1 Kings 11:23-39
New English Translation
23 God also brought against Solomon[a] another enemy, Rezon son of Eliada who had run away from his master, King Hadadezer of Zobah. 24 He gathered some men and organized a raiding band.[b] When David tried to kill them,[c] they went to Damascus, where they settled down and gained control of the city. 25 He was Israel’s enemy throughout Solomon’s reign and, like Hadad, caused trouble. He loathed[d] Israel and ruled over Syria.
26 Jeroboam son of Nebat, one of Solomon’s servants, rebelled against[e] the king. He was an Ephraimite[f] from Zeredah whose mother was a widow named Zeruah. 27 This is what prompted him to rebel against the king:[g] Solomon built a terrace, and he closed up a gap in the wall of the city of his father David.[h] 28 Jeroboam was a talented man;[i] when Solomon saw that the young man was an accomplished worker, he made him the leader of the work crew from the tribe[j] of Joseph. 29 At that time, when Jeroboam had left Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road; the two of them were alone in the open country. Ahijah[k] was wearing a brand new robe, 30 and he grabbed the robe[l] and tore it into twelve pieces. 31 Then he told Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces, for this is what the Lord God of Israel has said: ‘Look, I am about to tear the kingdom from Solomon’s hand and I will give ten tribes to you. 32 He will retain one tribe, for my servant David’s sake and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. 33 I am taking the kingdom from him[m] because they have[n] abandoned me and worshiped the Sidonian goddess Astarte, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite god Milcom. They have not followed my instructions[o] by doing what I approve and obeying my rules and regulations, as Solomon’s father David did.[p] 34 I will not take the whole kingdom from his hand. I will allow him to be ruler for the rest of his life for the sake of my chosen servant David who kept my commandments and rules. 35 I will take the kingdom from the hand of his son and give ten tribes to you.[q] 36 I will leave[r] his son one tribe so my servant David’s dynasty may continue to serve me[s] in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen as my home.[t] 37 I will select[u] you; you will rule over all you desire to have and you will be king over Israel. 38 You must obey[v] all I command you to do, follow my instructions,[w] do what I approve,[x] and keep my rules and commandments, as my servant David did. Then I will be with you and establish for you a lasting dynasty, as I did for David;[y] I will give you Israel. 39 I will humiliate David’s descendants because of this,[z] but not forever.’”[aa]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Kings 11:23 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Solomon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Kings 11:24 tn Heb “and he was the officer of a raiding band.”
- 1 Kings 11:24 tn The Hebrew text reads “when David killed them.” This phrase is traditionally joined with what precedes. The ancient Greek version does not reflect the phrase and some suggest that it has been misplaced from the end of v. 23.
- 1 Kings 11:25 tn The construction (Qal of קוּץ + בְּ [quts + bet] preposition) is rare, but not without parallel (see Lev 20:23).
- 1 Kings 11:26 tn Heb “raised a hand against.”
- 1 Kings 11:26 tn Heb “Ephrathite,” which here refers to an Ephraimite (see HALOT 81 s.v. אֶפְרַיִם).
- 1 Kings 11:27 tn Heb “this is the matter concerning which he raised a hand against the king.”
- 1 Kings 11:27 sn The city of his father David. The phrase refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
- 1 Kings 11:28 tn Heb “man of strength.”
- 1 Kings 11:28 tn Heb “house.”
- 1 Kings 11:29 tn The Hebrew text has simply “he,” making it a bit unclear whether Jeroboam or Ahijah is the subject, but in the Hebrew word order Ahijah is the nearer antecedent, and this is followed by the present translation.
- 1 Kings 11:30 tn Heb “and Ahijah grabbed the new robe that was on him.”
- 1 Kings 11:33 tn The words “I am taking the kingdom from him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- 1 Kings 11:33 tc This is the reading of the MT; the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate read “he has.”
- 1 Kings 11:33 tn Heb “walked in my ways.”
- 1 Kings 11:33 tn Heb “by doing what is right in my eyes, my rules and my regulations, like David his father.”
- 1 Kings 11:35 tn Heb “and I will give it to you, ten tribes.”
- 1 Kings 11:36 tn Heb “give.”
- 1 Kings 11:36 tn Heb “so there might be a lamp for David my servant all the days before me in Jerusalem.” The metaphorical “lamp” symbolizes the Davidic dynasty. Because this imagery is unfamiliar to the modern reader, the translation “so my servant David’s dynasty may continue to serve me” has been used.
- 1 Kings 11:36 tn Heb “so there might be a lamp for David my servant all the days before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for myself to put my name there.”
- 1 Kings 11:37 tn Heb “take.”
- 1 Kings 11:38 tn Heb “If you obey.” In the Hebrew text v. 38 is actually one long conditional sentence, which has been broken into two parts in the translation for stylistic purposes.
- 1 Kings 11:38 tn Heb “walk in my ways.”
- 1 Kings 11:38 tn Heb “do what is right in my eyes.”
- 1 Kings 11:38 tn Heb “I will build for you a permanent house, like I built for David.”
- 1 Kings 11:39 sn Because of this. Reference is made to the idolatry mentioned earlier.
- 1 Kings 11:39 tn Heb “but not all the days.”
1 Kings 11:23-39
New King James Version
23 And God raised up another adversary against him, Rezon the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his lord, (A)Hadadezer king of Zobah. 24 So he gathered men to him and became captain over a band of raiders, (B)when David killed those of Zobah. And they went to Damascus and dwelt there, and reigned in Damascus. 25 He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon (besides the trouble that Hadad caused); and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.
Jeroboam’s Rebellion
26 Then Solomon’s servant, (C)Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zereda, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, (D)also (E)rebelled against the king.
27 And this is what caused him to rebel against the king: (F)Solomon had built the Millo and [a]repaired the damages to the City of David his father. 28 The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon, seeing that the young man was (G)industrious, made him the officer over all the labor force of the house of Joseph.
29 Now it happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet (H)Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the way; and he had clothed himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field. 30 Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him, and (I)tore it into twelve pieces. 31 And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for (J)thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you 32 (but he shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), 33 (K)because [b]they have forsaken Me, and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the people of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways to do what is right in My eyes and keep My statutes and My judgments, as did his father David. 34 However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of My servant David, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and My statutes. 35 But (L)I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and give it to you—ten tribes. 36 And to his son I will give one tribe, that (M)My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there. 37 So I will take you, and you shall reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel. 38 Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then (N)I will be with you and (O)build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you. 39 And I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever.’ ”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Kings 11:27 Lit. closed up the breaches
- 1 Kings 11:33 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. he has
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