Bible Commentaries

But king Solomon loved many ^a strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, [and] Hittites;

(a) Who were idolaters.

And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred ^b concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

(b) To whom belonged no dowry.

For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, [that] his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not ^c perfect with the LORD his God, as [was] the heart of David his father.

(c) He did not serve God with a pure heart.

For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after ^d Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

(d) Who was also called Molech in (1 Kings 11:7). See also (2 Kings 23:10).

Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the ^e abomination of Moab, in the hill that [is] before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

(e) Thus the scripture calls whatever man reveres and serves as God.

Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as ^f this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

(f) That you have forsaken me and worshipped idols.

Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; [but] will give one ^g tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.

(g) Because the tribes of Judah and Benjamin had their possessions mixed, they are here taken as one tribe.

And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he [was] of the king's ^h seed in Edom.

(h) Of the king of Edom's stock.

For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the ⁱ slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom;

(i) Of the Edomites.

That Hadad ^k fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt; Hadad [being] yet a little child.

(k) Thus God reserved this idolater as scourge to punish his people's sins.

And Hadad ^l found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.

(l) God brought him honour, that his power might be more able to compass his enterprises against Solomon's house.

And God stirred him up [another] adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which ^m fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah:

(m) When David had defeated Hadadezer and his army.

And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them [of Zobah]: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, ⁿ and reigned in Damascus.

(n) That is, the men whom he had gathered to him.

And the man Jeroboam [was] a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ^o ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.

(o) He was overseer of Solomon's works for the tribe of Ephraim and Manasseh.

And Ahijah caught the new garment that [was] on him, and ^p rent it [in] twelve pieces:

(p) By these visible signs the prophets would more deeply print their message into the hearts of those to whom they were sent.

And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a ^q light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.

(q) He refers to the Messiah, who would be the bright star that would shine through all the world.

And I will ^r for this afflict the seed of David, ^s but not for ever.

(r) For this idolatry that Solomon has committed.

(s) For the whole spiritual kingdom was restored in the Messiah.

And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, [are] they not written in the ^t book of the acts of Solomon?

(t) Which it is thought was lost in their captivity.