Verse 1
1 Kings 11:1. King Solomon loved
many strange women — It was not
a fault in him that he married
Pharaoh’s daughter; she being a
proselyte, as is generally
supposed, to the Jewish
religion. But in marrying so
many other women besides, he
committed two sins against the
law; one in multiplying wives,
and another in marrying those of
strange nations, who still
retained their idolatrous
religion; which was expressly
against the law, as the next
verse declares.
Verse 2
1 Kings 11:2. Concerning which
the Lord said — Ye shall not go
in unto them — This relates
especially to the Hittites and
the Zidonians, and consequently
the rest of the seven nations of
Canaan, with whom they were
forbidden to make any marriage,
(Exodus 34:16; Deuteronomy 7:3,)
for the weighty reason here
mentioned. For though they might
marry women of other nations, if
these women embraced the true
religion, yet of the seven
nations of Canaan they might
not, although they were
converted to their religion;
lest the venom should lurk and
lie hid, and at last break out
and infect them. Great was the
foresight wherewith God endowed
Moses in giving this precept, as
Grotius remarks; and the not
observing it was of fatal
consequence to the Israelites,
and laid the foundation of their
utter ruin. Solomon clave unto
these in love — Was
extravagantly fond of them. He
had much knowledge; but to what
purpose, when he knew not how to
govern his appetites?
Verse 3
1 Kings 11:3. He had seven
hundred wives, princesses, and
three hundred concubines — This
was multiplying them
prodigiously indeed, and pouring
contempt on the divine
prohibition in the most
notorious manner. David had
multiplied wives too, although
to no such extent as this; but
probably the bad example which
he had set in this particular,
had encouraged Solomon to think
it, if not lawful, yet a lesser
evil than it really was. One ill
act of a good man may do more
mischief than twenty of a wicked
man. “Without knowing the
customs of the princes of the
East,” says Dr. Dodd, “their
pomp and sumptuousness of
living, one might be tempted to
wonder of what possible use was
this milliad of wives and
concubines. But as Solomon was
between forty and fifty years
old before he ran into this
excess, we cannot but think that
he kept this multitude of women
more for state than otherwise.
Darius Codomanus was wont to
carry along with him in his camp
no less than three hundred and
fifty concubines in time of war;
nor was his queen offended at
it, for the women used to
reverence and adore her, as if
she had been a goddess. Father
Le Compte, in his history of
China, tells us that the emperor
has a vast number of wives,
chosen out of the prime beauties
of the country, many of which he
never so much as saw in his
whole life: and, therefore, it
is not improbable that Solomon,
as he found his riches increase,
might enlarge his expenses, and
endeavour to surpass all the
princes of his time in this, as
well as in all other kinds of
pomp and magnificence.” He was
guilty, however, of a flagrant
violation of the divine law.
Verse 4
1 Kings 11:4. For it came to
pass when Solomon was old, &c. —
Having now reigned nigh thirty
years, when it might have been
expected that experience would
have made him wiser; then God
suffered him to fall so
shamefully, that he might to all
succeeding generations be an
example of the folly and
weakness of the wisest and the
best men, when left to
themselves. His wives turned
away his heart after other gods
— Not that they altered his
judgment respecting the true God
and idols, which is not
credible; but they obtained from
him a public indulgence for
their idol-worship, and possibly
persuaded him to join with them
sometimes in the outward acts of
it; or at least, in their feasts
upon their sacrifices, which was
a participation of their
idolatry. And his heart was not
perfect with the Lord his God —
He did not entirely forsake the
service of Jehovah, but joined
the worship of other gods with
him, which he never could have
done, after the true knowledge
which he had of God, and the
solemn profession he had made of
adherence to him, unless he had
been greatly fallen.
Verses 5-7
1 Kings 11:5-7. Solomon went
after Ashtoreth — Called also
Astarte. See on 2:13. And after
Milcom — The same, it is
thought, with Molech, who is
here called an abomination,
because highly detested by God.
Solomon built a high place for
Chemosh — That is, an altar upon
a high place, as the manner of
the heathen was. Concerning
Chemosh, see Numbers 21:29. In
the hill that is before
Jerusalem — In the mount of
Olives, which was nigh to
Jerusalem, as if to confront the
temple. From this act this hill
was called the mount of
corruption, 2 Kings 23:13. O sad
effects of riches and prosperity
on mankind! How insolent do they
make them, and how forgetful of
God! Wisely did Agar pray, Give
me not riches, lest I be full
and say, Who is the Lord?
Verse 8
1 Kings 11:8. And likewise did
he for all his strange wives —
For what he granted to one, the
others would be disposed to
claim, or else complain of his
unkindness to them. One would
have expected from his wisdom
and piety rather to have found
him instrumental in converting
them all to his religion, than
to be himself seduced to theirs!
But, alas! he does not appear to
have taken any pains with them
for any such purpose, being too
much given up to his pleasures,
and thinking, perhaps, that he
could reconcile his religion
with theirs, and find a good
meaning in all their
superstitious. And sacrificed
unto their gods — See what need
those have to stand upon their
guard, who have been eminent for
religion. The devil will set
upon them most violently; and if
they miscarry, the reproach is
the greater. It is the evening
that commends the day. Let us
therefore fear, lest, having run
well, we come short.
Verse 9-10
1 Kings 11:9-10. The Lord was
angry with Solomon — Displeased
with his actions, and determined
to punish him for them; in which
sense we are generally to
understand such expressions, for
we must always remember that
human passions can have no place
in God. Because his heart was
turned from the Lord, who had
appeared to him twice — First at
Gibeon, in the beginning of his
reign, (1 Kings 3:5,) and then
at Jerusalem, after the building
of the temple. And had commanded
him concerning this thing — For
in both those visions, the
happiness promised him was
declared to depend upon his
observing God’s statutes. And
when he began to build the
temple, he was divinely
admonished that he had better
desist than go on in that work,
unless he purposed to walk
according to all God’s
commandments, 1 Kings 6:12-13.
But he kept not, &c. — Which was
the greater crime, because God
had so often admonished him of
his duty, and done such great
things for him.
Verses 11-13
1 Kings 11:11-13. Wherefore the
Lord said unto Solomon —
Probably by some prophet. I will
surely rend the kingdom from
thee, and give it to thy servant
— Namely, Jeroboam, whom God
permitted to rise into power and
influence, that he might take
the greatest part of his kingdom
from him. This was enough to
astonish Solomon, or any man, to
hear that all his splendour
should be so soon eclipsed!
Notwithstanding, in thy days I
will not do it — Or, not suffer
it to be done; for in this sense
these expressions are to be
taken. For David thy father’s
sake — For my promise made to
him. But will give one tribe to
thy son — The tribe of Judah.
Benjamin was not entirely his,
but part of it adhered to
Jeroboam, as Beth-el, 1 Kings
12:29; and Hephron, 2 Chronicles
13:19; both which were towns of
Benjamin. For David my servant’s
sake — Who, though he was guilty
of great sins, yet never forsook
God to follow the abominations
of idols; nor ever swerved long
from God’s commandments, but
made haste to repent and amend
his ways, whenever he offended.
And for Jerusalem’s sake which I
have chosen — Not literally, for
the sake of the city Jerusalem,
but for the great and precious
purposes to mankind in general,
which God intended to bring
about, in his divine providence,
by keeping up the knowledge of
himself at Jerusalem.
Verse 14
1 Kings 11:14. The Lord stirred
up an adversary to Solomon — All
his glory, and riches, and human
wisdom availed nothing to
preserve his kingdom entire to
his posterity, when he turned
away from keeping God’s
covenant, and fell into
idolatry. Hadad the Edomite — A
young prince of the royal family
of Idumea, who fled into Egypt
when David conquered that
country; and, finding favour
with the king, settled there.
Verses 15-17
1 Kings 11:15-17. When David was
in Edom — By his army to war
against it; and Joab was gone up
to bury the slain — The
Israelites who were slain in the
battle, (2 Samuel 8:13-14,) whom
he honourably interred in some
certain place, to which he is
said to go up for that end. And
this gave Hadad the opportunity
of making his escape, while Joab
and his men were all employed in
the solemnity. After he had
smitten, &c. — Or, and he smote,
as it is in the Hebrew: which is
here observed as the cause of
Hadad’s flight; he understood
what Joab had done in part, and
intended further to do, even to
kill all the males, and
therefore fled for his life.
With all Israel — That is, with
all his army. Until he had cut
off every male — That bore arms;
for it is hardly to be thought
that they cut off all the male
children and youths. That Hadad
fled — While Joab was busy in
giving a solemn burial to the
Israelites, certain Edomites
took the opportunity to carry
Hadad into Egypt.
Verse 18
1 Kings 11:18. They arose out of
Midian — They first went into
Midian and stayed there a while,
probably that they might send
from thence to know whether
Pharaoh would give them
entertainment and protection.
And came to Paran — Another
country in the road from Edom to
Egypt, where he hired men to
attend him, probably either as
guides, or that, making his
entrance into Egypt in some
degree like a prince, he might
find more favour from the king
and people. Which gave him a
house, &c. — According to the
manner of generous princes, who
pity noble persons that are in
distress, Pharaoh not only
assigned him a house, and kept a
table for him, that he might
want nothing, but also gave him
land, that out of the revenues
of it he might provide himself
an equipage suitable to his
quality.
Verse 19-20
1 Kings 11:19-20. Hadad found
great favour in the sight of
Pharaoh — God so disposing
Pharaoh’s heart, that Hadad
might be a scourge to Solomon
for his impieties. Here Hadad
married the sister of Tahpenes
the queen, who bare him a son.
Whom Tahpenes weaned in
Pharaoh’s house — Having as
great a fondness for the child,
as the king had for his father;
and kept the feast generally
made at the weaning of a child.
In all these things the
providence of God was
conspicuous, thus causing Hadad
and his family to rise into
power and influence, that he
might give the greater trouble
to Solomon.
Verse 21-22
1 Kings 11:21-22. Hadad said —
Let me depart, that I may go to
my own country — To Edom, which
he hoped to recover, now that
the great enemies of it, David
and Joab, (whom he feared as
much as David,) were dead, and
Solomon was young. Thither he
accordingly came; and was there
even from the beginning of
Solomon’s reign. And, it is
probable, by the near relation
which was between his wife and
Solomon’s, and by Pharaoh’s
intercession, he obtained his
kingdom with condition of
subjection and tribute to be
paid by him to Solomon; which
condition he kept till Solomon
fell from God, and then began to
be troublesome and dangerous to
his house and kingdom.
Verse 23-24
1 Kings 11:23-24. Which fled
from his lord Hadadezer — When
David had defeated him. King of
Zobah — A part of Syria, between
Damascus and Euphrates. And he
gathered men unto him — Some of
those that fled when David
defeated Hadadezer, 2 Samuel
10:18. And became captain over a
band — Who listed themselves
under him as their commander,
with others, who readily joined
them, and lived by robbery, as
many Arabians did. And they went
to Damascus — And took it while
Solomon was wallowing in luxury:
David had put a garrison into
Damascus, and brought the people
under tribute, 2 Samuel 8:5-6;
and so they probably continued
during his life, and were
subject to Solomon after his
death, till that prince, doting
upon strange women, minded not
the defence of his conquests.
This Rezon took advantage of,
and invaded and got possession
of Damascus, and reigned there,
as Hadad did in Edom.
Verse 25
1 Kings 11:25. He was an
adversary to Israel all the days
of Solomon — This, perhaps, is
not to be understood of the
whole reign of Solomon, which
for the most part was peaceable,
but of all the days which
remained of his life, from the
time that his wives publicly
exercised their idolatry, unto
the day of his death. Or, it may
mean, that he was a secret enemy
all that time, and when Solomon
had forsaken God, he showed
himself openly. Besides the
mischief that Hadad did — This
infelicity was added to the
former; while Hadad molested him
in the south, Rezon threatened
him in the north. But what hurt
could Hadad or Rezon have done
to so powerful a king as
Solomon, if he had not by sin
made himself mean and weak? If
God be on our side, we need not
fear the greatest adversary; but
if he be against us, he can make
us fear the least; yea, the
grasshopper shall be a burden.
And reigned over Syria — Over
all that part of Syria,
enlarging his empire the more,
and thereby laying a foundation
for much misery to Solomon’s
kingdom.
Verses 26-28
1 Kings 11:26-28. Even he lifted
up his hand against the king —
Probably made some secret
attempts to raise a
dissatisfaction against Solomon;
for we do not read of any open
attempt. And this was the cause,
&c. — This was the occasion of
Jeroboam’s advancement, as it
follows in the next verse.
Solomon built Millo, &c. —
Solomon, being engaged in many
buildings, made choice of such
as he judged were fit persons to
oversee his works; among whom
Jeroboam was one. A mighty man
of valour — Of great courage and
strength of body. Solomon seeing
— that he was industrious — Very
diligent in the business wherein
he had employed him, of
overlooking his works. He made
him ruler, &c. — Set him over
those of the tribe of Benjamin
who were employed in carrying
stones, &c., for Solomon’s
buildings; or over the taxes and
tributes which were to be
collected of the house of
Joseph, that is, of Ephraim and
Manasseh, or of Ephraim only,
termed here, as often elsewhere,
the house of Joseph.
Verse 29
1 Kings 11:29. When Jeroboam
went out of Jerusalem — Probably
to execute his charge. The
Prophet Ahijah found him — Met
with him as he was going along.
“Ahijah was a native of Shiloh,
and one of those who wrote the
annals of King Solomon’s reign,
2 Chronicles 9:29. And he is
thought to have been the person
who spake twice to Solomon from
God, once while he was building
the temple, (1 Kings 6:12,) and
again when he fell into his
irregularities,” 1 Kings 11:11.
They two were alone in the field
— Having gone aside for private
conference; for otherwise
Jeroboam’s servants, (it being
most likely he had servants
attending him,) if they heard
not the words, might have seen
the action of rending his coat,
and thus the matter might have
come to Solomon’s ears.
Verses 30-32
1 Kings 11:30-32. And rent it in
twelve pieces — An emblem of
what he was to acquaint him
with; or rather a prediction of
it. For there were two ways, in
those ancient times, of
foretelling future events; one
in express words, the other by
signs and resemblances, many
instances of which we have often
after this of Ahijah. And will
give ten tribes to thee — Hence
it is generally called, the
kingdom of the ten tribes. But
he shall have one tribe —
Besides his own. Or Benjamin and
Judah may, be looked upon as but
one tribe, both of them having a
share in the city of Jerusalem,
and lying near one another.
Verse 34
1 Kings 11:34. I will not take
the whole kingdom out of his
hands — Solomon held even the
ten tribes as long as he lived.
But I will make him prince all
the days of his life — This was
an admonition to Jeroboam not to
molest Solomon in his life-time,
by raising a rebellion against
him; and also to walk in God’s
ways as David did, and not fall
into idolatry; for which sin God
resolved to punish Solomon so
severely as to rend the greatest
part of his kingdom from his
posterity. For David my
servant’s sake — Not for his own
sake; he had forfeited his crown
to the justice of God; but for
his father’s sake. “Children
that do not tread in their
parents’ steps,” says Henry,
“yet often fare the better in
this world for their good
parents’ piety.”
Verse 37
1 Kings 11:37. I will take thee
— From the condition wherein
thou art, and place thee on a
throne, as here follows. Thou
shalt reign according to all thy
soul desireth — According to thy
utmost wishes and desires. It
appears from this that he was a
very aspiring and ambitious man,
fond of power and pre-eminence;
and it is not unlikely but he
might at this time be plotting
against Solomon, and contriving
to rise to the throne. The Jews
say, that when he was employed
by Solomon in repairing and
building Millo, as the expenses
attending the work were very
great, he took opportunities of
reflecting upon Solomon as
oppressive to his people, and of
suggesting that which he thought
would alienate them from his
government, and infuse a spirit
of sedition and revolt. He
complained heavily, especially
to his brethren of the tribe of
Ephraim, “of the hard labour to
which they were forced to
submit, and the taxes they were
obliged to pay; and to represent
the whole affair as a work of
vanity, merely to gratify a
proud foreign woman, and a
silly, doting king; for Solomon
filled up a part of the valley
of Millo to build a palace for
Pharaoh’s daughter. By these
insinuations, it is thought,
Jeroboam wrought in the people a
disaffection to Solomon and his
government.” See Calmet’s Dict.
under the word MILLO.
Verse 38
1 Kings 11:38. If thou wilt
hearken to all that I command
thee, &c. — He is hereby given
to understand, that the grant of
the crown to him and his
descendants will be conditional,
and that he and they will be
upon their good behaviour.
Verse 39
1 Kings 11:39. I will for this —
For Solomon’s sin, mentioned 1
Kings 11:33; afflict the seed of
David — By rending the greatest
part of the kingdom from them;
but not for ever — A time shall
come when the seed of David
shall not be thus molested by
the kingdom of Israel, but shall
flourish again in great power
and prosperity; which it did in
many illustrious kings of Judah,
who reigned in glory when
Jeroboam’s family was
extirpated. And at last the
Messiah came, who united
together the broken sticks of
Judah and Joseph, and rules over
Jews and Gentiles also.
Verse 40
1 Kings 11:40. Solomon sought
therefore to kill Jeroboam — How
Solomon came to know what was
secretly transacted between
Ahijah and Jeroboam alone, is a
great question: perhaps the
prophet made no scruple to
report what he had delivered in
the name of the Lord. Or,
Jeroboam himself, being puffed
up with the expectation of
ascending the throne, could not
conceal it, nor keep his own
counsel, but told the matter to
some of his confidants, who
spread it abroad. But that
Solomon should ever entertain a
thought of endeavouring to
defeat the purpose of God, is
astonishing indeed! Jeroboam
arose and fled — unto Shishak
king of Egypt — Solomon’s
brother-in-law, as is probable,
who yet might be jealous of him,
or alienated from him, because
he had taken so many other wives
to his sister; or might cast a
greedy eye upon the great riches
which Solomon had amassed
together, and upon which,
presently after Solomon’s death,
he laid violent hands, 2
Chronicles 12:9. We may observe
here that all the kings of
Egypt, from the time of Abraham,
are in the sacred history called
by the name of Pharaoh, unless
Rameses (mentioned Genesis 47.)
be the name of a king, not of a
country; so that this is the
first we meet with called by his
proper name, different from the
rest of the Pharaohs. The
opinion is pretty general that
this was the great king, called
by the Greeks Sesostris, who,
having subdued Ethiopia,
extended his conquests into
Asia, as far as the Assyrians
and Medes, as Josephus tells us,
who calls him Sethosis.
Verse 41
1 Kings 11:41. The rest of the
acts of Solomon, &c. — It is
probable that Solomon employed a
chronologer, or historiographer,
to write the annals of his
reign, which public record is
here termed, The book of the
acts of Solomon. And out of
these annals the sacred writer
of this history took what he
judged most useful, and omitted
the rest, which he did not think
so necessary to be related, or
so instructive.
Verse 42-43
1 Kings 11:42-43. The time that
Solomon reigned — was forty
years — His reign was as long as
his father’s, but not his life:
sin shortened his days. And
Solomon slept with his fathers —
This expression is promiscuously
used concerning good and bad,
and signifies only, that they
died as their fathers did. And
was buried in the city of David
his father — Thus concludes the
history of this great man;
without any the least mention of
his repentance, or of his
bringing forth any of the proper
fruits of repentance, such as
pulling down the high places he
had built for the worship of
idols, and abandoning his
idolatrous wives and concubines.
Many Jews and Christians,
however, think it extremely
probable that he was awakened to
a sense of his sin and misery by
means of the message which God
sent him, as recorded 1 Kings
11:11; and that he humbled
himself before him, and became a
true penitent from that time.
They even judge that this is put
out of dispute by the book of
Ecclesiastes, written after his
fall, as, they say, is evident,
not only from the unanimous
testimony of the Hebrew writers,
but also from the whole strain
of that book, which was
manifestly composed long after
he had finished all his works,
and after he had liberally drunk
of all sorts of sensual
pleasures, and sadly experienced
the bitter effects of the love
of women. Now in this book he
appears greatly to lament his
own folly and madness, 1 Kings
7:25-28; and warns others to
take heed of the like evil
courses, and to fear God and
keep his commandments, in
consideration of the judgment to
come, chap. 1 Kings 11:9-10, and
1 Kings 12:13-14. They think it
probable, therefore, that as
David wrote Psalms 51., so
Solomon wrote this book, as a
public testimony and profession
of his repentance. On the other
hand, many are of opinion, that
the silence of the divine
historian on this subject is an
insuperable objection to all
this, and that if he had truly
repented, so considerable a
circumstance of his life would
not have been omitted, and that
we should, at least, have been
informed of his abolishing all
the monuments of his idolatry,
and those of his wives and
concubines. Perhaps, as Dr. Dodd
observes, “this is one of those
questions which will for ever be
a field of controversy, as we
have no certain guide from the
Scripture to direct us.” We may,
however, safely conclude, that
if Solomon did repent, yet as
the sacred writer has not
recorded that he did, but
suffered the important
circumstance to remain doubtful,
he intended to leave a blot upon
his memory, that all posterity
might have before their eyes an
awful example of human weakness,
even in a man of the greatest
endowments; and might learn
thereby to watch and pray lest
they should enter into
temptation; and to beware of the
beginnings and infatuations of
vice, since even Solomon was not
secure against its delusions;
and, once unhappily immersed in
it, perhaps, was never
disengaged from it. |