1 And King Solomon has loved many strange women, and the daughter of Pharaoh, females of Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, [and] of the Hittites, 2 of the nations of which YHWH said to the sons of Israel, “You do not go in to them, and they do not go in to you; surely they turn aside your heart after their gods”; Solomon has cleaved to them for love. 3 And he has seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turn aside his heart. 4 And it comes to pass, at the time of Solomon’s old age, his wives have turned aside his heart after other gods, and his heart has not been perfect with his God YHWH, like the heart of his father David. 5 And Solomon goes after Ashtoreth goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites; 6 and Solomon does evil in the eyes of YHWH, and has not been fully after YHWH, like his father David. 7 Then Solomon builds a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, in the hill that [is] on the front of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the sons of Ammon; 8 and so he has done for all his strange women, who are perfuming and sacrificing to their gods. 9 And YHWH shows Himself angry with Solomon, for his heart has turned aside from YHWH, God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and given a charge to him concerning this thing, not to go after other gods; and he has not kept that which YHWH commanded, 11 and YHWH says to Solomon, “Because that this has been with you, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes that I charged on you, I surely tear the kingdom from you, and have given it to your servant. 12 Only, I do not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I tear it out of the hand of your son; 13 only, I do not tear away all of the kingdom; I give one tribe to your son, for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen.” 14 And YHWH raises up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he [is] of the seed of the king in Edom; 15 and it comes to pass, in David’s being with Edom, in the going up of Joab head of the host to bury the slain, that he strikes every male in Edom— 16 for six months Joab abided there, and all Israel, until the cutting off of every male in Edom— 17 and Hadad flees, he and certain Edomites, of the servants of his father, with him, to go to Egypt, and Hadad [is] a little youth, 18 and they rise out of Midian, and come into Paran, and take men with them out of Paran, and come into Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he gives a house to him, and has commanded bread for him, and has given land to him. 19 And Hadad finds grace in the eyes of Pharaoh exceedingly, and he gives to him a wife, the sister of his own wife, sister of Tahpenes the mistress; 20 and the sister of Tahpenes bears to him his son Genubath, and Tahpenes weans him within the house of Pharaoh, and Genubath is in the house of Pharaoh in the midst of the sons of Pharaoh. 21 And Hadad has heard in Egypt that David has lain with his fathers, and that Joab head of the host is dead, and Hadad says to Pharaoh, “Send me away, and I go to my land.” 22 And Pharaoh says to him, “But what are you lacking with me, that behold, you are seeking to go to your own land?” And he says, “Nothing, but you certainly send me away.” 23 And God raises an adversary against him, Rezon son of Eliadah, who has fled from Hadadezer king of Zobah, his lord, 24 and gathers men to himself, and is head of a troop in David’s slaying them, and they go to Damascus, and dwell in it, and reign in Damascus; 25 and he is an adversary against Israel all the days of Solomon (besides the evil that Hadad [did]), and he cuts off in Israel, and reigns over Aram. 26 And Jeroboam son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zereda—the name of whose mother [is] Zeruah, a widow woman—servant to Solomon, he also lifts up a hand against the king; 27 and this [is] the thing [for] which he lifted up a hand against the king: Solomon built Millo—he shut up the breach of the city of his father David, 28 and the man Jeroboam [is] mighty in valor, and Solomon sees that the young man is doing business, and appoints him over all the burden of the house of Joseph. 29 And it comes to pass, at that time, that Jeroboam has gone out from Jerusalem, and Ahijah the Shilonite, the prophet, finds him in the way, and he is covering himself with a new garment; and both of them [are] by themselves in a field, 30 and Ahijah lays hold on the new garment that [is] on him, and tears it [into] twelve pieces, 31 and says to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for thus said YHWH, God of Israel: Behold, I am tearing the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and have given the ten tribes to you, 32 but he has the one tribe for My servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have fixed on, out of all the tribes of Israel, 33 because they have forsaken Me, and bow themselves to Ashtoreth, goddess of the Zidonians, to Chemosh god of Moab, and to Milcom god of the sons of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways, to do that which [is] right in My eyes, and My statutes and My judgments, like his father David. 34 And I do not take the whole of the kingdom out of his hand, for I make him prince all [the] days of his life, for the sake of My servant David whom I chose, who kept My commands and My statutes; 35 and I have taken the kingdom out of the hand of his son, and given it to you—the ten tribes; 36 and to his son I give one tribe, for there being a lamp before Me for My servant David in Jerusalem [for] all the days, the city that I have chosen for Myself to put My Name there. 37 And I take you, and you have reigned over all that your soul desires, and you have been king over Israel; 38 and it has been, if you hear all that I command you, and have walked in My ways, and done that which is right in My eyes, to keep My statutes and My commands, as My servant David did, that I have been with you, and have built a steadfast house for you, as I built for David, and have given Israel to you, 39 and I humble the seed of David for this; only, not [for] all the days.” 40 And Solomon seeks to put Jeroboam to death, and Jeroboam rises and flees to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and he is in Egypt until the death of Solomon. 41 And the rest of the matters of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written on the scroll of the matters of Solomon? 42 And the days that Solomon has reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel [are] forty years, 43 and Solomon lies with his fathers, and is buried in the city of his father David, and his son Rehoboam reigns in his stead.
1 Kings · Literal Standard Version
1 Kings 11 Literal Standard Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Ahijah
Prophet whose word to Jeroboam is fulfilled when Rehoboam rejects the people's plea; his prophecy is also a source for Solomon's acts.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 11:29; 1 Kings 12:15; 1 Kings 14:4
Genubath
The son born to Hadad and Tahpenes' sister, weaned by Tahpenes in Pharaoh's palace and raised among Pharaoh's sons.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 11:20
Hadad the Edomite
A young boy of Edom's royal line who fled to Egypt when Joab struck down Edom's males, married the sister of Queen Tahpenes, and was raised up by the LORD as an adversary of…
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 11:14; 1 Kings 11:17; 1 Kings 11:19
Jeroboam
An Ephraimite from Zeredah, son of Nebat, whom Solomon put over the labor force of the house of Joseph and whom Ahijah told he would rule ten tribes; he became king of Israel,…
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 11:26; 1 Kings 11:28; 1 Kings 12:20
Nebat
Named as the father of Jeroboam, first king of the northern kingdom; the sins of 'Jeroboam son of Nebat' become the standard for later kings of Israel.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 11:26; 1 Kings 12:2; 1 Kings 16:3
Rezon
Son of Eliada who fled from his master Hadadezer king of Zobah, gathered a band of raiders, took control of Damascus, and ruled over Aram as Israel's enemy throughout Solomon's…
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 11:23; 1 Kings 11:24; 1 Kings 11:25
Shishak
King of Egypt who sheltered Jeroboam from Solomon and in Rehoboam's fifth year attacked Jerusalem and took the temple and palace treasures, including Solomon's gold shields.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 11:40; 1 Kings 14:25; 2 Chronicles 12:2
Solomon
David's son who built the temple and became famous for God-given wisdom.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 1-11; 1 Chron. 3:5; Matt. 1:6-7
Tahpenes
Pharaoh's wife, whose sister Pharaoh gave to Hadad in marriage and who herself weaned Hadad's son Genubath in Pharaoh's palace.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 11:19; 1 Kings 11:20
Zeruah
A widow named as the mother of Jeroboam son of Nebat.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 11:26
Cross references (42)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Deuteronomy 17:17; Proverbs 6:24; Nehemiah 13:23–27; 1 Kings 11:8; Proverbs 2:16
- 2 Exodus 34:16; Deuteronomy 7:3–4; Joshua 23:12–13; 2 Corinthians 6:14–16; 1 Corinthians 15:33
- 3 2 Samuel 5:13–16; Ecclesiastes 7:28; Judges 9:5; 2 Chronicles 11:21; 2 Samuel 3:2–5
- 4 1 Kings 9:4; 1 Kings 8:61; 1 Chronicles 28:9; 1 Kings 11:6; 2 Chronicles 17:3
- 5 Judges 2:13; 1 Kings 11:7; 2 Kings 23:13; 1 Kings 11:33; Judges 10:6
- 6 Numbers 14:24; Joshua 14:14; Joshua 14:8
- 7 Numbers 21:29; Judges 11:24; Acts 7:43; Leviticus 26:30; Psalm 78:58
- 8 1 Kings 11:1; Ezekiel 16:22–29; Hosea 4:11–12; 1 Corinthians 10:11–12; 1 Corinthians 10:20–22
- 9 1 Kings 9:2; 1 Kings 3:5; Numbers 12:9; 2 Samuel 6:7; Exodus 4:14
- 10 1 Kings 6:12–13; 1 Kings 9:4–7; 2 Chronicles 7:17–22
- 11 1 Kings 12:15–16; 1 Kings 11:31; 2 Kings 17:21; Isaiah 29:13–14; 1 Kings 12:20
- 12 Genesis 12:2; Genesis 19:29; 2 Kings 22:19–20; 2 Kings 20:17; 2 Kings 20:19
- 13 1 Kings 12:20; Deuteronomy 12:11; 1 Kings 11:32; Deuteronomy 12:5; Psalm 132:13–14
- 14 2 Samuel 7:14; Isaiah 10:26; Isaiah 13:17; Psalm 89:30–34; 1 Kings 12:15
- 15 2 Samuel 8:14; 1 Chronicles 18:12–13; Deuteronomy 20:13; Numbers 24:18–19; Psalm 108:10
- 17 Matthew 2:13–14; 2 Kings 11:2; 2 Samuel 4:4; Exodus 2:1–10
- 18 Numbers 10:12; Deuteronomy 33:2; Deuteronomy 1:1; Genesis 25:4; Numbers 22:4
- 19 Genesis 39:21; Acts 7:10; Genesis 39:4; Jeremiah 43:7–9; Acts 7:21
- 20 1 Samuel 1:24; Genesis 21:7
- 21 1 Kings 2:10; 1 Samuel 9:26; Joshua 2:21; 2 Samuel 3:21; 1 Kings 2:34
- 22 Luke 22:35; Psalm 37:8; 2 Samuel 18:22–23; Mark 14:31; Jeremiah 2:31
- 23 2 Samuel 8:3; 1 Kings 11:14; 1 Chronicles 18:3–9; 1 Chronicles 19:16–19; Isaiah 45:5
- 24 2 Samuel 10:18; 2 Samuel 10:8; 1 Kings 19:15; 1 Kings 20:34; Acts 9:2
- 25 Zechariah 11:8; 2 Samuel 16:21; Deuteronomy 23:7; 2 Chronicles 15:2; Psalm 106:40
- 26 2 Chronicles 13:6; 1 Kings 12:2; 1 Samuel 1:1; 2 Samuel 20:21; 1 Kings 11:11
- 27 1 Kings 9:24; 1 Kings 9:15; 2 Samuel 5:7; 2 Samuel 20:21; Amos 9:11
- 28 Proverbs 22:29; 2 Samuel 19:20; 1 Kings 5:16; Isaiah 14:25; Judges 1:22–23
- 29 2 Chronicles 9:29; 1 Kings 14:2; 1 Kings 12:15; Genesis 4:8; Joshua 18:1
- 30 1 Samuel 15:27–28; 1 Samuel 24:4–5
- 31 1 Kings 11:11–12
- 32 1 Kings 11:13; 1 Kings 12:20–21; 1 Kings 14:21
- 33 1 Kings 11:5–7; 1 Kings 11:9; Hosea 4:17; Jeremiah 2:13; 1 Kings 6:12–13
- 34 Habakkuk 3:2; Job 11:6; 1 Kings 11:31; Psalm 103:10; 1 Kings 11:12–13
- 35 Exodus 20:5–6; 1 Kings 12:20; 2 Chronicles 10:15–17; 1 Kings 11:12; 1 Kings 12:15–17
- 36 1 Kings 11:13; 2 Kings 8:19; 1 Kings 15:4; Psalm 132:17; 2 Chronicles 21:7
- 37 2 Samuel 3:21; 1 Kings 11:26; Deuteronomy 14:26
- 38 2 Samuel 7:11; Joshua 1:5; Deuteronomy 31:8; 1 Kings 14:7–14; Deuteronomy 15:5
- 39 Isaiah 9:7; Luke 2:11; Isaiah 11:1–10; Luke 1:32–33; 1 Kings 14:25–26
- 40 2 Chronicles 12:2–9; Proverbs 21:30; Isaiah 46:10; Lamentations 3:37; 1 Kings 14:25–26
- 41 2 Chronicles 9:29–31
- 42 1 Kings 2:11
- 43 2 Kings 21:18; 1 Kings 2:10; Matthew 1:7; Matthew 1:5; 2 Chronicles 28:27
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… him Scripture is not silent, but accuses him of being a lover of strange women; for in the beginning of his reign he was inflamed with a desire for wisdom, but after he had attained it through spiritual love, he lost it through carnal lust.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)