1 Kings 11

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 11

This chapter begins with as melancholy a ?but? as almost any we find in all the Bible. Hitherto we have read nothing of Solomon but what was great and good; but the lustre both of his goodness and of his greatness is here sullied and eclipsed, and his sun sets under a cloud. I. The glory of his piety is stained by his departure from God and his duty, in his latter days, marrying strange wives and worshipping strange gods, 1 Kgs. 11:4-8. II. The glory of his prosperity is stained by God's... read more

Matthew Henry

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

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 11:14-25

While Solomon kept closely to God and to his duty there was no adversary nor evil occurrent (1 Kgs. 5:4), nothing to create him any disturbance or uneasiness in the least; but here we have an account of two adversaries that appeared against him, inconsiderable, and that could not have done any thing worth taking notice of if Solomon had not first made God his enemy. What hurt could Hadad or Rezon have done to so great and powerful a king as Solomon was if he had not, by sin, made himself mean... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 11:26-40

We have here the first mention of that infamous name Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that made Israel to sin; he is here brought upon the stage as an adversary to Solomon, whom God had expressly told (1 Kgs. 11:11) that he would give the greatest part of his kingdom to his servant, and Jeroboam was the man. We have here an account, I. Of his extraction, 1 Kgs. 11:26. He was of the tribe of Ephraim, he next in honour to Judah. His mother was a widow, to whom Providence had made up the loss of a... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 11:41-43

We have here the conclusion of Solomon's story, and in it, 1. Reference is had to another history then extant, but (not being divinely inspired) since lost, the Book of the Acts of Solomon, 1 Kgs. 11:41. Probably this book was written by a chronologer or historiographer, whom Solomon employed to write his annals, out of which the sacred writer extracted what God saw fit to transmit to the church. 2. A summary of the years of his reign (1 Kgs. 11:42): He reigned in Jerusalem (not, as his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 11

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 11 This chapter relates the false steps Solomon took, notwithstanding all his wisdom, in marrying strange wives, and worshipping other gods, 1 Kings 11:1 upon which the Lord threatens him to rend the kingdom in his son's time, 1 Kings 11:9 and he raised up adversaries against him, Hadad, Rezon, and Jeroboam, 1 Kings 11:14 of which last an account is given, and of his being assured by Ahijah the prophet of his having ten of the tribes of Israel given to him;... 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

Group of Brands