4 For it came to pass, when H6256 Solomon H8010 was old, H2209 that his wives H802 turned away H5186 his heart H3824 after H310 other H312 gods: H430 and his heart H3824 was not perfect H8003 with the LORD H3068 his God, H430 as was the heart H3824 of David H1732 his father. H1
And if thou wilt walk H3212 before H6440 me, as David H1732 thy father H1 walked, H1980 in integrity H8537 of heart, H3824 and in uprightness, H3476 to do H6213 according to all that I have commanded H6680 thee, and wilt keep H8104 my statutes H2706 and my judgments: H4941
Did not Solomon H8010 king H4428 of Israel H3478 sin H2398 by these things? yet among many H7227 nations H1471 was there no king H4428 like him, who was beloved H157 of his God, H430 and God H430 made H5414 him king H4428 over all Israel: H3478 nevertheless even him H1571 did outlandish H5237 women H802 cause to sin. H2398 Shall we then hearken H8085 unto you to do H6213 all this great H1419 evil, H7451 to transgress H4603 against our God H430 in marrying H3427 strange H5237 wives? H802
And he did H6213 that which was right H3477 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 and walked H3212 in the ways H1870 of David H1732 his father, H1 and declined H5493 neither to the right hand, H3225 nor to the left. H8040
And thus did H6213 Hezekiah H3169 throughout all Judah, H3063 and wrought H6213 that which was good H2896 and right H3477 and truth H571 before H6440 the LORD H3068 his God. H430 And in every work H4639 that he began H2490 in the service H5656 of the house H1004 of God, H430 and in the law, H8451 and in the commandments, H4687 to seek H1875 his God, H430 he did H6213 it with all his heart, H3824 and prospered. H6743
And he did H6213 that which was right H3477 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 but not with a perfect H8003 heart. H3824
And the LORD H3068 was with Jehoshaphat, H3092 because he walked H1980 in the first H7223 ways H1870 of his father H1 David, H1732 and sought H1875 not unto Baalim; H1168
And give H5414 unto Solomon H8010 my son H1121 a perfect H8003 heart, H3824 to keep H8104 thy commandments, H4687 thy testimonies, H5715 and thy statutes, H2706 and to do H6213 all these things, and to build H1129 the palace, H1002 for the which I have made provision. H3559
And thou, Solomon H8010 my son, H1121 know H3045 thou the God H430 of thy father, H1 and serve H5647 him with a perfect H8003 heart H3820 and with a willing H2655 mind: H5315 for the LORD H3068 searcheth H1875 all hearts, H3824 and understandeth H995 all the imaginations H3336 of the thoughts: H4284 if thou seek H1875 him, he will be found H4672 of thee; but if thou forsake H5800 him, he will cast thee off H2186 for ever. H5703
And he walked H3212 in all the sins H2403 of his father, H1 which he had done H6213 before H6440 him: and his heart H3824 was not perfect H8003 with the LORD H3068 his God, H430 as the heart H3824 of David H1732 his father. H1
And Rehoboam H7346 the son H1121 of Solomon H8010 reigned H4427 in Judah. H3063 Rehoboam H7346 was forty H705 and one H259 years H8141 old H1121 when he began to reign, H4427 and he reigned H4427 seventeen H7651 H6240 years H8141 in Jerusalem, H3389 the city H5892 which the LORD H3068 did choose H977 out of all the tribes H7626 of Israel, H3478 to put H7760 his name H8034 there. And his mother's H517 name H8034 was Naamah H5279 an Ammonitess. H5985
And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken H8085 unto all that I command H6680 thee, and wilt walk H1980 in my ways, H1870 and do H6213 that is right H3477 in my sight, H5869 to keep H8104 my statutes H2708 and my commandments, H4687 as David H1732 my servant H5650 did; H6213 that I will be with thee, and build H1129 thee a sure H539 house, H1004 as I built H1129 for David, H1732 and will give H5414 Israel H3478 unto thee.
And Solomon H8010 did H6213 evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 and went not fully H4390 after H310 the LORD, H3068 as did David H1732 his father. H1
Of the nations H1471 concerning which the LORD H3068 said H559 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 Ye shall not go in H935 to them, neither shall they come in H935 unto you: for surely H403 they will turn away H5186 your heart H3824 after H310 their gods: H430 Solomon H8010 clave H1692 unto these in love. H157
And it came to pass at the end H7097 of twenty H6242 years, H8141 when Solomon H8010 had built H1129 the two H8147 houses, H1004 the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and the king's H4428 house, H1004
Concerning this house H1004 which thou art in building, H1129 if thou wilt walk H3212 in my statutes, H2708 and execute H6213 my judgments, H4941 and keep H8104 all my commandments H4687 to walk H3212 in them; then will I perform H6965 my word H1697 with thee, which I spake H1696 unto David H1732 thy father: H1 And I will dwell H7931 among H8432 the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and will not forsake H5800 my people H5971 Israel. H3478
And it came to pass in the four H702 hundred H3967 H8141 and eightieth H8084 year H8141 after the children H1121 of Israel H3478 were come out H3318 of the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 in the fourth H7243 year H8141 of Solomon's H8010 reign H4427 over Israel, H3478 in the month H2320 Zif, H2099 which is the second H8145 month, H2320 that he began to build H1129 the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Kings 11
Commentary on 1 Kings 11 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 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.
1Ki 11:1-8
This is a sad story, and very surprising, of Solomon's defection and degeneracy.
1Ki 11:9-13
Here is,
Upon this message which God graciously sent to Solomon, to awaken his conscience and bring him to repentance, we have reason to hope that he humbled himself before God, confessed his sin, begged pardon, and returned to his duty, that he then published his repentance in the book of Ecclesiastes, where he bitterly laments his own folly and madness (ch. 7:25, 26), 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, which, it is likely, had made him tremble, as it did Felix. That penitential sermon was as true an indication of a heart broken for sin and turned from it as David's penitential psalms were, though of another nature. God's grace in his people works variously. Thus, though Solomon fell, he was not utterly cast down; what God had said to David concerning him was fulfilled: I will chasten him with the rod of men, but my mercy shall not depart from him, 2 Sa. 7:14, 15. Though God may suffer those whom he loves to fall into sin, he will not suffer them to lie still in it. Solomon's defection, though it was much his reproach and a great blemish to his personal character, yet did not so far break in upon the character of his reign but that it was afterwards made the pattern of a good reign, 2 Chr. 11:17, where the kings are said to have done well, while they walked in the way of David and Solomon. But, though we have all this reason to hope he repented and found mercy, yet the Holy Ghost did not think fit expressly to record his recovery, but left it doubtful, for warning to others not to sin upon presumption of repenting, for it is but a peradventure whether God will give them repentance, or, if he do, whether he will give the evidence of it to themselves or others. Great sinners may recover themselves and have the benefit of their repentance, and yet be denied both the comfort and credit of it; the guilt may be taken away, and yet not the reproach.
1Ki 11:14-25
While Solomon kept closely to God and to his duty there was no adversary nor evil occurrent (ch. 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 and weak? And then those little people menace and insult him. If God be on our side, we need not fear the greatest adversary; but, if he be against us, he can made us fear the least, and the very grasshopper shall be a burden. Observe,
1Ki 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 (v. 11) that he would give the greatest part of his kingdom to his servant, and Jeroboam was the man. We have here an account,
1Ki 11:41-43
We have here the conclusion of Solomon's story, and in it,