1 Kings 11:1-13

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 11:1-8

This is a sad story, and very surprising, of Solomon's defection and degeneracy. I. Let us enquire into the occasions and particulars of it. Shall Solomon fall, that was the beauty of Israel, and so great a blessing of his generation? Yes, it is too true, and the scripture is faithful in relating it, and repeating it, and referring to it long after, Neh. 13:26. There was no king like Solomon who was beloved of his God, yet even him did outlandish women cause to sin. There is the summary of his... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 11:9-13

Here is, I. God's anger against Solomon for his sin. The thing he did displeased the Lord. Time was then the Lord loved Solomon (2 Sam. 12:24) and delighted in him (1 Kgs. 10:9), but now the Lord was angry with Solomon (1 Kgs. 11:9), for there was in his sin, 1. The most base ingratitude that could be. He turned from the Lord who had appeared unto him twice, once before he began to build the temple (1 Kgs. 3:5) and once after he had dedicated it, 1 Kgs. 9:2. God keeps account of the gracious... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 11:1

But King Solomon loved many strange women ,.... His love was a lustful and not a lawful one, and of women who were not only of foreign countries, but not his lawful wives, and these many: together with the daughter of Pharaoh ; besides her, or as he loved her, and perhaps more; his sin was not that he loved her who was his lawful wife, but others with her; it is very probable she was a proselytess, and had no hand in turning him to idolatry, since we read not of any high place built for... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 11:2

Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you ,.... That is, they should not intermarry with one another; this is to be understood of the last mentioned, the Hittites, who were one of the seven nations this law respected, Deuteronomy 7:1 . for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods ; which is the reason given for the making the above law, and was sadly verified in Solomon: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 11:3

And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines ,.... In all 1000, a prodigious number; though these might not be all for use, but for state after the manner of the eastern monarchs; these were a far greater number than are alluded to in Song of Solomon 6:8 , unless the virgins without number there, were such of these as were not defiled by him; but the number here seems plainly referred to in Ecclesiastes 7:28 , and his wives turned away his heart ; both... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 11:4

And it came to pass, when Solomon was old ,.... Toward the latter end of his reign, when he might be near sixty years of age; for Rehoboam his son and successor was forty one when he began to reign, 1 Kings 14:21 which is observed either as an aggravation of the sin of Solomon, that in his old age, when by long experience he might have been thought to be still wiser, and less lustful: and yet that his wives turned away his heart after other gods ; or as pointing at the advantage his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 11:5

And Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians ,.... Enticed by the Zidonian women, or woman, he had, 1 Kings 11:1 . According to the Phoenician histories F9 Apud Tatian. contr. Graecos, p. 171. , Solomon married a daughter of Hiram, king of Tyre and Zidon; so Clemens of Alexandria says F11 Stromat. l. 1. p. 325. , that Hiram gave his daughter to Solomon; Ashtoreth is Astarte, the same with the Venus of the Greeks, so Suidas F12 In voce Ασταρτη . ; and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 11:6

And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord ,.... As idolatry is, nothing more provoking to him: and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father ; for though he did not relinquish the worship of the true God, and the service of the temple, yet inasmuch as he worshipped other gods besides, or connived at the worship of them, he did not wholly, and constantly, and solely serve the Lord, as his father did. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 11:7

Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Mesh ,.... Of this idol see Gill on Jeremiah 48:7 , an high place for which he ordered to be built, or at least suffered it to be built, at the instigation of his Moabitish woman or women, 1 Kings 11:1 , this was built in the hill that is before Jerusalem; on the mount of Olives, as Jarchi, called from hence afterwards the mount of corruption, 2 Kings 23:15 and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon, 1... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 11:8

And likewise did he for all his strange wives ,.... That is, built high places for their idols, or suffered them to be built; for when he had done it for one, he could not refuse it to another, without greatly disobliging them; even for as many of them, which burnt incense, and sacrificed unto their gods ; the gods of the countries from whence they came, and in the worship of which they had been brought up: this shows that the best and wisest of men, when left to themselves, may do the... read more

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