because Solomon had not kept God’s covenant and statutes, the LORD told him He would rip the kingdom from his grasp and hand it to one of his servants (11:11). The language recalls God’s judgment on Saul, from whom the kingdom was torn and given to another (1 Samuel 15:28). The servant turns out to be Jeroboam, one of Solomon’s officials (11:26), whom the northern tribes later made king (12:20).
- 1 Kings 11:11 (BSB)“Then 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 tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.”The LORD announces He will tear the kingdom from Solomon and give it to his servant.
- 1 Samuel 15:28 (BSB)“So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.”God had torn the kingdom from Saul in a similar judgment.
- 1 Kings 12:20 (BSB)“When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.”The northern tribes later made Jeroboam king, fulfilling this word.
Theological
What sentence does the LORD pronounce on Solomon in 1 Kings 11:11?
Answer: He will rip the kingdom from him and hand it to his servant
For breaking the covenant and statutes, Solomon hears that the LORD will wrest the kingdom from him and hand it to his servant (11:11), echoing the rending of Saul’s kingdom (1 Samuel 15:28). The servant is Jeroboam, Solomon’s official (11:26), whom the northern tribes later crown (12:20).
- 1 Kings 11:11 (BSB)“Then 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 tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.”The LORD announces He will tear the kingdom from Solomon and give it to his servant.
- 1 Samuel 15:28 (BSB)“So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.”God had torn the kingdom from Saul in a similar judgment.
- 1 Kings 12:20 (BSB)“When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.”The northern tribes later made Jeroboam king, fulfilling this word.
General
Why does the narrator say the LORD was angry with Solomon (1 Kings 11:9-10)?
Answer: His heart left the God who had twice come to him and given him warning
The LORD’s anger burned against Solomon because Solomon’s heart had drifted from Israel’s God, who had shown Himself to him two times, at Gibeon and after the temple was finished (11:9; 3:5). God had also warned him directly against going after other gods, yet Solomon did not obey (11:10; 9:6-7). The narrator stresses how much Solomon had been given: personal visits from God and a clear warning. As Jesus taught, much is required of the one to whom much has been given (Luke 12:48).
- 1 Kings 11:9-10 (BSB)“Now the LORD grew angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Although He had warned Solomon explicitly not to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command.”The LORD is angry with Solomon, who had been warned and had seen God twice.
- 1 Kings 3:5 (BSB)“One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!””God first appeared to Solomon at Gibeon.
- 1 Kings 9:6-7 (BSB)“But if indeed you or your sons turn away from following Me and do not keep the commandments and statutes I have set before you, and if you go off to serve and worship other gods, then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. Then Israel will become an object of scorn and ridicule among all peoples.”In the second appearance God had explicitly warned against serving other gods.
- Luke 12:48 (BSB)“But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded.”Jesus taught that much is required from the one to whom much has been given.
Theological
What grounds does 1 Kings 11:9-10 give for the LORD’s anger against Solomon?
Answer: His heart left the God who had twice come to him and given him warning
The LORD’s anger is grounded in Solomon’s defection from Israel’s God, who had twice revealed Himself to him (11:9; 3:5) and had expressly warned him against other gods (11:10; 9:6-7). Greater privilege brings greater accountability (Luke 12:48); Solomon sinned against unusually clear revelation.
- 1 Kings 11:9-10 (BSB)“Now the LORD grew angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Although He had warned Solomon explicitly not to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command.”The LORD is angry with Solomon, who had been warned and had seen God twice.
- 1 Kings 3:5 (BSB)“One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!””God first appeared to Solomon at Gibeon.
- 1 Kings 9:6-7 (BSB)“But if indeed you or your sons turn away from following Me and do not keep the commandments and statutes I have set before you, and if you go off to serve and worship other gods, then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. Then Israel will become an object of scorn and ridicule among all peoples.”In the second appearance God had explicitly warned against serving other gods.
- Luke 12:48 (BSB)“But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded.”Jesus taught that much is required from the one to whom much has been given.
General
True or False: The narrator says that in his old age Solomon’s heart remained completely given to the LORD, just as David’s had been (1 Kings 11:4).
Answer: False
This is false. The narrator says the opposite: Solomon’s heart was not completely given to his God, as David’s had been (11:4), and he committed evil in the LORD’s sight because, unlike David, he failed to follow the LORD fully (11:6). God had called him to walk before Him as David did, with an honest and upright heart (9:4), and the law called every Israelite to love the LORD with all the heart (Deuteronomy 6:5). The verdict is about a divided heart, not merely a few wrong acts.
- 1 Kings 11:4 (BSB)“For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been.”Solomon’s heart is not fully devoted to the LORD as David’s had been.
- 1 Kings 11:6 (BSB)“So Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD; unlike his father David, he did not follow the LORD completely.”Solomon does evil and does not follow the LORD completely.
- 1 Kings 9:4 (BSB)“And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and uprightness, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and ordinances,”God had called Solomon to walk before Him as David did, with an upright heart.
- Deuteronomy 6:5 (BSB)“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”Israel was to love the LORD with all the heart, soul and strength.
Theological
True or False: According to 1 Kings 11:4, Solomon in old age kept an undivided heart toward the LORD as David had.
Answer: False
This is false. The narrator’s verdict is that Solomon’s heart was not wholly given to the LORD, in contrast with David (11:4), and that he did evil by not following the LORD fully (11:6). The standard was the undivided heart required in 9:4 and in the great commandment of Deuteronomy 6:5; Solomon’s failure lies in divided loyalty.
- 1 Kings 11:4 (BSB)“For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been.”Solomon’s heart is not fully devoted to the LORD as David’s had been.
- 1 Kings 11:6 (BSB)“So Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD; unlike his father David, he did not follow the LORD completely.”Solomon does evil and does not follow the LORD completely.
- 1 Kings 9:4 (BSB)“And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and uprightness, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and ordinances,”God had called Solomon to walk before Him as David did, with an upright heart.
- Deuteronomy 6:5 (BSB)“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”Israel was to love the LORD with all the heart, soul and strength.
General
Why will God leave one tribe to Solomon’s son (1 Kings 11:13)?
Answer: Because of David His servant and Jerusalem, the city He chose
God would not remove all of the kingdom; He would leave one tribe to Solomon’s son because of David His servant and because of Jerusalem, which He had chosen (11:13). Through Ahijah He explains that this was so that a lamp of David would keep burning before Him in Jerusalem (11:36), a picture of David’s line continuing. God’s faithfulness to His promise to David holds even when David’s son is unfaithful: disobedience brings discipline, but God does not take back His loving devotion (Psalm 89:33-34). Later, David’s line and Judah are preserved for the same reason (1 Kings 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19).
- 1 Kings 11:13 (BSB)“Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom away from him. 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 will leave one tribe to Solomon’s son for David’s sake and for Jerusalem.
- 1 Kings 11:36 (BSB)“I will give one tribe to his son, so that My servant David will always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put My Name.”God keeps one tribe so that David will always have a lamp in Jerusalem.
- 2 Kings 8:19 (BSB)“Yet for the sake of His servant David, the LORD was unwilling to destroy Judah, since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.”Later, for David’s sake, God refused to destroy Judah because He had promised David a lamp.
- 1 Kings 15:4 (BSB)“Nevertheless, for the sake of David, the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and to make Jerusalem strong.”God gave David’s line a lamp in Jerusalem for David’s sake.
- Psalm 89:33-34 (BSB)“But I will not withdraw My loving devotion from him, nor ever betray My faithfulness. I will not violate My covenant or alter the utterance of My lips.”God said He would not withdraw His loving devotion from David or break His covenant with him.
Theological
On what grounds does the LORD preserve one tribe for Solomon’s son (1 Kings 11:13)?
Answer: Because of David His servant and Jerusalem, the city He chose
One tribe is preserved on account of God’s servant David and of Jerusalem, the chosen city (11:13), so that David’s lamp will never go out before the LORD in Jerusalem (11:36). The king’s disobedience brings discipline, but the Davidic covenant stands on God’s unbroken faithfulness and unaltered word (Psalm 89:33-34), and the same ground repeatedly sustains Judah’s line (1 Kings 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19).
- 1 Kings 11:13 (BSB)“Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom away from him. 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 will leave one tribe to Solomon’s son for David’s sake and for Jerusalem.
- 1 Kings 11:36 (BSB)“I will give one tribe to his son, so that My servant David will always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put My Name.”God keeps one tribe so that David will always have a lamp in Jerusalem.
- 2 Kings 8:19 (BSB)“Yet for the sake of His servant David, the LORD was unwilling to destroy Judah, since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.”Later, for David’s sake, God refused to destroy Judah because He had promised David a lamp.
- 1 Kings 15:4 (BSB)“Nevertheless, for the sake of David, the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and to make Jerusalem strong.”God gave David’s line a lamp in Jerusalem for David’s sake.
- Psalm 89:33-34 (BSB)“But I will not withdraw My loving devotion from him, nor ever betray My faithfulness. I will not violate My covenant or alter the utterance of My lips.”God said He would not withdraw His loving devotion from David or break His covenant with him.
General
Which statement about Rezon son of Eliada is true according to 1 Kings 11:23-25?
Answer: God raised him up; he took Damascus and opposed Israel all Solomon’s days
God stirred up a second adversary, Rezon, who had run away from Hadadezer, the king of Zobah he once served, and gathered a band of men (11:23-24). He went to Damascus, took control there, and ruled Aram as Israel’s enemy as long as Solomon reigned, making the trouble from Hadad worse (11:24-25). These adversaries recall God’s word to David that if his son did wrong, He would correct him by means of human opponents (2 Samuel 7:14). Elsewhere God calls a hostile nation the rod of His anger (Isaiah 10:5).
- 1 Kings 11:23-25 (BSB)“And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah, and had gathered men to himself. When David killed the Zobaites, Rezon captained a band of raiders and went to Damascus, where they settled and gained control. Rezon was Israel’s enemy throughout the days of Solomon, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled over Aram with hostility toward Israel.”God raises up Rezon, who rules Aram from Damascus and opposes Israel.
- 2 Samuel 7:14 (BSB)“I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.”God promised to discipline David’s son with the rod of men if he did wrong.
- Isaiah 10:5 (BSB)“Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hands is My wrath.”God calls a hostile nation the rod of His anger.
Theological
According to 1 Kings 11:23-25, which description of Rezon is correct?
Answer: God raised him up; he took Damascus and opposed Israel all Solomon’s days
Rezon, a fugitive from Hadadezer of Zobah, is raised up by God as a second adversary; he seizes Damascus and rules Aram in hostility to Israel throughout Solomon’s reign (11:23-25). The episode recalls the human rod of discipline promised for the disobedient Davidic son (2 Samuel 7:14) and illustrates God’s use of hostile powers as instruments of discipline (Isaiah 10:5).
- 1 Kings 11:23-25 (BSB)“And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah, and had gathered men to himself. When David killed the Zobaites, Rezon captained a band of raiders and went to Damascus, where they settled and gained control. Rezon was Israel’s enemy throughout the days of Solomon, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled over Aram with hostility toward Israel.”God raises up Rezon, who rules Aram from Damascus and opposes Israel.
- 2 Samuel 7:14 (BSB)“I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.”God promised to discipline David’s son with the rod of men if he did wrong.
- Isaiah 10:5 (BSB)“Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hands is My wrath.”God calls a hostile nation the rod of His anger.
General
What did the prophet Ahijah do with his new cloak when he met Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:30-31)?
Answer: Ripped it in twelve parts and told Jeroboam to take ten
Ahijah the prophet from Shiloh met Jeroboam alone in the countryside, grasped the brand-new cloak he himself had on, and ripped it into twelve parts (11:29-30). He told Jeroboam to take ten, because the LORD was about to tear the kingdom from Solomon’s hand and give him ten tribes (11:31). The torn garment is a picture of the torn kingdom, much as the torn robe of Samuel had pictured the kingdom torn from Saul (1 Samuel 15:27-28). The division later happened exactly to fulfill this word (12:15).
- 1 Kings 11:30-31 (BSB)“And Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing, tore it into twelve pieces, and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give you ten tribes.”Ahijah tears his new cloak into twelve pieces and tells Jeroboam to take ten.
- 1 Samuel 15:27-28 (BSB)“As Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the hem of his robe, and it tore. So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.”A torn garment had earlier pictured the kingdom torn away from Saul.
- 1 Kings 12:15 (BSB)“So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word He had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.”The division under Rehoboam came about to fulfill Ahijah’s word.
Theological
What sign did Ahijah act out before Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:30-31)?
Answer: He ripped his cloak in twelve parts and gave Jeroboam ten
Ahijah the Shilonite tore his new cloak in twelve parts and handed Jeroboam ten, interpreting the act as the LORD tearing the kingdom from Solomon and assigning ten tribes to Jeroboam (11:29-31). The prophetic sign echoes the torn robe at Saul’s rejection (1 Samuel 15:27-28), and the later division occurs explicitly to fulfill this word (12:15).
- 1 Kings 11:30-31 (BSB)“And Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing, tore it into twelve pieces, and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give you ten tribes.”Ahijah tears his new cloak into twelve pieces and tells Jeroboam to take ten.
- 1 Samuel 15:27-28 (BSB)“As Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the hem of his robe, and it tore. So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.”A torn garment had earlier pictured the kingdom torn away from Saul.
- 1 Kings 12:15 (BSB)“So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word He had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.”The division under Rehoboam came about to fulfill Ahijah’s word.
General
According to 1 Kings 11:3-4, what did Solomon’s wives do to him as he grew old?
Answer: They led his heart to worship idols
Solomon had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 concubines, secondary wives of lower rank, and they led his heart astray (11:3). When he was old, his wives drew his heart toward other gods (11:4). This is the very danger the law of the king had named: a king who took many wives would find his heart turned away (Deuteronomy 17:17). Centuries later Nehemiah pointed back to Solomon, a king loved by God, as one whom foreign wives drew into sin (Nehemiah 13:26).
- 1 Kings 11:3-4 (BSB)“He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines—and his wives turned his heart away. For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been.”Solomon’s many wives turn his heart away when he is old.
- Deuteronomy 17:17 (BSB)“He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.”The law warned that a king who took many wives would have his heart led astray.
- Nehemiah 13:26 (BSB)“Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin.”Nehemiah later pointed to Solomon as a king loved by God whom foreign women led into sin.
Theological
What does 1 Kings 11:3-4 say Solomon’s wives did as he aged?
Answer: They led his heart to worship idols
With 700 royal wives and 300 concubines, Solomon had his heart turned (11:3), and in old age his wives drew it after other gods (11:4). The narrative shows the exact peril the law of the king foresaw (Deuteronomy 17:17), and Nehemiah later cites Solomon, beloved of God, as led into sin by foreign women (Nehemiah 13:26).
- 1 Kings 11:3-4 (BSB)“He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines—and his wives turned his heart away. For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been.”Solomon’s many wives turn his heart away when he is old.
- Deuteronomy 17:17 (BSB)“He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.”The law warned that a king who took many wives would have his heart led astray.
- Nehemiah 13:26 (BSB)“Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin.”Nehemiah later pointed to Solomon as a king loved by God whom foreign women led into sin.