1 Kings 11:11

Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

1 Kings 11:11-13. Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon — Probably by some prophet. I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and give it to thy servant — Namely, Jeroboam, whom God permitted to rise into power and influence, that he might take the greatest part of his kingdom from him. This was enough to astonish Solomon, or any man, to hear that all his splendour should be so soon eclipsed! Notwithstanding, in thy days I will not do it — Or, not suffer it to be done; for in this sense these expressions are to be taken. For David thy father’s sake — For my promise made to him. But will give one tribe to thy son — The tribe of Judah. Benjamin was not entirely his, but part of it adhered to Jeroboam, as Beth-el, 1 Kings 12:29; and Hephron, 2 Chronicles 13:19; both which were towns of Benjamin. For David my servant’s sake — Who, though he was guilty of great sins, yet never forsook God to follow the abominations of idols; nor ever swerved long from God’s commandments, but made haste to repent and amend his ways, whenever he offended. And for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen — Not literally, for the sake of the city Jerusalem, but for the great and precious purposes to mankind in general, which God intended to bring about, in his divine providence, by keeping up the knowledge of himself at Jerusalem.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

11:9-13 The Lord told Solomon, it is likely by a prophet, what he must expect for his apostacy. Though we have reason to hope that he repented, and found mercy, yet the Holy Ghost did not expressly record it, but left it doubtful, as a warning to others not to sin. The guilt may be taken away, but not the reproach; that will remain. Thus it must remain uncertain to us till the day of judgment, whether or not Solomon was left to suffer the everlasting displeasure of an offended God.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Chemosh (Numbers 21:29 note), seems to have been widely worshipped in Western Asia. His name occurs frequently on the "Moabite-Stone." Car-Chemish, "the fort of Chemosh," a great city of the northern Hittites, must have been under his protection. In Babylon he seems to have been known as Chomus-belus, or Chemosh-Bel.

The hill - Olivet. At present the most southern summit only (the "Mons Offensionis") is pointed out as having been desecrated by the idol sanctuaries: but the early Eastern travelers tell us that in their time the most northern suburb was believed to have been the site of the high p ace of Chemosh, the southern one that of Moloch only.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

1Ki 11:9-13. God Threatens Him.

9-12. the Lord was angry with Solomon—The divine appearance, first at Gibeon [1Ki 3:5], and then at Jerusalem [1Ki 9:2], after the dedication of the temple, with the warnings given him on both occasions [1Ki 3:11-14; 9:3-9], had left Solomon inexcusable; and it was proper and necessary that on one who had been so signally favored with the gifts of Heaven, but who had grossly abused them, a terrible judgment should fall. The divine sentence was announced to him probably by Ahijah; but there was mercy mingled with judgment, in the circumstance, that it should not be inflicted on Solomon personally—and that a remnant of the kingdom should be spared—"for David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, which had been chosen" to put God's name there; not from a partial bias in favor of either, but that the divine promise might stand (2Sa 7:12-16).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The Lord said unto Solomon; either by suggestion to his mind, or by appearance to him in a terrible manner, or by the prophet Ahijah, of whom 1 Kings 11:29.

I will surely rend; I will violently take away. The word in the Hebrew is doubled, for the greater assurance of the thing.

To thy servant; to one of thy servants and subjects, which was Jeroboam, 1 Kings 11:26, &c.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon,.... Not in a vision, as before, but by a prophet; the Jews say (n), Ahijah the Shilonite, which is probable, see 1 Kings 11:29.

forasmuch as this is done of thee, that thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes which I have commanded thee; but broke them by his idolatry:

I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and I will give it to thy servant; meaning Jeroboam, who was not only a subject, but in office under him, 1 Kings 11:26.

(n) Seder Olam Rabba, c. 20. p. 53. Kimchi in loc.

Geneva Study Bible

Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as {f} this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

(f) That you have forsaken me and worshipped idols.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

11. the Lord said unto Solomon] The message was perhaps by the mouth of one of the Prophets. The visions vouchsafed to Solomon had been in the time of his obedience.

Forasmuch as this is done of thee] Literally ‘this is with thee.’ This is not an unusual form of expression for the plan or course of action which any one has adopted. Cf. Job 10:13, ‘And these things hast thou hid in thine heart, I know that this is with thee.’ See also Job 9:35 and margin of A. V.

I will surely rend] The same verb is used of the symbolical action of Ahijah (see below, 1 Kings 11:30), by which this tearing away of the greater part of the kingdom was typified.

to thy servant] For the position occupied by Jeroboam, see below, 1 Kings 11:28.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 11. - Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon [probably by a prophet, Ahijah or Iddo. There would hardly be a third appearance], Forasmuch as this is done of thee [Heb. this was with thee], and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend [i.e., despite thy great power and magnificence, thy fortifications and munitions of war] the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. [Not merely subject, but officer, employe. This made the decree the more bitter. A "servant" should be heir to his glory. For a hireling Solomon's vast treasures had been prepared. This verse should be read in the light of Ecclesiastes 2:18.] 1 Kings 11:11

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Through this apostasy from the Lord his God, who had appeared to him twice (1 Kings 3:5. and 1 Kings 9:2.) and had warned him against idolatry (וצוּה is a continuation of the participle הנּראה), Solomon drew down upon himself the anger of Jehovah. The emphasis lies upon the fact that God had appeared to him Himself for the purpose of warning him, and had not merely caused him to be warned by prophets, as Theodoret has explained. In consequence of this, the following announcement is made to him, no doubt through the medium of a prophet, possibly Ahijah (1 Kings 11:29): "Because this has come into thy mind, and thou hast not kept my covenant, ... I will tear the kingdom from thee and give it to thy servant; nevertheless I will not do it in thy lifetime for thy father David's sake: howbeit I will not tear away the whole kingdom; one tribe I will give to thy son." In this double limitation of the threatened forfeiture of the kingdom there is clearly manifested the goodness of God (δείκνυσι τὴν ἄμετρον ἀγαθότητα - Theodoret); not, however, with reference to Solomon, who had forfeited the divine mercy through his idolatry, but with regard to David and the selection of Jerusalem: that is to say, not from any special preference for David and Jerusalem, but in order that the promise made to David (2 Samuel 7), and the choice of Jerusalem as the place where His name should be revealed which was connected with that promise, might stand immoveably as an act of grace, which no sin of men could overturn (vid., 1 Kings 11:36). For אחד שׁבט see the Comm. on 1 Kings 11:31, 1 Kings 11:32.