1 Kings 11

Passage overview

2 Kings 11 deals with dramatic events surrounding the succession of the kingdom of Judah. In scenes where the history of a usurpation and salvation intersect, it records how Athaliah tries to kill her grandson, Joash, but Joash is rescued and becomes king. Amid a crisis for Judah’s royal family, it shows how God’s promises and prophecies are kept.

1verseNow King Solomon loved many foreign women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites,

2verseof the nations concerning which the LORD said to the children of Israel, “You shall not go among them, neither shall they come among you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon joined to these in love.

3verseHe had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. His wives turned his heart away.

4verseWhen Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father was.

5verseFor Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

6verseSolomon did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and didn’t go fully after the LORD, as David his father did.

7verseThen Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the mountain that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon.

8verseSo he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

9verseThe LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,

10verseand had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he didn’t keep that which the LORD commanded.

11verseTherefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because this is done by you, and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant.

12verseNevertheless, I will not do it in your days, for David your father’s sake; but I will tear it out of your son’s hand.

13verseHowever, I will not tear away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to your son, for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.”

14verseThe LORD raised up an adversary to Solomon: Hadad the Edomite. He was one of the king’s offspring in Edom.

15verseFor when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the army had gone up to bury the slain, and had struck every male in Edom

16verse(for Joab and all Israel remained there six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom),

17verseHadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him, to go into Egypt, when Hadad was still a little child.

18verseThey arose out of Midian and came to Paran; and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, and appointed him food, and gave him land.

19verseHadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him as wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.

20verseThe sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh’s house among the sons of Pharaoh.

21verseWhen Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me depart, that I may go to my own country.”

22verseThen Pharaoh said to him, “But what have you lacked with me, that behold, you seek to go to your own country?” He answered, “Nothing, however only let me depart.”

23verseGod raised up an adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his lord, Hadadezer king of Zobah.

24verseHe gathered men to himself, and became captain over a troop, when David killed them of Zobah. They went to Damascus and lived there, and reigned in Damascus.

25verseHe was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, in addition to the mischief of Hadad. He abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.

26verseJeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also lifted up his hand against the king.

27verseThis was the reason why he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breach of his father David’s city.

28verseThe man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon saw that the young man was industrious, and he put him in charge of all the labor of the house of Joseph.

29verseAt that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the way. Now Ahijah had clad himself with a new garment; and the two of them were alone in the field.

30verseAhijah took the new garment that was on him, and tore it in twelve pieces.

31verseHe said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces; for the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you

32verse(but he shall have one tribe, for my servant David’s sake and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel),

33versebecause they have forsaken me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon. They have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in my eyes, and to keep my statutes and my ordinances, as David his father did.

34verse“‘However, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant’s sake whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my statutes,

35versebut I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and will give it to you, even ten tribes.

36verseI will give one tribe to his son, that David my servant may have a lamp always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for myself to put my name there.

37verseI will take you, and you shall reign according to all that your soul desires, and shall be king over Israel.

38verseIt shall be, if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do that which is right in my eyes, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, that I will be with you, and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you.

39verseI will afflict the offspring of David for this, but not forever.’”

40verseTherefore Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

41verseNow the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, aren’t they written in the book of the acts of Solomon?

42verseThe time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.

43verseSolomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in his father David’s city; and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

Key Structure and Flow

  • Athaliah’s Usurpation of the Throne (Verses 1-3): Athaliah, from the house of Ahab, seeks the throne and tries to destroy the royal line. However, Joash is secretly rescued at this time by Jehosheba, the wife of the priest Jehoiada, and is hidden in the presence of the LORD.
  • Preparing for and Carrying Out the Coup (Verses 4-12): The high priest Jehoiada gathers the captains of the army and the Levites and secretly plans to set Joash on the throne. At the appointed time, the soldiers keep watch over the temple, so that Joash can appear before the people.
  • Joash’s Accession and Athaliah’s Final End (Verses 13-16): Joash is enthroned amid cheering, and Athaliah causes commotion, but in the end she is dragged out of the temple and put to death.
  • Renewing the Covenant with the LORD (Verses 17-21): All the people, the king, and the priests renew the covenant with God. They remove idols, and everyone begins again with joy and gratitude.

The Overall Meaning of the Passage

This chapter shows how God’s covenant is preserved even in human crisis and wickedness. There was human power struggle, betrayal, and danger, yet God protects the line of King David in Judah so it will not end. In particular, we can see God’s will being fulfilled through the courage and wisdom of faithful figures such as Jehoiada and Jehosheba. It also emphasizes that when a crisis arises, the covenant must always be renewed by turning back to God.

Points for Reflection

  • Do you believe that God’s promises never fail, even in moments of crisis?
  • You can think about how important the small devotion of a faithful believer is, even in the face of the relentless persistence of evil forces.
  • In the moment of crisis in my life, how am I making faith-based decisions?

Applying It to Me

  • Take time to consider whether there is any covenant or promise in my current life that I must surely keep before God
  • even amid difficulties, not giving up and living with hope in God
  • Remember that my small choices and obedience are ultimately the channel through which God’s great purpose is fulfilled, and live faithfully today with courage

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