1 Kings11

King Solomon, in his old age, turned from the Lord by loving many foreign women who led him to worship their gods. Consequently, the Lord declared He would tear the kingdom from Solomon's son, leaving only one tribe for David's sake. The Lord then raised up adversaries against Solomon, and the prophet Ahijah prophesied that Jeroboam would receive ten tribes of Israel.

Solomon's Apostasy and Idolatry

1
King Shlomo loved many foreign women besides the daughter of Pharaoh. There were women from the Mo'avi, 'Amoni, Edomi, Tzidoni and Hitti - ​
2
nations about which ADONAI had said to the people of Isra'el, "You are not to go among them or they among you, because they will turn your hearts away toward their gods." But Shlomo was deeply attached to them by his love. ​
3
He had 700 wives, all princesses, and 300 concubines; and his wives turned his heart away. ​
4
For when Shlomo became old, his wives turned his heart away toward other gods; so that he was not wholehearted with ADONAI his God, as David his father had been. ​
5
For Shlomo followed 'Ashtoret the goddess of the Tzidoni and Milkom the abomination of the 'Amoni. ​
6
Thus Shlomo did what was evil in ADONAI's view and did not fully follow ADONAI, as David his father had done.
7
Shlomo built a high place for K'mosh the abomination of Mo'av on the hill on front of Yerushalayim, and another for Molekh the abomination of the people of 'Amon. ​
8
This is what he did for all his foreign wives, who then offered and sacrificed to their gods.

God Announces Judgment

9
So ADONAI grew angry with Shlomo, because his heart had turned away from ADONAI the God of Isra'el, who had appeared to him twice ​
10
and given him orders concerning this matter that he should not follow other gods. But he didn't obey ADONAI's orders.
11
So ADONAI said to Shlomo, "Since this is what has been in your mind, and you haven't kept my covenant and my regulations which I ordered you to obey, I will tear the kingdom from you and give it to your servant. ​
12
However, for David your father's sake I won't do it while you are alive, but I will tear it away from your son. ​
13
Even then, I won't tear away all the kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Yerushalayim, which I have chosen." ​

External Adversaries Raised Up

14
Then ADONAI raised up an adversary against Shlomo, Hadad the Edomi, of the royal line of Edom. ​
15
Back when David had been in Edom, and Yo'av the commander of the army had gone up to bury the dead, having killed every male in Edom ​
16
(for Yo'av and all Isra'el had stayed there six months, until he had eliminated every male in Edom),
17
Hadad had fled, he and a number of Edomi servants of his father's with him, and gone into Egypt; at the time Hadad had been but a small boy.
18
On their way, they passed through Midyan and arrived in Pa'ran, took with them men from Pa'ran, and went on into Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt. He gave Hadad a house, saw to it that he had food and gave him land.
19
Hadad became a great favorite of Pharaoh, so that he gave him his own wife's sister in marriage, that is, the sister of Tachp'neis the queen. ​
20
The sister of Tachp'neis bore him G'nuvat his son, and Tachp'neis brought him up in Pharaoh's own house, so that G'nuvat was in Pharaoh's house along with Pharaoh's sons.
21
When Hadad in Egypt heard that David slept with his ancestors and Yo'av the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, "Let me leave, so that I can return to my own country."
22
Pharaoh asked him, "But what have you lacked with me that makes you want just now to go to your own country?" "Nothing in particular," he replied, "but let me leave, anyway."
23
God raised up another adversary against Shlomo, Rezon the son of Elyada, who had fled from his lord Hadad'ezer king of Tzovah ​
24
when David killed the men from Tzovah. Rezon rallied men to himself and became the leader of a band of marauders; they went to Dammesek and settled there, while he became king of Dammesek.
25
He remained an adversary as long as Shlomo lived, causing difficulties in addition to those of Hadad. He detested Isra'el and ruled Aram. ​

Jeroboam Chosen to Rule Ten Tribes

26
Also Yarov'am the son of N'vat, an Efrati from Tz'redah, whose mother's name was Tz'ru'ah, one of Shlomo's servants, rebelled against the king. ​
27
Here is the reason he rebelled against the king: Shlomo was building the Millo and closing the breach in [the wall of] the City of David his father. ​
28
Now this Yarov'am was a strong, energetic man; and Shlomo, seeing how serious the young man was, made him supervisor over all the work being done by the tribe of Yosef.
29
Once, during this period, when Yarov'am had gone out of Yerushalayim, the prophet Achiyah from Shiloh spotted him traveling. Achiyah was wearing a new cloak, and the two of them were alone in open country. ​
30
Achiyah took hold of his new cloak that he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces. ​
31
Then he said to Yarov'am, "Take ten pieces for yourself! For here is what ADONAI the God of Isra'el says: 'I am going to tear the kingdom out of Shlomo's hand, and I will give ten tribes to you.
32
But he will keep one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Yerushalayim, the city I have chosen from all the tribes of Isra'el.
33
I will do this because they have abandoned me and worshipped 'Ashtoret the goddess of the Tzidoni, K'mosh the god of Mo'av and Milkom the god of the people of 'Amon. They haven't lived according to my ways, so that they could do what was right in my view and obey my regulations and rulings, as did David his father.
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Nevertheless, I will not take the entire kingdom away from him; but I will make him prince as long as he lives, for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose, because he obeyed my mitzvot and regulations.
35
However, I will take the kingdom away from his son and give ten tribes of it to you.
36
To his son I will give one tribe, so that David my servant will always have a light burning before me in Yerushalayim, the city I chose for myself as the place to put my name. ​
37
I will take you, and you will rule over everything you want; you will be king over Isra'el.
38
Now if you will listen to all that I order you, live according to my ways and do what is right in my view, so that you observe my regulations and mitzvot, as David my servant did; then I will be with you, and I will build you a lasting dynasty, as I built for David; and I will give Isra'el to you. ​
39
For this [offense] I will trouble David's descendants, but not forever."
40
Because of this Shlomo tried to kill Yarov'am; but Yarov'am roused himself, fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and stayed in Egypt until the death of Shlomo. ​

Death of Solomon

41
Other activities of Shlomo, all he accomplished and his wisdom are recorded in the Annals of Shlomo. ​
42
The length of Shlomo's reign in Yerushalayim over all Isra'el was forty years. ​
43
Then Shlomo slept with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David his father, and Rechav'am his son became king in his place. ​

Study Notes for 1 Kings 11

Verse 1

Solomon's political strategy involved cementing alliances through marriage, but this directly violated the Mosaic law (Deut 17:17; 7:3-4). His love for foreign women led to his spiritual downfall.

Verse 2

The explicit warning against intermarriage was rooted in the fear that foreign wives would introduce new gods and turn the Israelites’ hearts away from Yahweh, a fear tragically realized in Solomon.

Verse 3

The massive number of wives and concubines (1,000 total) demonstrates Solomon's excessive accumulation of power and wealth, fulfilling the specific warning given to future kings (Deut 17:17).

Verse 4

The text contrasts Solomon’s obedience with the unwavering devotion of David, emphasizing that Solomon’s heart was 'not perfect' (or fully committed) to the LORD, especially in his old age.

Verse 5

Ashtoreth (Astarte) was the principal fertility goddess of the Canaanites and Phoenicians. Milcom (often identified with Molech) was the national god of the Ammonites, associated with child sacrifice.

Verse 7

Solomon built shrines for these foreign deities on the Mount of Olives, the 'hill that is before Jerusalem,' a profound desecration that brought pagan ritual directly into the holy city’s view.

Verse 9

The severity of God’s anger stems from the fact that Solomon had received two personal divine appearances and specific warnings (1 Kgs 3:5; 9:2). His sin was willful disobedience against direct revelation.

Verse 11

The term 'rend the kingdom' signifies the violent splitting of the unified monarchy. The judgment is framed as a consequence of Solomon breaking the covenant and neglecting God’s statutes.

Verse 12

God delays the full execution of judgment until the next generation, demonstrating covenant fidelity to David and upholding the promise of a continuous dynasty (2 Sam 7).

Verse 13

The 'one tribe' (Judah, which included Benjamin) is spared to ensure the Davidic line remains intact and to preserve Jerusalem as the chosen place for God’s name.

Verse 14

God actively 'stirred up' adversaries, illustrating that even political and military opposition is under divine control and serves as punishment for covenant breaking. Hadad was a surviving heir of the Edomite royal family.

Verse 15

This provides the historical context: Hadad escaped the genocidal campaign waged by Joab, David’s general, ensuring that Edom never fully forgot or forgave Israel’s conquest.

Verse 19

Pharaoh’s generosity shows that Hadad was fully integrated into the Egyptian court, positioning him as a viable rival king supported by a major foreign power.

Verse 23

Rezon, a former officer under Hadadezer of Zobah, established himself in Damascus. He represents the rise of Aramean power, which would become a persistent thorn in Israel’s side.

Verse 25

Rezon’s successful establishment of a hostile kingdom in Syria (Damascus) confirms the weakening of Solomon's empire and the beginning of the end of the Pax Solomonica.

Verse 26

Jeroboam, from the prominent tribe of Ephraim, was initially an administrator under Solomon. He is introduced here as the internal threat who 'lifted up his hand' in rebellion.

Verse 27

Jeroboam’s rise came during Solomon’s massive public works projects, specifically the fortification of Jerusalem (Millo). His competence in overseeing the 'house of Joseph' (Ephraim and Manasseh) gave him political visibility.

Verse 29

Ahijah the prophet legitimizes Jeroboam’s rebellion, confirming that the political division is not random but a direct divine mandate fulfilling the judgment announced to Solomon.

Verse 30

The prophet's tearing of the new garment is a symbolic sign-act, visually representing the violent tearing and fragmentation of the unified nation into twelve parts.

Verse 36

The 'light alway before me in Jerusalem' is a theological term symbolizing the enduring commitment to the Davidic dynasty, ensuring the Messianic line remains active through the surviving tribe.

Verse 38

God offers Jeroboam a conditional covenant: if he obeys, he will receive a 'sure house' (an enduring dynasty), demonstrating that God's favor is based on obedience, not lineage alone.

Verse 40

Solomon attempts to murder Jeroboam to thwart the prophecy. Jeroboam’s flight to Shishak, the powerful Pharaoh of the 22nd Dynasty, sets him up for a triumphant return following Solomon’s death.

Verse 41

This formulaic verse directs the reader to the 'book of the acts of Solomon,' indicating that the biblical account is selective and based on court records or chronicles.

Verse 42

Forty years is a conventional number in biblical history, often symbolizing a full, complete reign or generation. This marks the end of the united kingdom era.

Verse 43

The succession of Rehoboam immediately sets the stage for the fulfillment of Ahijah’s prophecy and the permanent division of Israel in the subsequent chapter.

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