1 Kings 11:18
Ver. 18. And they arose out of Midian,.... A country which lay in their way to Egypt, and where it seems they made some stay, and then departed:
and came to Paran; near to which was a wilderness of the same name, in which the Israelites wandered when they came out of Egypt, and which lay between Edom and Egypt:and they took men with them out of Paran; either as guides and guards through the wilderness, or to make the better appearance before Pharaoh, and that they might meet with the better reception:and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt; and told their case, and informed him who Hadad was: who, pitying an unfortunate young prince,gave him an house; for him and his servants to dwell in:and appointed him victuals; a daily provision for him and his men:and gave him land; for his servants to cultivate, and from thence to raise a revenue for his support; the Jewish writers say he gave him cities to rule over; but as he was but a little child when he came, it cannot be thought that was done, at least directly. 1 Kings 11:19Ver. 19. And Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh,.... Perhaps for his comely personage, princely qualities, and good behaviour, as he grew up:so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen; it seems the kings of Egypt used to marry their favourites to great personages; see Ge 41:45. 1 Kings 11:20Ver. 20. And the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son,.... Which signifies "stealth", and the name might be given in memory of himself being carried away by stealth from his own land:whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house: who was so fond of the child, that she took it, and weaned it for her in the king's palace:and Genubath was in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh; brought up among them, as if he was one of them. 1 Kings 11:21Ver. 21. And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers,.... Was dead and buried, as the death of princes is soon known in other countries, and especially a king of such fame as David:and that Joab the captain of the host was dead: whose name might be terrible to Hadad, because of the slaughter of men he had made in his country:Hadad said unto Pharaoh, let me depart, that I may go to mine own country; with a view and an hope to recover it, now David and Joab were dead. 1 Kings 11:22Ver. 22. Then Pharaoh said unto him, but what hast thou lacked with me,.... Either of an equipage suitable to his birth and marriage, or of provisions for his household, or of honour and respect, or of any favour from him:that, behold, thou seekest to go into thine own country? as if not well used where he was, or would be better provided for there:and he answered, nothing; he wanted nothing at all, had all he could wish for:howbeit, let me go in any wise: he had such an extreme desire to go, that he begged it might not be denied him on any account; whether he acquainted Pharaoh with his view in this request is not said, but it is probable he did, and it is certain Pharaoh gave him leave to go, see1Ki 11:25. 1 Kings 11:23Ver. 23. And God stirred him up another adversary,.... One from the north, as the other was from the south:Rezon, the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah: when David fought with him; and this man seeing the battle go against his master, and that he was like to be worsted, deserted him and fled, see 2Sa 8:3. 1 Kings 11:24Ver. 24. And he gathered men unto him,.... Perhaps some of the scattered forces of his master:and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah; some that escaped enlisted under this man, and lived by plunder the remainder of David's reign, and so in the reign of Solomon unto his old age, when his heart was turned away from God to idols, by his wives:and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus; Rezon and his men went thither, not in David's time, for he put a garrison there, 2Sa 8:6 but towards the close of Solomon's days, and when Hadad set up in Edom, which gave him the hint to do the same at Damascus, of which he became king, and was the founder of that kingdom; after him there was a long race of kings there. 1 Kings 11:25Ver. 25. And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon,.... Not all the days of his life, see 1Ki 5:4, but all his days, from his first going into idolatry, to the end of his life:beside the mischief that Hadad did; and which, whatever it was, was not done till this time; for either, when he got leave from Pharaoh to go into his country, he lay hid there, waiting an opportunity to seize upon it; or by means of Pharaoh he got himself to be king of it, through the permission of Solomon, paying a tribute to him; but when Solomon was grown old, he revolted and refused to pay it, and rebelled against him, and gave him much trouble:and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria; not Hadad, but Rezon; he had an aversion to them, was a thorn in their side, and gave them much trouble, as well as had them in contempt, and bid them defiance, having made himself not only master of Damascus, but of all Syria. 1 Kings 11:26Ver. 26. And Jeroboam the son of Nebat,.... According to some Jewish writers {r}, this was Sheba the son of Bichri; but, as Kimchi observes, he was of the tribe of Benjamin, this of Ephraim; and besides, his head was cut off, and thrown over the wall to Joab, 2Sa 20:1,an Ephrathite of Zereda; some where in the tribe of Ephraim, but nowhere else mentioned. There was a famous Jewish doctor, before the times of Christ, of this place, as it seems, who was called Jose ben Joezer, a man of Zereda {s}:Solomon's servant; not only his subject, but one that had been advanced by him to an office, and served under him, 1Ki 11:28,whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman; who very probably was supported by this her son, an industrious and ingenious man:even he lifted up his hand against the king; either against Solomon, by reproaching and reproving him for some things he did; or rather against Rehoboam his son, which was very ungrateful.{r} Shalshalet Hakabala, p. 11. {s} Pirke Abot, c. 1. sect. 4. 1 Kings 11:27Ver. 27. And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king,.... The occasion of it, his being advanced to some posts under Solomon, which elated him, and what passed between him and the prophet Ahijah, after related:Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father: in the oversight of which, it is supposed by the Jews, he employed this man, who reproached him for doing these works; building an house in Millo for Pharaoh's daughter, and stopping up the passage to the city of David, and the people's access thither upon occasion. 1 Kings 11:28Ver. 28. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour,.... A man of great strength of body, and fortitude of mind:and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious; in what he was set about in the above buildings and repairs:he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph; the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, to be a prince or a deputy governor of them; or rather to collect the king's tax from them, or the revenues of that part of the country, see Pro 22:29. 1 Kings 11:29Ver. 29. And it came to pass at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem,.... Either to enter upon his new office: or having been with Solomon to pay in the revenues, and to make up his accounts with him was going back to the country to do the duty of his office:that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; not accidentally, but purposely was in the way to meet him, and converse with him; this prophet was of the city of Shiloh, and where was now his abode, see 1Ki 14:2and he had clad himself with a new garment; not Jeroboam, but the prophet, and that by the direction of the Lord, for the following purpose:and they two were alone in the field: it is possible Jeroboam might have some servants with him; but Ahijah desiring some private conversation with him, he sent them onwards, or bid them stay at some distance; who yet might be capable of observing what was done, though not of hearing what was said; or otherwise how should Solomon come to the knowledge of it? 1Ki 11:40. 1 Kings 11:30Ver. 30. And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him,.... This looks as if it was Jeroboam's garment, having got a new one to appear before the king in; though the sense may be this, that the prophet took hold of his own garment that was upon himself:and rent it in twelve pieces; as symbolical of the twelve tribes of Israel. 1 Kings 11:31Ver. 31. And he said to Jeroboam, take thee ten pieces,.... Of the twelve, an emblem of the ten tribes he was to have:for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon; that is, out of his family:and will give ten tribes unto thee; to rule over. 1 Kings 11:32Ver. 32. But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake,....See Gill on "1Ki 11:13". 1 Kings 11:33Ver. 33. Because that they have forsaken me,.... My worship, as the Targum; both Solomon and the children of Israel following his example; which is not to be wondered at, considering how prone they always were to idolatry:and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon; of which deities, See Gill on "1Ki 11:5" see Gill on "1Ki 11:7".and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as [did] David his father; the several laws of God relating to religious worship especially, which David was a strict observer of; and therefore Solomon, having such a pattern before him, was the more blameworthy. 1 Kings 11:34Ver. 34. Howbeit, I will not take the kingdom out of his hand,.... Not any part of it, 1Ki 11:12,but I will make him prince all the days of his life; that is, he shall continue to hold the government of all the tribes so long as he lives:for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes; see 1Ki 11:12, or was well pleased with, as the Targum; for keeping the commands of God from right principles, and with right views, is well pleasing to him. 1 Kings 11:35Ver. 35. But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand,.... All but the tribes of Judah and Benjamin:and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes: signified by ten pieces of the rent garment he had given him, 1Ki 11:31. 1 Kings 11:36Ver. 36. And unto his son will I give one tribe,.... Judah and Benjamin reckoned as one; See Gill on "1Ki 11:13", that David my servant may have a light always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there; or a kingdom, as the Targum; or an illustrious prince, a successor, shining in royal majesty and glory, to guide and direct, cheer and comfort, the people of Israel; be an honour to David's family, and a means of continuing the pure worship of God in the temple at Jerusalem; see 2Sa 21:17. 1 Kings 11:37Ver. 37. And I will take thee,.... From the low estate in which he was, to be king:and thou shall reign according to all that thy soul desireth; he being ambitious of the kingdom, and having already formed in his mind some designs upon it:and shall be king over Israel; the ten tribes. 1 Kings 11:38Ver. 38. And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee,.... And be obedient thereunto:and wilt walk in my ways; directed to in the law of Moses:and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes, and my commandments; those particularly respecting divine worship:as David my servant did; who very diligently and constantly attended to the ordinances of religion:that I will be with thee; to guide and direct, protect and defend, prosper and succeed:and build thee a sure house, as I built for David; continue the succession of the kingdom in his posterity:and will give Israel unto thee; to rule over them. 1 Kings 11:39Ver. 39. And I will for this afflict the seed of David,.... For the idolatry Solomon had been guilty of, and connived at:but not for ever; for when the ten tribes were carried captive, the kingdom of Judah flourished under Hezekiah, Josiah, &c. and though the tribe of Judah was carried captive, yet it returned after seventy years captivity, and had rulers over it of the seed of David; and especially to the Messiah has God given the throne of his father David, of whose kingdom there will he no end, Lu 1:32, and Jarchi's note on the text is,"for in the days of the Messiah the kingdom shall return to it,''the seed of David; and Abarbinel says, of a truth, at the coming of our Messiah, this prophecy will be fulfilled; but the true Messiah is come already, in whom it is fulfilled; see Kimchi and Abendana, who refer toEze 37:19. 1 Kings 11:40Ver. 40. Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam,.... Which is another instance of his folly, to seek to detest the counsel of God, when he himself was assured by the Lord the kingdom should be rent, and given to his servant, 1Ki 11:11 and especially if he was informed of what passed between Ahijah and Jeroboam, as it should seem by this he was; either through Ahijah's making no secret of it, or through Jeroboam not being able to keep his own counsel, or through the report of the servants what they saw done, 1Ki 11:29, which Solomon would easily understand:and Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt; the common sanctuary of persons in distress in those days:unto Shishak king of Egypt; either the father in law or the brother in law of Solomon, or one of another family, on whom the kingdom devolved; and who might not have any good respect for Solomon, and therefore Jeroboam thought himself safe with him: this is the only king of Egypt, in Scripture, that is called by his own name, and not Pharaoh; he is generally supposed to be the same with the Sesostris of Herodotus {t}, and the Vexoris or Vexosis of Justin {u}; and the rather he may be meant, since, according to Herodotus {w}, he was the only king of Egypt that ruled over the Ethiopians: and Strabo says {x} he was the first that subdued Ethiopia and the country of the Troglodytes; also Diodorus Siculus affirms {y}, that he fought with the Ethiopians dwelling to the south, and obliged them to pay tribute; out of which countries Shishak brought many with him in his expedition against Jerusalem, 2Ch 12:2and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon; not daring to return till that time, and then he did.{t} Euterpe, sive, l. 2. c. 102. {u} E Trogo, l. 1. c. 1. {w} Ut supra, (Euterpe, sive, l. 2.) c. 110. {x} Geograph. l. 16. p. 529. {y} Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 50. 1 Kings 11:41Ver. 41. And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?] Either written by himself, as Kimchi suggests, though not in being; or by some chronologer or historiographer employed by him in writing the most memorable things that happened in his reign; or by several prophets, as in 2Ch 9:29 out of which the inspired writer of this book took what he was directed to by the Lord to be transmitted to future ages. 1 Kings 11:42Ver. 42. And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem, over all Israel, was forty years. The same says Eupolemus {z}, an Heathen writer, who makes him to live but fifty two years; which is the common tradition of the Jews, who suppose he was but twelve years of age when he began to reign; which is to be confuted from the age of his son Rehoboam, see 1Ki 14:21. Josephus {a}, on the other hand, makes him to live to too great an age, who says that he reigned eighty years, and lived to ninety four.{z} Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 34. {a} Antiqu. l. 8. c. 7. sect. 8. 1 Kings 11:43Ver. 43. And Solomon slept with his fathers,.... Died as they did:and was buried in the city of David his father; not in Bethlehem, but Zion, 1Ki 2:10and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead; of whom more in the following chapter. Though nothing is said of Solomon's repentance, there is no doubt but he was a good man, repented of his sins, and was saved; as may be concluded from the commendations of him after his death, 2Ch 11:17 from the promise of God that he made, that his mercy should not depart from him, though he chastised him, 2Sa 7:14 from his being an inspired writer, who were all holy men, 2Pe 1:20, and especially from his writing the book of Ecclesiastes after his fall, which contains a full acknowledgment of all his evils, a recantation of them, and repentance for them. Abulpharagius {b}, an Arabic writer, rashly asserts that he died without repentance.{b} Hist. Dynast. Dyn. 3. p. 55.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.