Solomon’s Foreign Wives
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. Deu 17:17Pro 6:241Ki 11:8Neh 13:23-27Pro 2:16Pro 7:51Ki 3:1Pro 22:14 These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love. Exo 34:16Deu 7:3-4Jos 23:12-131Co 15:332Co 6:14-16Exo 23:32-33Num 25:1-3Rom 12:9 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines—and his wives turned his heart away. 2Sa 5:13-16Ecc 7:282Ch 11:212Sa 3:2-5Jdg 8:30-31Jdg 9:5
For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been. 1Ki 9:41Ki 8:611Ch 28:91Ki 11:61Ki 11:22Ch 17:32Ch 34:2Deu 17:17 Solomon followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and Milcom 1the abomination of the Ammonites. 1Ki 11:7Jdg 2:131Ki 11:332Ki 23:131Sa 7:3-4Jdg 10:61Sa 12:10Jer 2:10-13 So Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD; unlike his father David, he did not follow the LORD completely. Num 14:24Jos 14:14Jos 14:8
At that time on a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites. Num 21:29Jdg 11:24Act 7:432Ki 21:2-32Ki 23:102Ki 23:13-142Sa 15:30Act 1:12 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. 1Ki 11:11Co 10:11-121Co 10:20-22Ezk 16:22-29Hos 4:11-12
God’s Anger against Solomon
Now the LORD grew angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 1Ki 3:51Ki 9:22Sa 6:7Deu 3:26Deu 7:4Deu 9:8Exo 4:14Num 12:9 Although He had warned Solomon explicitly not to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command. 1Ki 6:12-131Ki 9:4-72Ch 7:17-22
Then the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. 1Ki 11:311Ki 12:15-161Ki 12:202Ki 17:21Isa 29:13-141Sa 13:13-141Sa 15:26-281Sa 2:30-32 Nevertheless, for the sake of your father David, I will not do it during your lifetime; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 1Ki 21:291Sa 9:4-52Ki 20:172Ki 20:192Ki 22:19-20Exo 20:5Gen 12:2Gen 19:29 Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom away from him. I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.” 1Ki 12:201Ki 11:32Deu 12:11Deu 12:5Luk 1:32-33Psa 132:13-14Isa 62:7Jer 33:15-26
Hadad’s Return
Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom. 1Ch 5:261Ki 12:151Sa 26:192Sa 24:12Sa 7:14Isa 10:26Isa 13:17Psa 89:30-34
Earlier, when David was in Edom, Joab the commander of the army had gone to bury the dead and had struck down every male in Edom. 2Sa 8:141Ch 18:12-13Deu 20:13Gen 25:23Gen 27:40Mal 1:2-3Num 24:18-19Num 31:17 Joab and all Israel had stayed there six months, until he had killed every male in Edom. But Hadad, still just a young boy, had fled to Egypt, along with some Edomites who were servants of his father. 2Ki 11:22Sa 4:4Exo 2:1-10Mat 2:13-14
Hadad and his men set out from Midian and went to Paran. They took men from Paran with them and went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food. Num 10:12Deu 1:1Deu 33:2Gen 14:6Gen 21:21Gen 25:2Gen 25:4Hab 3:3
There Hadad found such great favor in the sight of Pharaoh that he gave to him in marriage the sister of Queen Tahpenes, his own wife. Act 7:10Gen 39:21Gen 39:4Act 7:21Jer 43:7-9Gen 41:45 And the sister of Tahpenes bore Hadad a son named Genubath. Tahpenes herself weaned him in Pharaoh’s palace, and Genubath lived there among the sons of Pharaoh. 1Sa 1:24Gen 21:7
When Hadad heard in Egypt that David had rested with his fathers and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead, he said to Pharaoh, “Let me go, that I may return to my own country.” 1Ki 2:101Ki 2:341Sa 9:262Sa 3:21Exo 4:19Gen 45:24Jos 2:21Mat 2:20
But Pharaoh asked him, “What have you lacked here with me that you suddenly want to go back to your own country?” Luk 22:352Sa 18:22-23Jer 2:31Mrk 14:31Psa 37:8
“Nothing,” Hadad replied, “but please let me go.”
Rezon’s Hostility
And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah, 1Ki 11:142Sa 8:31Ch 18:3-91Ch 19:16-191Ch 19:62Sa 10:15-182Sa 10:82Sa 16:11 and had gathered men to himself. When David killed the Zobaites, Rezon captained a band of raiders and went to Damascus, where they settled and gained control. 2Sa 10:182Sa 10:81Ki 19:151Ki 20:34Act 9:2Gen 14:15
Rezon was Israel’s enemy throughout the days of Solomon, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled over Aram with hostility toward Israel. 1Ki 5:42Ch 15:22Sa 16:21Deu 23:7Gen 34:30Psa 106:40Zec 11:8
Jeroboam’s Rebellion
Now Jeroboam son of Nebat was an Ephraimite from Zeredah whose mother was a widow named Zeruah. Jeroboam was a servant of Solomon, but he rebelled against the king, 1Ki 12:22Ch 13:61Ki 11:111Ki 11:281Sa 1:12Sa 20:21Rut 1:21Ch 2:19 and this is the account of his rebellion against the king. 1Ki 9:241Ki 9:152Sa 20:212Sa 5:7Amo 9:11Ezk 13:5Isa 22:9Isa 26:11
Solomon had built the supporting terraces 2and repaired the gap in the wall of the city of his father David. Now Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. So when Solomon noticed that the young man was industrious, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph. Pro 22:291Ki 5:162Sa 19:20Amo 5:6Deu 1:12Isa 14:25Jdg 1:22-23Jos 18:5
During that time, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met Jeroboam on the road as he was going out of Jerusalem. Now Ahijah had wrapped himself in a new cloak, and the two of them were alone in the open field. 1Ki 12:151Ki 14:22Ch 9:292Sa 14:6Gen 4:8Jos 18:1
And Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing, tore it into twelve pieces, 1Sa 15:27-281Sa 24:4-5 and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give you ten tribes. 1Ki 11:11-12 But one tribe will remain for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. 1Ki 11:131Ki 12:20-211Ki 14:21
For they have 3forsaken Me to worship Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites. They have not walked in My ways, nor done what is right in My eyes, nor kept My statutes and judgments, as Solomon’s father David did. 1Ki 11:5-71Ki 11:91Ch 28:91Ki 3:141Ki 6:12-131Ki 9:5-72Ch 15:2Hos 4:17
Nevertheless, I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon’s hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David My servant, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and statutes. 1Ki 11:12-131Ki 11:31Hab 3:2Isa 55:3Job 11:6Psa 103:10 But I will take ten tribes of the kingdom from the hand of his son and give them to you. 1Ki 11:121Ki 12:15-171Ki 12:202Ch 10:15-17Exo 20:5-6 I will give one tribe to his son, so that My servant David will always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put My Name. 1Ki 11:131Ki 15:42Ki 8:192Ch 21:72Sa 21:17Psa 132:171Ki 11:321Ki 9:3 But as for you, I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your heart desires, and you will be king over Israel. 1Ki 11:262Sa 3:21Deu 14:26
If you listen to all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight in order to keep My statutes and commandments as My servant David did, then I will be with you. I will build you a lasting dynasty just as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. 2Sa 7:11Jos 1:5Deu 31:81Ch 17:101Ch 17:24-271Ki 14:7-141Ki 3:141Ki 6:12 Because of this, I will humble David’s descendants—but not forever.’” Isa 11:1-10Isa 9:7Luk 1:32-33Luk 2:111Ki 11:361Ki 12:161Ki 14:25-261Ki 14:8
Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, where he remained until the death of Solomon. 2Ch 12:2-91Ki 14:25-262Ch 16:10Isa 14:24-27Isa 46:10Lam 3:37Pro 21:30
The Death of Solomon
(2 Chronicles 9:29–31)
As for the rest of the acts of Solomon—all that he did, as well as his wisdom—are they not written in the Book of the Acts of Solomon? 2Ch 9:29-31 Thus the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. 1Ki 2:11
And Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place. 1Ki 2:102Ki 21:18Mat 1:71Ch 3:101Ki 1:211Ki 14:20-211Ki 14:311Ki 15:24