1 Kings Commentaries

1 Kings 1

1:1—11:43 The first division of Kings chronicles the reign of Solomon. The literary structure is centered around the building activities of Solomon (6:1–9:9) and climaxes with the failure of Solomon to follow the Lord wholeheartedly (11:1–43).

1:1 advanced in years. David was 70 years old (cf. 2 Sam. 5:4, 5).

1:2 the king may be warm. In his old age, circulatory problems plagued King David so he had trouble keeping warm. The royal staff proposed a solution that a young virgin nurse watch over him and, at night, warm him with her body heat. This was in harmony with the medical customs of that day; both the Jewish historian Josephus (first century A.D.) and the Greek physician Galen (second century A.D.) record such a practice.

1:3 Abishag the Shunammite. Abishag was a very beautiful teenager from the town of Shunem, in the territory of Issachar located 3 mi. N of Jezreel (Josh. 19:18; 1 Sam. 28:4; 2 Kin. 4:8). Though from the same town, she is not to be identified with the Shulamite in the Song of Solomon (6:13).

1:4 the king did not know her. Although apparently joining David’s harem (cf. 2:17, 22–24), Abishag remained a virgin.

1:5 Adonijah. Adonijah was the fourth son of David (2 Sam. 3:4) and probably the oldest living son, since Amnon (2 Sam. 13:28, 29) and Absalom (2 Sam. 18:14, 15) had been killed, and Chileab apparently died in his youth, since there is no mention of him beyond his birth. As David’s oldest surviving heir, Adonijah attempted to claim the kingship. chariots and horsemen. Like Absalom (2 Sam. 15:1), Adonijah sought to confirm and support his claim to kingship by raising a small army.

1:7 Joab. David’s nephew (1 Chr. 2:16), the commander of the army of Israel (2 Sam. 8:16) and a faithful supporter of David’s kingship (2 Sam. 18:2; 20:22). He was guilty of the illegal killings of Abner and Amasa (2:5; cf. 2 Sam. 3:39; 20:10). Adonijah wanted his support in his bid for the throne. Abiathar. One of the two High-Priests serving concurrently during David’s reign (2 Sam. 8:17), whose influence Adonijah sought.

1:8 Zadok. The other High-Priest serving during David’s reign (2 Sam. 8:17), whose ancestors will serve the millennial temple (see Ezek. 44:15). He had been High-Priest in the tabernacle at Gibeon under Saul (1 Chr. 16:39). Benaiah. The commander of the Cherethites and Pelethites (v. 44), David’s official guards distinguished for bravery (see 2 Sam. 23:20). See note on 1 Sam. 30:14. He was regarded by Joab as a rival. Nathan. The most influential prophet during David’s reign (2 Sam. 7:1–17; 12:1–15, 25). Shimei. Cf. 4:18. A different individual than the Shimei referred to in 2:8, 36–46; 2 Sam. 16:5–8. the mighty men. See 2 Sam. 23:8–39.

1:9 Zoheleth. Or “Serpent Stone,” a standard landmark identified with a previous Jebusite snake worship location. En Rogel. Lit. “the spring of the fuller.” Typically identified as being located at the N/W confluence of the Kidron and Hinnom Valleys. See marginal note for location. Here Adonijah held a political event to court popularity and secure his claim to the throne.

1:11–27 The revolt of Adonijah was defeated by Nathan, who knew the Lord’s will (see 2 Sam. 7:12; 1 Chr. 22:9) and acted quickly, by having Bathsheba go to David first to report what was happening, after which he would follow (v. 23).

1:11 Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. The mothers of the kings of the Davidic line are continually noted (2:13, 19; 14:21; 15:2; 2 Kin. 8:26; 12:1; 14:2; 15:2, 33; 18:2; 21:1, 19; 22:1; 23:31, 36; 24:8). The queen mother held an influential position in the royal court. For the story of how David sinfully took her, see 2 Sam. 11.

1:12 save…the life of your son. If Adonijah had become king, the lives of Bathsheba and Solomon would have been in jeopardy, because often in the ancient Near East potential claimants to the throne and their families were put to death (cf. 15:29; 16:11; 2 Kin. 10:11).

1:13 Did you not…swear. This oath was given privately (unrecorded in Scripture) by David, perhaps to both Nathan and Bathsheba. Solomon’s choice by the Lord was implicit in his name Jedidiah, meaning “loved by the Lord” (2 Sam. 12:24, 25) and explicit in David’s declaration to Solomon (1 Chr. 22:6–13). Cf. vv. 17, 20, 35.

1:28–53 See 1 Chr. 29:21–25.

1:29 the king took an oath. David swore another oath to carry out his earlier oath to make Solomon king, and he made good on it that very day.

1:33 my own mule. The riding of David’s royal mule showed Israel that Solomon was David’s chosen successor (see 2 Sam. 13:29). Gihon. This spring, which was Jerusalem’s main water supply (see marginal note), was located about one-half mi. N of En Rogel (v. 9) and hidden from it by an intervening hill. Thus, the sound of Solomon’s anointing ceremony could have been heard without being seen by Adonijah’s party.

1:34 anoint him king. Saul and David had been anointed by Samuel, the Lord’s priest and prophet (1 Sam. 10:1; 16:13); Solomon was also to be recognized by priest and prophet. The participation of the prophet Nathan gave Solomon’s coronation evidence of the Lord’s blessing. Throughout the book of Kings, God identified His chosen kings through prophets (11:37; 15:28, 29; 16:12; 2 Kin. 9:3). blow the horn. The blowing of the trumpet signaled a public assembly where the people corporately recognized Solomon’s new status as co-regent with and successor to David (vv. 39, 40).

1:35 Israel and Judah. The two major geographical components of David’s and Solomon’s kingdoms. Even while still unified these two separate entities, that would later divide (12:20), were clearly identifiable.

1:39 tabernacle. This was the tent David set up in Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:17; 1 Chr. 15:1) to house the ark of the covenant, not the tabernacle of Moses (see 3:4).

1:41–49 Adonijah…heard it. The loud shouts hailing Solomon as king reached the ears of those at Adonijah’s feast at En Rogel nearby. A messenger came with the full report of the coronation of Solomon, so that the cause of Adonijah was lost and the party ended with the people leaving in fear.

1:42 Jonathan. The son of Abiathar the priest was an experienced messenger (2 Sam. 15:36; 17:17).

1:50 horns of the altar. Cf. 2:28. The “horns” were corner projections on the altar of burnt offering on which the priests smeared the blood of the sacrifices (Ex. 27:2; 29:12). By taking hold of the horns, Adonijah sought to place himself under the protection of God (see Ex. 21:13, 14).

1 Kings 2

2:1 he charged Solomon. Leaders typically exhorted their successors, e.g., Moses (Deut. 31:7, 8), Joshua (Josh. 23:1–6), and Samuel (1 Sam. 12:1–25). So also David gave Solomon a final exhortation.

2:2 the way of all the earth. An expression for death (Josh. 23:14; cf. Gen 3:19). be strong…prove yourself a man. An expression of encouragement (Deut. 31:7, 23; Josh. 1:6, 7, 9, 18; 1 Sam. 4:9) with which David sought to prepare Solomon for the difficult tasks and the battles in his future.

2:3 keep the charge of the LORD your God. David admonished Solomon to obey the Mosaic law so he could have a successful kingship (cf. Deut. 17:18–20).

2:4 His word. The unconditional Davidic Covenant was made by God with David in 2 Sam. 7:4–17 and confirmed to Solomon in 1 Kin. 9:5, promising the perpetuation of the Davidic dynasty over Israel. If your sons take heed to their way. David declared that the king’s obedience to the law of Moses was a necessary condition for the fulfillment of the divine promise. The book of Kings demonstrates that none of the descendants of David remained faithful to God’s law; none of them met the conditions for the fulfillment of the divine promise. Rather, David’s words provided a basis for explaining the Exile. Thus, the ultimate and final King of Israel would appear at a later, undesignated time.

2:5 Abner…Amasa. These were victims of Joab’s jealousy and vengeance, who were killed after warfare had ceased (2 Sam. 3:27; 20:10), thus bringing Joab’s punishment as a murderer (Deut. 19:11–13).

2:7 sons of Barzillai. David told Solomon to repay Barzillai’s kindness to David (2 Sam. 17:27–29) by showing similar kindness to Barzillai’s sons. eat at your table. A position of honor that could include a royal stipend (2 Sam. 9:7; 1 Kin. 18:19; 2 Kin. 25:29).

2:8 Shimei. He had angrily stoned and vehemently cursed David when David was escaping from Absalom (2 Sam. 16:5–13). Shimei’s actions were worthy of death (Ex. 22:28), and David counseled Solomon through subtle means to arrange for his just punishment (vv. 36–46).

2:10–12 See 2 Sam. 5:5; 1 Chr. 29:26–28.

2:10 the City of David. I.e., Jerusalem (cf. 8:1).

2:11 forty years. David ruled from ca. 1011–971 B.C., probably with Solomon as co-regent during his final year (cf. 11:41).

2:12 firmly established. Solomon’s succession enjoyed the Lord’s approval, and Solomon experienced unchallenged authority, prosperity, and renown (v. 46).

2:15 all Israel had set their expectations on me. A reference to Adonijah’s perceived right to the kingship as the oldest surviving son according to ancient Near East custom.

2:17 give me Abishag. In the ancient Near East, possession of the royal harem was a sign of kingship (cf. 2 Sam. 3:8; 12:8; 16:20–22). Adonijah’s request for Abishag was an attempt to support his claim to the kingship and perhaps generate a revolt to usurp the throne. Bathsheba didn’t see the treachery (vv. 18–21).

2:22 Ask for…the kingdom also. Solomon recognized Adonijah’s request as the prelude to his usurping of the throne. Because Adonijah’s request violated the terms of loyalty Solomon had previously specified (1:52), he pronounced a formal, legal death sentence on Adonijah (vv. 23, 24).

2:24 as He promised. Solomon viewed himself as the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to David in 2 Sam. 7:12–16 (see also 5:5; 8:18–21). The ultimate fulfillment will be the Messiah, Jesus, who will return to Israel and set up His kingdom (see Is. 9:6, 7).

2:26 Anathoth. A priestly town, 3 mi. NE of Jerusalem (cf. Jer. 1:1). There Abiathar, the disloyal High-Priest (1:7), lived in banishment.

2:27 fulfill the word of the LORD. Solomon’s removal of Abiathar from the office of priest fulfilled God’s prophecy that Eli’s line of priests would be cut off (1 Sam. 2:30–35). This reestablished the line of Eleazar/Phinehas in Zadok (2:35), as promised by God (cf. Num. 25:10–13).

2:28 Joab fled to the tabernacle. Cf. 1:50. He knew he would have been killed already if he had not been so popular with the army. The altar provided no real sanctuary to the rebel and murderer (cf. Ex. 21:14).

2:31 strike him down. Like Adonijah (1:50), Joab sought asylum at the altar (2:28). The protection of the Lord at the altar applied only to accidental crimes, not premeditated murder (Ex. 21:14), so Solomon ordered Benaiah to administer the violent death sought by David (2:6).

2:33 peace forever. This pledge is ultimately to be fulfilled in the Messiah’s kingdom (see Is. 2:2–4; 9:6, 7).

2:34 wilderness. The tomb of Joab’s father was near Bethlehem (2 Sam. 2:32). Joab’s house was probably on the edge of the Judean wilderness, E of Bethlehem.

2:36 do not go out. Shimei had not provoked Solomon directly as Adonijah had. Therefore, Solomon determined to keep Shimei under close watch by confining him to Jerusalem.

2:39 Gath. A major Philistine city about 30 mi. SW of Jerusalem.

2:45 throne of David. In contrast to Shimei’s curse (2 Sam. 16:5–8), the Lord’s blessing was to come through the ruler of David’s, not Saul’s, line (cf. 2 Sam. 7:12, 13, 16).

2:46 With the death of Shimei, all the rival factions were eliminated.

1 Kings 3

3:1 a treaty with Pharaoh. The Pharaoh was probably Siamun, the next-to-last ruler of the weak 21st dynasty. Solomon’s treaty with Pharaoh signified that he held a high standing in the world of his day. Pharaoh’s daughter was the most politically significant of Solomon’s 700 wives (cf. 7:8; 9:16; 11:1).

3:2 the high places. The open-air, hilltop worship centers which the Israelites inherited from the Canaanites had been rededicated to the Lord; the use of pagan altars had been forbidden (Num. 33:52; Deut. 7:5; 12:3). After the building of the temple, worship at the high places was condemned (11:7, 8; 12:31; 2 Kin. 16:17–20; 21:3; 23:26). no house…for the name of the LORD. “Name” represented the character and presence of the Lord (cf. Ex. 3:13, 14). He had promised to choose one place “to put His name for His dwelling place” (Deut. 12:5). The temple at Jerusalem was to be that place (cf. 5:3, 5; 8:16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 29, 43, 44, 48; 9:3, 7). In the ancient Near East, to identify a temple with a god’s name meant that the god owned the place and dwelt there.

3:3 except. Solomon’s failure in completely following the Lord was exhibited in his continual worship at the high places.

3:4–15 See 2 Chr. 1:7–13.

3:4 Gibeon. A town about 7 mi. NW of Jerusalem, where the tabernacle of Moses and the original bronze altar were located (1 Chr. 21:29; 2 Chr. 1:2–6).

3:5 dream. God often gave revelation in dreams (Gen. 26:24; 28:12; 46:2; Dan. 2:7; 7:1; Matt. 1:20; 2:12, 19, 22). However, this dream was unique, a two-way conversation between the Lord and Solomon.

3:6 great mercy…great kindness. These terms imply covenant faithfulness. Solomon viewed his succession to David as evidence of the Lord’s faithfulness to His promises to David.

3:7 little child. Since Solomon was probably only about 20 years of age, he readily admitted his lack of qualification and experience to be king (cf. 1 Chr. 22:5; 29:1). See note on Num. 27:15–17.

3:8 a great people. Based on the census, which recorded 800,000 men of fighting age in Israel and 500,000 in Judah (2 Sam. 24:9), the total population was over 4 million, approximately double what it had been at the time of the Conquest (see Num. 26:1–65).

3:9 an understanding heart. Humbly admitting his need, Solomon sought “a listening heart” to govern God’s people with wisdom.

3:10 pleased the LORD. The Lord was delighted that Solomon had not asked for personal benefits, e.g., long life, wealth, or the death of his enemies.

3:12 anyone like you. Solomon was one of a kind in judicial insight, as illustrated in vv. 16–27.

3:14 lengthen your days. In contrast to riches and honor that were already his, a long life was dependent on Solomon’s future obedience to the Lord’s commands. Because of his disobedience, Solomon died before reaching 70 years of age (cf. Ps. 90:10).

3:16–27 harlots came to the king. Here is an illustration of how wisely Solomon ruled. In Israel, the king was the ultimate “judge” of the land, and any citizen, even the basest prostitute, could petition him for a verdict (2 Sam. 14:2–21; 15:1–4; 2 Kin. 8:1–6).

3:25 half…half. In ordering his servants to cut the child in two, he knew the liar would not object, but out of maternal compassion the real mother would (cf. Ex. 21:35).

3:28 feared the king. Israel was in awe of and willing to submit to the rule of Solomon because of his wisdom from God.

1 Kings 4

4:1 all Israel. Solomon was in firm control of all of the people. Israel’s squabbling factions had fallen in line behind the king.

4:2 Azariah…the son of. Actually, he was the son of Ahimaaz and the grandson of Zadok, as “son of” can mean “descendant of” (cf. 1 Chr. 6:8, 9). In David’s roster of officials, the army commander came first (2 Sam. 8:16; 20:23). Under Solomon, the priest and other officials preceded the military leader.

4:3 scribes. Probably they prepared royal edicts and kept official records. recorder. Likely, he maintained the records of all important daily affairs in the kingdom.

4:4 priests. Zadok and Abiathar had served together as High-Priests under David (2 Sam. 8:17; 20:25). Although Abiathar had been removed from priestly service and exiled (2:26–27, 35), he maintained his priestly title until his death.

4:5 Nathan. Whether this is the prophet Nathan (see note on 1:8) or another person by that name is uncertain, but it could be that Solomon was honoring the sons of the prophet.

4:6 over the household. One who managed Solomon’s properties, both lands and buildings (cf. 16:9; 18:3; 2 Kin. 18:18, 37; 19:2). over the labor force. One who oversaw the conscripted workers of Solomon (cf. 5:13–18).

4:7 twelve governors. Solomon divided the land into 12 geographical districts (different from the tribal boundaries), each supervised by a governor. Each month a different governor collected provisions in his district to supply the king and his staff.

4:20 numerous as the sand by the sea. A clear allusion to the Lord’s promise to Abraham in Gen. 22:17. The early years of Solomon’s reign, characterized by population growth, peace, and prosperity, were a foreshadowing of the blessings that will prevail in Israel when the Abrahamic Covenant is fulfilled.

4:21 all kingdoms. The borders of the kingdoms which Solomon influenced echoed the Lord’s promise to Abram in Gen. 15:18. However, Solomon’s reign was not the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant for 3 reasons: 1) Israel still only lived in the land “from Dan as far as Beersheba” (v. 25). Abraham’s seed did not inhabit all the land promised to Abraham. 2) The non-Israelite kingdoms did not lose their identity and independence, but rather recognized Solomon’s authority and brought him tribute without surrendering title to their lands. 3) According to Num. 34:6, the Mediterranean Sea is to be the western border of the Land of Promise, indicating that Tyre was to be a part of the Promised Land. However, Hiram king of Tyre was a sovereign who entered into a bilateral or parity treaty (between equals) with Solomon (5:1–12).

4:22 provision. I.e., the daily provisions for Solomon’s palace.

4:24 Tiphsah…Gaza. Tiphsah was located on the W bank of the Euphrates and Gaza on the southwestern Mediterranean coast. These towns represented the NE and SW points of Solomon’s influence.

4:26 forty thousand stalls. Though the Heb. text reads 40,000, this was probably a copyist’s error in transcribing the text, and it should read 4,000 as in 2 Chr. 9:25.

4:30 the East…Egypt. The men to the East of Israel in Mesopotamia and Arabia (cf. Job 1:3) and in Egypt were known for their wisdom. Egypt had been renowned for learning and science, as well as culture. Solomon’s wisdom was superior to all at home or abroad (v. 31).

4:31 sons of Mahol. This probably meant “singers,” a guild of musicians who created sacred songs.

4:32 proverbs…songs. Hundreds of Solomon’s proverbs have been preserved in the book of Proverbs (see Introduction to Proverbs). One of his songs is the Song of Solomon.

4:33 trees…animals…birds. Solomon described and taught about all kinds of plant and animal life, e.g., Prov. 6:6–8; 28:15; 30:19.

4:34 men of all nations. Solomon acquired an international reputation for his wisdom. Many important visitors came from faraway places to learn from Solomon’s wisdom (cf. 10:1–13).

1 Kings 5

5:1–16 See 2 Chr. 2:1–18.

5:1 Hiram king of Tyre. Tyre was an important port city on the Mediterranean Sea N of Israel. Two towering mountain ranges ran within Lebanon’s borders, and on their slopes grew thick forests of cedars. Hiram I ruled there ca. 978–944 B.C. He had earlier provided building materials and workers for David to build his palace (2 Sam. 5:11). Solomon maintained the friendly relations with Hiram established by David. They were beneficial to both as Israel exchanged wheat and oil for timber (see vv. 9–11).

5:4 rest. The guarantee of peace with the peoples surrounding Israel allowed Solomon to build the temple (cf. 4:24).

5:5 the name. “Name” represents the character and nature of the person indicated. See note on 3:2. Your son. Solomon claimed to be the promised offspring of David, the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to David in 2 Sam. 7:12, 13. However, Solomon’s later disobedience proved that he was not the ultimate, promised offspring (11:9–13).

5:6 cedars…from Lebanon. The cedars of Lebanon symbolized majesty and might (Ps. 92:12; Ezek. 31:3). Because it was durable, resistant to rot and worms, closely-grained, and could be polished to a fine shine, its wood was regarded as the best timber for building. The logs were tied together and floated down the Mediterranean to Joppa (see v. 9; 2 Chr. 2:16), from where they could be transported to Jerusalem, 35 mi. inland. Sidonians. These are the inhabitants of the city of Sidon, located on the Mediterranean Sea about 22 mi. N of Tyre. Here, the term probably referred, in a general sense, to the Phoenicians, who were skilled craftsmen.

5:7 Blessed be the LORD. Perhaps Hiram was a worshiper of the true God, but it is equally possible that he was only acknowledging Jehovah as the God of the Hebrews (cf. 2 Chr. 2:16). a wise son. Hiram recognized Solomon’s wisdom in seeking to honor his father David’s desires.

5:9 food for my household. Tyre’s rocky terrain grew great trees, but little good food. Hiram asked Solomon for food for his court in exchange for his lumber.

5:13 a labor force out of all Israel. Lit. “conscripted labor.” These 30,000 men who labored in Lebanon were Israelites of the land. They were sent to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in rotation. For every month they worked, they were off two months, which meant they worked only 4 months per year. These Israelite laborers must be distinguished from the Canaanite remnant who were made into permanent slaves. See note on 9:21, 22. The 30,000 Israelites were free and performed the task of felling trees.

5:16 three thousand three hundred. See note on 2 Chr. 2:2. people who labored. According to 2 Chr. 2:17, 18, these 150,000 laborers (5:15) and their supervisors were non-Israelite inhabitants of the land.

5:18 Gebalites. Inhabitants of Gebal, a town located about 60 mi. N of Tyre.

1 Kings 6

6:1–38 See 2 Chr. 3:1–17; 7:15–22.

6:1 four hundred and eightieth year. Solomon began to build the temple by laying its foundation (v. 37) 480 years after the Exodus from Egypt. The 480 years are to be taken as the actual years between the Exodus and the building of the temple, because references to numbers of years in the book of Kings are consistently taken in a literal fashion. Also, the literal interpretation correlates with Jephthah’s statement recorded in Judg. 11:26. fourth year. I.e., 966 B.C. Thus, the Exodus is to be dated 1445 B.C.

6:2 cubits. Normally the cubit was about 18 in. This would make the temple structure proper 90 ft. long, 30 ft. wide, and 45 ft. high. However, 2 Chr. 3:3 may indicate that the longer royal cubit of approximately 21 in. was used in the construction of the temple. On this measurement, the temple structure proper would have been 105 ft. long, 35 ft. wide and 52½ ft. high. The dimensions of the temple seem to be double those of the tabernacle (see Ex. 26:15–30; 36:20–34).

6:3 vestibule. A porch about 15 ft. long in front of the temple building proper.

6:4 windows. Placed high on the inner side of the temple wall, these openings had lattices or shutters capable of being opened, shut, or partially opened. They served to let out the vapors of the lamps and the smoke of incense, as well as to give light.

6:5 chambers. Another attached structure surrounded the main building, excluding the vestibule. It provided rooms off of the main hall to house temple personnel and to store equipment and treasure (cf. 7:51).

6:6 lowest…middle…third. This attached structure to the temple was 3 stories high. Each upper story was one cubit wider than the one below it. Instead of being inserted into the temple walls, beams supporting the stories rested on recessed ledges in the temple walls themselves.

6:7 stone finished at the quarry. The erection of the temple went much faster by utilizing pre-cut and pre-fitted materials moved on rollers to the temple site. In addition, the relative quiet would be consistent with the sacredness of the undertaking.

6:8 doorway…stairs. The entrance to the side rooms was on the S side, probably in the middle. Access to the second and third stories was by means of a spiral staircase that led through the middle story to the third floor.

6:11–13 During the construction of the temple, the Lord spoke to Solomon, probably through a prophet, and reiterated that the fulfillment of His Word to David through his son was contingent on Solomon’s obedience to His commands (cf. 2:3, 4; 3:14; 9:4–8). The use of the same words, “I will dwell among the children of Israel,” in v. 13 as in Ex. 29:45, implied that Solomon’s temple was the legitimate successor to the tabernacle. The Lord forewarned Solomon and Israel that the temple was no guarantee of His presence; only their continued obedience would assure that.

6:16 the Most Holy Place. This inner sanctuary, partitioned off from the main hall by cedar planks, was a perfect cube about 30 ft. on a side (v. 20) and was the most sacred area of the temple. The Most Holy Place is further described in vv. 19–28. The tabernacle also had “a Most Holy Place” (Ex. 26:33, 34).

6:17 the temple sanctuary. This was the Holy Place, just outside the Most Holy Place, 60 ft. long, 30 ft. wide and 45 ft. high, that housed the altar of incense, the golden tables of the showbread, and the golden lampstands (7:48, 49).

6:19 the ark of the covenant of the LORD. The ark was a rectangular box made of acacia wood. The ark was made at Sinai by Bezalel according to the pattern given to Moses (Ex. 25:10–22; 37:1–9). The ark served as the receptacle for the two tablets of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 25:16, 21; 40:20; Deut. 10:1–5) and the place in the “inner sanctuary” or Most Holy Place where the presence of the Lord met Israel (Ex. 25:22).

6:20 overlaid it with pure gold. Cf. vv. 21, 22, 28, 30, 32, 35. Gold was beaten into fine sheets, and then hammered to fit over the beautifully embellished wood (vv. 18, 29), then attached to every surface in the temple proper, both in the Holy Place and in the Most Holy Place, so that no wood or stone was visible (v. 22).

6:23 cherubim. These two sculptured winged creatures, with human faces overlaid with gold (cf. Gen. 3:24; Ezek. 41:18, 19), stood as guards on either side of the ark (see 2 Chr. 3:10–13) and are not to be confused with the cherubim on the mercy seat (see Ex. 25:17–22). The cherubim represented angelic beings who were guardians of God’s presence and stood on either side of the ark (8:6, 7) in the Most Holy Place. They were 15 ft. tall and 15 ft. between wing tips (v. 24–26). See note on Ex. 25:18.

6:29 palm trees. An image reminiscent of the Garden of Eden in Gen. 2. The palm tree represented the tree of life from the Garden.

6:31–35 There was distinct and magnificent separation by doors between the inner court of the temple (v. 36) and the Holy Place, as well as between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.

6:36 the inner court. This walled-in, open space that surrounded the temple was also called “the court of the priests” (2 Chr. 4:9) or the “upper court” (Jer. 36:10). The wall of that court had a layer of wood between each of the 3 courses of stone. The alternation of timber beams with masonry was common in Mediterranean construction.

6:37 fourth year…Ziv. Cf. 6:1.

6:38 seven years. From foundation to finishing, the temple took 7 years and 6 months to build. See note on 2 Chr. 5:1.

1 Kings 7

7:1 thirteen years. Having built the house for the Lord, Solomon then built one for himself. Solomon’s “house” was a complex of structures that took almost twice as long to build as the temple. The time involved was probably because there was not the same preparation for building nor urgency as for the national place of worship. The temple and Solomon’s house together took 20 years to complete (cf. 9:10).

7:2–5 the House of the Forest of Lebanon. As a part of the palace complex, Solomon also built this large rectangular building, 150 ft. long, 75 ft. wide and 45 ft. high. It was built of a “forest” of cedar pillars from Lebanon. Three rows of cedar columns supported trimmed cedar beams and a cedar roof.

7:6 the Hall of Pillars. This colonnade was probably an entry hall or waiting area for the Hall of Judgment, which was probably used for the transaction of public business.

7:7 the Hall of Judgment. The place where Solomon would publicly hear petitions from Israelites and render judgments was added to the grand palace site.

7:8 house…court…house. Behind the Hall of Judgment was an open court. Within this court, Solomon built his own personal residence, a palace for his harem, and royal apartments for the Egyptian princess he had married.

7:9–12 A fortune was spent on building, adjacent to the temple, the whole palace with its 3 parts: 1) the king’s home, 2) the courtyard in the middle, and 3) the house of the women on the other side.

7:13 Huram. See marginal note. Although having the same Heb. name, this individual was distinct from the King of Tyre (5:1). Huram had a Tyrian father, but his mother was of the tribe of Naphtali. Second Chronicles 2:14 states that Huram’s mother came from the tribe of Dan. Probably one verse refers to her place of birth and the other to her place of residence. Or, if his parents were originally from the two tribes, then he could legitimately claim either. The description of Huram’s skills in v. 14 is exactly the same as that of Bezalel who made the tabernacle (Ex. 31:3; 36:1). Huram made the pillars (vv. 14–22). See note on 2 Chr. 2:13, 14.

7:15 two pillars. One bronze pillar was on each side of the temple’s entrance (v. 21). Each pillar was 27 ft. high and 18 ft. around. See note on 2 Chr. 3:15.

7:16 capitals. These distinctively treated upper ends of the bronze pillars added 7.5 ft. to the height of each pillar.

7:18 pomegranates. One of the fruits of the Promised Land (Num. 13:23; Deut. 8:8), these were popular decorative motifs used on the hem of Aaron’s priestly garment (Ex. 28:33, 34).

7:21 Jachin…Boaz. See marginal note for the meanings. It is likely that each name recalls promises given to the Davidic house, and that they perpetually reminded the worshipers of God’s grace in providing the Davidic monarchy as well as each king’s need to depend on God for his success. See note on 2 Chr. 3:17. They were also symbolic of the strength and stability of God’s promise of a kingdom forever, even though the temple would come down (see Jer. 52:17).

7:23 the Sea. A huge circular bronze basin corresponding to the laver of the tabernacle. According to v. 26, this great basin’s capacity was about 12,000 gal. (see note on 2 Chr. 4:5). The Sea stood in the courtyard on the temple’s SE side and provided the priests water to wash themselves and their sacrifices (2 Chr. 4:6). It probably also supplied water for the 10 movable basins (vv. 38, 39). See note on 2 Chr. 4:2.

7:25 twelve oxen. Huram arranged 3 oxen facing in each of the 4 directions of the compass to support the Sea. See note on 2 Chr. 4:4.

7:26 two thousand baths. See note on 2 Chr. 4:5.

7:27–37 carts. Huram made 10 movable stands of bronze 6 ft. square and 4.5 ft. high. Each consisted of 4 upright corner poles joined together by square panels. For mobility, the stands rode on 4 wheels of bronze (v. 30).

7:38 lavers. Huram made 10 bronze basins as water containers for the stands. Each measured 6 ft. across and held about 240 gal. of water.

7:40 the shovels and the bowls. Shovels were used to scoop up the ashes that were then emptied into the bowls for disposal. The same tools served the same purpose in the tabernacle (Ex. 27:3).

7:45 burnished bronze. I.e., bronze polished to a high shine.

7:46 between Succoth and Zaretan. Succoth was located on the E side of the Jordan River just N of the Jabbok River (Gen. 33:17; Josh. 13:27; Judg. 8:4, 5). Zaretan was nearby. This location was conducive to good metallurgy, because it abounded in clay suitable for molds and lay close to a source of charcoal for heat, namely the forests across the Jordan.

7:48 the altar of gold. The altar of incense stood in front of the Most Holy Place (cf. Ex. 30:1–4). the table of gold. The table was made on which the showbread was placed, which the Law required to be continually in God’s presence (Ex. 25:30).

7:49 lampstands. Ten golden lampstands standing directly in front of the Most Holy Place, 5 on either side of the doors, provided a corridor of light.

7:51 David had dedicated. Solomon deposited that which David had dedicated to the Lord (2 Sam. 8:7–12) in the side rooms of the temple.

1 Kings 8

8:1–21 See 2 Chr. 5:2—6:11.

8:1 elders…heads. The “elders” of Israel were respected men who were in charge of local government and justice throughout Israel (Ex. 18:13–26; Num. 11:16–30; 1 Sam. 8:1–9). They advised the king on important matters of state (1 Sam. 15:30; 2 Sam. 17:5; 1 Kin. 12:6–11). The “heads” of the tribes or “chief fathers” were the oldest living males within each extended family unit. They were the ones responsible for learning the law and leading their families to obey it.

8:2 seventh month. Solomon finished building the temple in the eighth month of the previous year (6:38; see 2 Chr. 5:1); all its detail signifying the magnificence and beauty of God’s nature and His transcendent, uncommon glory. The celebration, then, did not take place until 11 months later. Apparently Solomon intentionally scheduled the dedication of the temple to coincide with the Feast of Tabernacles held in the seventh month, when there would be a general assembly of the people in Jerusalem. That was also a Jubilee year, so it was especially appropriate (Lev. 23:33–36, 39–43; Deut. 16:13–15).

8:4–6 brought up the ark. The ark of the covenant was transported by the priests and the Levites from the tent that David had made for it in Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:17). They also brought to the temple the tabernacle and all its furnishings which had been located at Gibeon (2 Chr. 1:2–6). The ark was placed into the Most Holy Place (v. 6).

8:7, 8 poles. God had originally commanded that poles be used to carry the ark (Ex. 25:13–15). They were left protruding to serve as a guide so the High-Priest could be guided by them when he entered the dark inner sanctuary.

8:8 to this day. The phrase is used from the perspective of one who lived and wrote before the destruction of the temple in 586 B.C. The writer of 1 Kings incorporated such sources into his book (cf. 9:13, 21; 10:12; 12:19).

8:9 two tablets of stone. At this time the ark of the covenant contained only the two tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments. The pot of manna (Ex. 16:33) and Aaron’s rod that budded (Num. 17:10) were no longer in the ark. See Heb. 9:4.

8:10 the cloud. The cloud was “the glory of the LORD,” the visible symbol of God’s presence. It signaled the Lord’s approval of this new temple. A similar manifestation took place when the tabernacle was dedicated (Ex. 40:34, 35). See note on Lev. 9:23.

8:12–21 See 2 Chr. 6:1–11.

8:12, 13 Solomon’s solemn declaration was addressed to the Lord. Solomon recognized the thick darkness as the manifestation of the Lord’s gracious presence among His people (cf. Ex. 19:9; 20:21; Lev. 16:2) and affirmed that he had built the temple so that the Lord could dwell there in the glory of thick darkness.

8:14–21 Solomon turned around from addressing the Lord and spoke to the assembly of Israel gathered at the temple. Solomon, in vv. 15–19 rehearsed the story of 2 Sam. 7:12–16 and claimed that he, having built the temple, had become the fulfillment of God’s promise to his father David (vv. 20, 21). However, Solomon’s claim was premature because the Lord later appeared to him declaring the necessity of obedience for the establishment of Solomon’s throne (9:4–9), an obedience which would be lacking in Solomon (11:6, 9, 10).

8:22–53 See note on 2 Chr. 6:12–40. Solomon then moved to the altar of burnt offering to offer a lengthy prayer of consecration to the Lord. First, he affirmed that no god could compare to Israel’s God, the Lord (vv. 23, 24). Second, he asked the Lord for His continued presence and protection (vv. 25–30). Third, he listed 7 typical Israelite prayers that would require the Lord’s response (vv. 31–54). These supplications recalled the detailed list of curses that Deut. 28:15–68 ascribed for the breaking of the law. Specifically, Solomon prayed that the Lord would judge between the wicked and the righteous (vv. 31, 32); the Lord would forgive the sins that had caused defeat in battle (vv. 33, 34); the Lord would forgive the sins that had brought on drought (vv. 35, 36); the Lord would forgive the sins that had resulted in national calamities (vv. 37–40); the Lord would show mercy to God-fearing foreigners (vv. 41–43); the Lord would give victory in battle (vv. 44, 45); and the Lord would bring restoration after captivity (vv. 46–54).

8:22 spread out his hands. The spreading of open hands toward heaven was a normal posture of individual prayer (Ex. 9:29; Is. 1:15).

8:27 heaven…cannot contain You. Solomon confessed that even though the Lord had chosen to dwell among His people in the cloud at the temple, He far transcended containment by anything in all creation.

8:54–61 Solomon arose to pronounce a benediction on the people. His words were substantially a brief recapitulation of the preceding prayer in which he affirmed the faithfulness of the Lord to Israel (v. 56) and exhorted Israel to faithfulness to the Lord (vv. 57–61).

8:62–66 See 2 Chr. 7:1–10.

8:62 offered sacrifices. To complete the temple’s dedication, Solomon led the people in offering peace offerings to the Lord (cf. Lev. 3:1–17; 7:11–21), in which they consumed 22,000 bulls and 120,000 sheep and goats (v. 63). Although the number of sacrifices offered seems high, it was in keeping with the magnitude of this event. Obviously, the single bronze altar could not accommodate such an enormous number of sacrifices. Solomon first had to consecrate the entire middle courtyard, the one directly in front of the temple (v. 64). After consecrating the court, Solomon probably had a series of auxiliary altars set up in the court to accommodate all the peace offerings.

8:65 the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt. “The entrance of Hamath” was located about 20 mi. S of Kadesh on the Orontes River and was the northern boundary of the land promised to Israel (Num. 34:7–9; Josh. 13:5). “The Brook of Egypt” is to be equated with Wadi El-Armish in the northeastern Sinai, the southern boundary of the land promised to Israel. These locations show that people from all over Israel attended the dedication of the temple.

1 Kings 9

9:1–9 See 2 Chr. 7:11–22.

9:1, 2 finished…the king’s house. According to 6:1, Solomon began building the temple in Apr./May 966 B.C. The temple was completed in Oct./Nov. 959 B.C. (6:38). The temple dedication and Solomon’s prayer to the Lord occurred 11 months after the completion of the temple in Sep./Oct. 958 B.C. The Lord did not appear to Solomon this second time (cf. 3:5–14) until Solomon had completed the building of his own palace in 946 B.C. (cf. 7:1). Thus, the Lord’s response came approximately 12 years after Solomon’s prayer and supplication to the Lord recorded in 8:22–53.

9:3 consecrated. The Lord made the temple holy by being present in the cloud (cf. 8:10). As proof of the temple’s consecration, the Lord told Solomon that He had put His name there (cf. 3:2). forever. God was not saying He will dwell in that building forever, since in less than 400 years it was destroyed by the Babylonians (cf. vv. 7–9). He was saying that Jerusalem and the temple mount are to be His earthly throne as long as the earth remains, through the millennial kingdom (see Is. 2:1–4; Zech. 14:16). Even during the New Heaven and New Earth, the eternal state, there will be the heavenly Jerusalem, where God will eternally dwell (see Rev. 21:1, 2). eyes…heart. These symbolized, respectively, the Lord’s constant attention toward and deep affection for Israel. By implication, He promised them access to His presence and answers to their prayers.

9:4–9 See 2 Chr. 7:17–22.

9:4 if you walk. The Lord reiterated to Solomon the importance of obedience to the Mosaic statutes in order to experience the blessings of the Davidic Covenant (cf. 2:3, 4).

9:6 if you…turn. If Israel (“you” is pl.) abandoned the Lord to worship other gods, God would expel Israel from the Land and destroy the temple (v. 7).

9:9 this calamity. The destruction of Jerusalem and exile from the Land (v. 8) were predicted by Moses in Deut. 29:24–28. The devastation of the temple, which came in 586 B.C., graphically demonstrated the Lord’s anger against Israel’s sin, particularly the sin of idolatry.

9:10–28 See 2 Chr. 8:1–18.

9:10 at the end of twenty years. The completion of the building of the temple (7 years) and the building of Solomon’s palace (13 years) would be ca. 946 B.C. (see note on 9:1, 2).

9:11 Solomon then gave Hiram twenty cities. Solomon sold these 20 cities in Galilee to Hiram in exchange for the gold (about 4.5 tons) mentioned in v. 14. Probably these cities lay along the border between Tyre and Israel, just outside the territory of Asher. Later, Hiram gave the towns back to Solomon. See note on 2 Chr. 8:2.

9:13 to this day. See note on 8:8.

9:15 the Millo. A landfill in the depression between the city of David and the temple and palace complex to the N (see 2 Sam. 5:9). Hazor. Ten mi. N of the Sea of Galilee, Hazor protected Israel’s northeastern entrance from Syria and Mesopotamia. Megiddo. Megiddo guarded a crucial pass in the Carmel mountains, which linked the valley of Jezreel and the international coastal highway to Egypt. Gezer. Twenty mi. W of Jerusalem, Gezer lay in the coastal plain at the intersection of the coastal highway and the main road to Jerusalem.

9:17 Lower Beth Horon. About 12 mi. NW of Jerusalem along a road connecting Gibeon with the western lowlands and providing a western approach to Jerusalem. See note on 2 Chr. 8:5.

9:18 Baalath. The designation of several cities in Canaan. See note on 2 Chr. 8:6. Tadmor. Probably the same as Tamar, 16 mi. SW of the Dead Sea on the southeastern boundary of the Land (cf. Ezek. 47:19; 48:28). Another Tadmor existed 150 mi. NE of Damascus, which is possibly the reference of 2 Chr. 8:4.

9:19 storage cities. Cities whose primary purpose was to store food (2 Chr. 17:12; 32:28). cities for his chariots. Solomon built military outposts for his chariots and horses. To defend his kingdom, these garrisons were probably located along key roads throughout the nation. All the cities listed in vv. 15–19 met this requirement.

9:20–23 See 2 Chr. 8:7–10.

9:21, 22 forced labor. I.e., “conscripted slave labor.” See note on 5:13. Only resident aliens permanently became part of this force since the law did not allow Israelites to make fellow-Israelites slaves against their will (Ex. 21:2–11; Lev. 25:44–46; Deut. 15:12–18). Additionally, v. 22 adds that he did not move someone from an established post, even for a specific project.

9:21 to this day. See note on 8:8.

9:25 Solomon offered. Once the temple had been built, Solomon’s practice of sacrificing to God at the various high places ceased (cf. 3:2–4). He kept Israel’s 3 great annual feasts, Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, and Tabernacles (Deut. 16:1–17), at the temple in Jerusalem.

9:26 Ezion Geber. Solomon’s port located on the modern Gulf of Aqabah.

9:28 Ophir. The location of Ophir is unknown. It has been suggested it was located on the southwestern Arabian peninsula. First Kings 10:11, 12 possibly suggests that Ophir was close to or a part of the kingdom of Sheba. four hundred and twenty talents. This was about 16 tons of gold. Second Chronicles 8:18 has 450 talents (see note on 2 Chr. 8:18).

1 Kings 10

10:1–29 See 2 Chr. 9:1–28.

10:1 Sheba. Sheba was located in southwestern Arabia, about 1,200 mi. from Jerusalem. concerning the name of the LORD. The primary motive for the queen’s visit was to verify Solomon’s reputation for wisdom and devotion to the Lord. hard questions. Riddles designed to stump the hearer (cf. Judg. 14:12).

10:5 no more spirit in her. Lit. the experience “left her breathless.”

10:9 the LORD your God. The queen was willing to credit Solomon’s God with giving him wisdom that resulted in just and righteous decisions. Though she recognized the Lord as Israel’s national God, there was no confession that Solomon’s God had become her God to the exclusion of all others. There is no record that she made any offerings to God at the temple.

10:10 one hundred and twenty talents. About 4.5 tons (cf. 9:28).

10:11 almug wood. Probably the strong, long-lasting sandalwood, which is black on the outside and ruby red inside.

10:12 to this day. See note on 8:8.

10:14 six hundred and sixty-six talents. About 25 tons of gold.

10:15 Gold also came to Solomon from tolls and tariffs from traders, revenues from loyal administrators, and taxes from Arabian kings who used caravan routes under Solomon’s control.

10:16, 17 shields. From his gold revenues, Solomon made 200 large shields, containing about 7.5 pounds of gold each, and 300 small shields, having 3.75 pounds of gold each, that were ornamental in design and restricted to ceremonial use.

10:21 silver. To show the wealth of Solomon’s kingdom, the writer explains that gold was so plentiful that the value of silver dropped to nothing. House of the Forest of Lebanon. See note on 7:2–5.

10:22 merchant ships. These “ships of Tarshish” were large, all-weather cargo vessels designed to make long ocean voyages.

10:25 silver and gold…horses. The wisdom God had given to Solomon (v. 24) caused many rulers, like the queen of Sheba (vv. 1–13), to bring presents to Solomon as they sought to buy his wisdom to be applied in their own nations. These gifts led Solomon to multiply for himself both horses, as well as silver and gold, precisely that which God’s king was warned against in Deut. 17:16, 17. Solomon became ensnared by the blessings of his own wisdom and disobeyed God’s commands.

10:28 Keveh. Keveh was in Cilicia, an area S of the Taurus Mountains in Asia Minor. In antiquity, Cilicia was fabled for breeding and selling the best horses.

10:29 six hundred shekels. About 15 lbs. of silver. one hundred and fifty. About 3.75 lbs. of silver. Hittites. The majority of Hittites lived in Anatolia (Asia Minor). From ca. 1720–1200 B.C. a unified kingdom ruled over the Hittites. These kings spread the influence of the Hittites throughout the ancient Near East; the Hittite empire reached the peak of its power ca. 1380–1350 B.C. When the Hittite empire collapsed, ca. 1200 B.C., many Hittite city-states developed, each with its own king. These rulers were called “the kings of the Hittites” and were scattered in Solomon’s day throughout Anatolia and northern Aram (Syria). Syria. This familiar geographical area within the bounds set by the Taurus Mountains in the N, the western bend of the Euphrates River and the edge of the desert in the E, the Litani River to the S and the Mediterranean Sea to the W, had as its major city, Damascus. “Syria” is actually a later Gr. term; the land was known in OT times as Aram.

1 Kings 11

11:1–6 loved many foreign women. Many of Solomon’s marriages were for the purpose of ratifying treaties with other nations, a common practice in the ancient Near East. The practice of multiplying royal wives, prohibited in Deut. 17:17 because the practice would turn the king’s heart away from the Lord, proved to be accurate in the experience of Solomon. His love for his wives (vv. 1, 2) led him to abandon his loyalty to the Lord and worship other gods (vv. 3–6). No sadder picture can be imagined than the ugly apostasy of his later years (over 50), which can be traced back to his sins with foreign wives. Polygamy was tolerated among the ancient Hebrews, though most in the East had only one wife. A number of wives was seen as a sign of wealth and importance. The king desired to have a larger harem than any of his subjects, and Solomon resorted to this form of state magnificence. But it was a sin directly violating God’s law, and the very result which that law was designed to prevent happened.

11:1 Moabites. Descendants of Lot (Gen. 19:37) who lived in the land E of the Dead Sea between the Arnon River to the N and the Zered Brook to the S. Ammonites. Descendants of Lot (Gen. 19:38) who were located in the area of the Transjordan beginning about 25 mi. E of the Jordan River. Edomites. Descendants of Esau (Gen. 36:1) who were located in the area S of Moab, to the SE of the Dead Sea. Sidonians. See note on 5:6. Hittites. See note on 10:29.

11:4 as…David. Cf. v. 6. David is consistently presented in Kings as the standard by which other kings were to act and be judged (3:14; 9:4; 14:8; 15:3; 2 Kin. 8:19; 22:2). This was not because David had not sinned (cf. 2 Sam. 11, 12), but rather because he repented appropriately from his sin (Pss. 32; 51), and because sin did not continue as the pattern of his life.

11:5 Ashtoreth. A deliberate distortion of the Canaanite “ashtart,” re-vocalized based on the Heb. word for “shame.” She was the goddess of love and fertility, especially worshiped at Tyre and Sidon. Milcom. Another name for Molech (v. 7), the national god of the Ammonites. His name seems to mean “the one who rules.” The worship of Molech was associated with the sacrifice of children in the fire (Lev. 18:21; 20:2, 3, 4, 5; Jer. 32:35).

11:6 evil in the sight of the LORD. The particular evil of Solomon was his tolerance of and personal practice of idolatry. These same words were used throughout the book of Kings to describe the rulers who promoted and practiced idolatry (15:26, 34; 16:19, 25, 30; 22:52; 2 Kin. 3:2; 8:18, 27; 13:2, 11; 14:24; 15:9, 18, 24, 28; 17:2; 21:2, 20; 23:32, 37; 24:9, 19). Solomon became an open idolater, worshiping images of wood and stone in the sight of the temple which, in his early years, he had erected to the one true God.

11:7 Chemosh. The god of the Moabites, to whom the sacrifice of children as a burnt offering was customary (2 Kin. 3:27). hill…east of Jerusalem. Probably, the Mt. of Olives. This is the area called Tophet in Jer. 7:30–34 and the Mt. of Corruption in 2 Kin. 23:13.

11:9, 10 appeared to him twice. Once was at Gibeon (3:5), the next at Jerusalem (9:2). On both occasions, God had warned Solomon, so he had no excuses.

11:11 not kept My covenant. Solomon failed to obey the commandments to honor God (Ex. 20:3–6), which were part of the Mosaic Covenant. Obedience to that Covenant was necessary for receiving the blessings of the Davidic Covenant (see 2:3, 4). tear the kingdom away from you. The Lord’s tearing of the kingdom from Solomon was announced in Ahijah’s symbolic action of tearing his garment in vv. 29–39. The tearing of the robe, picturing the loss of the kingdom, recalls the interaction between Samuel and Saul (1 Sam. 15:27, 28), when the Lord took the kingdom away from Saul because of his disobedience. The great gifts to Solomon followed by his great abuse warranted such a judgment.

11:12 not do it in your days. The Lord’s great love for David caused Him to temper His judgment with mercy by not disrupting the kingdom in Solomon’s lifetime (cf. v. 34). This showed that Solomon’s disobedience did not annul the Davidic Covenant; the Lord’s commitment to fulfill His Word to David remained firm (cf. 2 Sam. 7:12–16).

11:13 one tribe. The one tribe that remained loyal to the Davidic dynasty was Judah (cf. 12:20). for the sake of Jerusalem. The Lord had chosen Jerusalem as the place where His name would dwell forever (9:3). Therefore, Jerusalem and the temple would remain so that the divine promise might stand.

11:14–18 Hadad the Edomite. Even though Hadad belonged to the royal family that ruled Edom, he escaped death at the hands of David’s army when he was a child, and he fled to Egypt (cf. 2 Sam. 8:13, 14; 1 Chr. 18:12, 13).

11:18 Midian. The land directly E of Edom, to which Hadad first fled on his way to Egypt. Paran. A wilderness SE of Kadesh in the central area of the Sinai Peninsula (cf. Num. 12:16; 13:3).

11:21 Let me depart. Like Moses (Ex. 2:10), Hadad’s son grew up in Pharaoh’s household. As did Moses (Ex. 5:1), Hadad requested that Pharaoh allow him to leave Egypt. Hearing of the deaths of David and Joab, he renounced his easy position and possessions in Egypt to return to Edom in order to regain his throne. His activities gave great trouble to Israel (v. 25).

11:23–25 Rezon. After David conquered Zobar (2 Sam. 8:3–8), Rezon and his men took Damascus and established the strong dynasty of Syrian kings that severely troubled Israel in the ninth century B.C. (cf. 15:18; 20:1).

11:26 Jeroboam the son of Nebat. In contrast to Hadad and Rezon, who were external adversaries of Solomon, God raised up Jeroboam from a town in Ephraim as an internal adversary. Jeroboam was from Ephraim, the leading tribe of Israel’s northern 10 tribes. He was a young man of talent and energy who, having been appointed by Solomon as leader over the building works around Jerusalem, rose to public notice.

11:28 labor force. See note on 5:13.

11:29 Ahijah the Shilonite. Ahijah was a prophet of the Lord who lived in Shiloh, a town in Ephraim about 20 mi. N of Jerusalem. See note on 1 Sam. 1:3.

11:30–32 Here is a monumental prophecy that because of Solomon’s sins the kingdom would be divided and Jeroboam would rule in the northern area (cf. vv. 35–37).

11:33 See notes on 11:5, 7.

11:36 a lamp before Me. A lighted lamp represented the life of an individual (Job 18:6; Ps. 132:17). God promised that from the tribe of Judah David would continue to have descendants ruling in Jerusalem (cf. 2 Sam. 21:17; 1 Kin. 15:4; 2 Kin. 8:19).

11:38 if you heed all that I command you. The Lord gave to Jeroboam the same promise that He had made to David—an enduring royal dynasty over Israel, the 10 northern tribes, if he obeyed God’s law. The Lord imposed on Jeroboam the same conditions for his kingship that He had imposed on David (2:3, 4; 3:14).

11:39 but not forever. This statement implied that the kingdom’s division was not to be permanent and that David’s house would ultimately rule all the tribes of Israel again (cf. Ezek. 37:15–28).

11:40 kill Jeroboam. Though the prophecy was private (v. 29), the king heard about it and Jeroboam became a marked man, guilty in Solomon’s eyes of rebellion and worthy of the death penalty. Shishak. Shishak was the founder of the 22nd dynasty in Egypt. He reigned ca. 945–924 B.C. He invaded Judah during the reign of Rehoboam (14:25, 26).

11:42 forty years. 971–931 B.C.

1 Kings 12

12:1-2 Kin. 17:41 The division of Solomon’s kingdom had been predicted by the Lord to Solomon (11:11–13) and through Ahijah to Jeroboam (11:29–37). This section of the books of Kings shows how the Word of the Lord through the prophet was fulfilled and narrates the history of the divided kingdom, Israel (the northern kingdom) and Judah (the southern kingdom), from 931–722 B.C.

12:1—14:31 This section describes the disruption of the Kingdom (12:1–24) plus the establishment and royal sanctioning of idolatry in Israel (12:25—14:20) and Judah (14:21–31). The reigns of Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, in the S (ca. 931–913 B.C.) and Solomon’s servant, Jeroboam, in the N (ca. 931–910 B.C.) are discussed. See 2 Chr. 10:1–12:16.

12:1 Shechem. A city located in the hill country of northern Ephraim, 30 mi. N of Jerusalem. Shechem had a long and important history as a political and religious center (cf. Gen. 12:6; Josh. 8:30–35; 24:1–28, 32). all Israel. The representatives of the 10 northern tribes assembled to accept Rehoboam as king (cf. 2 Sam. 5:3).

12:2 heard it. Jeroboam, in Egypt (11:40), learned about the death of Solomon (11:43).

12:3 Jeroboam…spoke. The 10 northern tribes summoned Jeroboam from Egypt to become their representative and spokesman in their dealings with Rehoboam.

12:4 yoke. The hardships that resulted from Solomon’s policy of compulsory labor service (cf. 5:13; 9:22; 11:28) and excessive taxes (cf. 4:7) came because the splendor of his courts, the magnitude of his wealth, and the profits of his enterprises were not enough to sustain his demands.

12:6, 7 the elders. These were older, experienced counselors and administrators who had served Solomon. They counseled Rehoboam to give concessions to the 10 tribes.

12:8–10 the young men. The contemporaries of Rehoboam, about forty years of age (cf. 14:21), who were acquainted only with the royal court life of Solomon, recommended that Rehoboam be even harsher on the 10 tribes than was Solomon.

12:10 My little finger…my father’s waist. A proverbial manner of saying he was going to come at them with greater force than Solomon had exhibited (vv. 11–14).

12:15 from the LORD. God sovereignly used the foolishness of Rehoboam to fulfill Ahijah’s prophecy (11:29–39).

12:16 David. These words of Israel (v. 16) expressed deliberate, willful rebellion against the dynasty of David (cf. v. 19). Defiantly, the Israelites quoted the rallying cry used in Sheba’s failed rebellion against David (2 Sam. 20:1). The northern tribes declared that they had no legal tie with David and went their way.

12:17 the children of Israel. People from the northern tribes who had migrated S and settled in Judah.

12:18 Adoram. Sending the chief of taxation and forced labor (Adoniram in 4:6; 5:14) to negotiate with the northern tribes was foolish (cf. v. 4).

12:19 to this day. See note on 8:8.

12:20–24 The kingdom was divided at that point. Israel (the northern 10 tribes) had its own king.

12:21 the tribe of Benjamin. The tribe of Benjamin had split loyalty and land during the divided-kingdom era. According to v. 20, only the tribe of Judah remained completely loyal to the house of David, but in vv. 21, 23 it is said that Benjamin was associated with “all the house of Judah,” the emphasis being on the tribe of Judah. Certain towns of northern Benjamin, most notably Bethel (v. 29), were included in the northern kingdom. Simeon, the tribe originally given land in the southern section of Judah’s territory (Josh. 19:1–9), had apparently migrated N and was counted with the 10 northern tribes (cf. 1 Chr. 12:23–25; 2 Chr. 15:9; 34:6). Thus, the 10 northern tribes were Reuben, Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, and Ephraim. The southern kingdom was the tribe of Judah only. The 12th tribe, Benjamin, was split between the two kingdoms. The tribe of Levi, originally scattered throughout both kingdoms (Josh. 21:1–42), resided in Judah during the divided kingdom (see 2 Chr. 11:13–16).

12:22 the man of God. Cf. 17:24. A common OT expression designating a man with a message from God who would speak authoritatively on the Lord’s behalf (cf. Deut 33:1; 2 Tim. 3:17). See note on Deut. 33:1.

12:24 this thing is from Me. Through the prophet Shemaiah, the Lord commanded Rehoboam and his army not to invade Israel. God, in judgment, had ordained the N-S split (v. 15; 11:29–39), so to attack Israel was to oppose God Himself.

12:25 Shechem. Cf. v. 1. Jeroboam fortified the city of Shechem and made it into his royal residence. Cf. Judg. 9:1–47. Penuel. Jeroboam also fortified Penuel, a city about 10 mi. E of the Jordan River on the River Jabbok, asserting his sovereignty over the Israelites E of the Jordan.

12:26 return to the house of David. The Lord had ordained a political, not a religious, division of Solomon’s kingdom. The Lord had promised Jeroboam political control of the 10 northern tribes (11:31, 35, 37). However, Jeroboam was to religiously follow the Mosaic law, which demanded that he follow the Lord’s sacrificial system at the temple in Jerusalem (11:38). Having received the kingdom from God, he should have relied on divine protection, but he did not. Seeking to keep his subjects from being influenced by Rehoboam when they went to Jerusalem to worship, he set up worship in the north (vv. 27, 28).

12:28 two calves of gold. These two calves, probably made of wood overlaid with gold, were presented to Israel as pedestals on which the Lord supposedly sat or stood. He publicly presented them with the very words with which idolatrous Israel had welcomed Aaron’s golden calf. He repeated Aaron’s destructive sin of trying to make an earthly image of God. See note on Ex. 32:4.

12:29 Bethel…Dan. Bethel was located about 11 mi. N of Jerusalem within the territory of Benjamin (Josh. 18:11–13, 22). It lay at the southern end of Jeroboam’s kingdom on the main N-S road to Jerusalem. Israel had long revered Bethel as a sacred place because Jacob had worshiped there (Gen. 28:10–22; 35:1–15). Dan was located in the northernmost part of Jeroboam’s kingdom, about 25 mi. N of the Sea of Galilee. A paganized worship of the Lord was practiced at Dan during the period of the judges (Judg. 18:30, 31).

12:30 this thing became a sin. Jeroboam’s policy promoted gross and flagrant violation of the second commandment (Ex. 20:4–6) and led to violation of the first commandment (Ex. 20:3).

12:31 the high places. Jeroboam built minor sanctuaries on high places throughout the land of Israel. Over the centuries these high places became the breeding ground of Israel’s idolatrous apostasy (cf. Hos. 5:1). See note on 3:2. priests. Jeroboam appointed priests to run his sanctuaries from all his tribes. His action blatantly violated the stipulation that only Aaron’s descendants were to hold that office in Israel (Num. 3:10).

12:32 ordained a feast. Jeroboam instituted a religious festival to compete with the Feast of the Tabernacles held at the temple in Jerusalem and scheduled it for the 15th day of the 8th month (Oct./Nov.), exactly one month after its divinely ordained Judean counterpart (Ex. 34:22, 23; Lev. 23:33–36, 39, 40).

1 Kings 13

13:1 man of God. See note on 12:22.

13:2 Josiah. He ruled Judah about 300 years later ca. 640–609 B.C. (cf. 2 Kin. 22:1—23:30). sacrifice the priests of the high places. The prophet predicted that Josiah would slaughter the illegitimate priests of the high places of his day who made offerings on the altar at Bethel. This prophecy was realized in 2 Kin. 23:15–20, executing the divine judgment on the non-Levitical priesthood established by Jeroboam (12:31, 32).

13:3 sign. An immediate “wonder” that served to authenticate the reliability of the long-term prediction (cf. Deut. 18:21, 22), this sign came to pass in v. 5. the ashes on it shall be poured out. Proper ritual required the disposal of sacrificial ashes in a special “clean” place (Lev. 4:12; 6:10, 11). Contact with the ground would render the ashes “unclean” and nullify the procedure.

13:9 commanded me by the word of the LORD. The prophet’s divine commission expressly forbade receiving any hospitality at Bethel. It even required him to return home by a different route from the one by which he came, lest he should be recognized. The prophet’s own conduct was to symbolize the Lord’s total rejection of Israel’s false worship and the recognition that all the people had become apostates.

13:11 an old prophet. Here was a spokesman for the Lord who had compromised his ministry by his willingness to live at the very center of the false system of worship without speaking out against it.

13:18 He was lying to him. Why the old prophet deceived the man of God the text does not state. It may be that his own son’s were worshipers at Bethel or perhaps priests, and this man wanted to gain favor with the king by showing up the man of God as an imposter who acted contrary to his own claim to have heard from God. Accustomed to receiving direct revelations, the Judean prophet should have regarded the supposed angelic message with suspicion and sought divine verification of this revised order.

13:20 the word of the LORD. The lie arose from his own imagination (cf. Jer. 23:16; Ezek. 13:2, 7), but the true prophecy came from the Lord (cf. Ex. 4:16; Deut. 18:18; Jer. 1:9).

13:22 your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers. Israelites buried their dead with the bones of ancestors in a common grave (Judg. 8:32; 2 Sam. 2:32). The lack of such a burial was considered in Israel a severe punishment and disgrace. See note on Eccl. 6:3–6.

13:24 donkey…lion. Both the donkey and the lion acted unnaturally: The donkey did not run and the lion did not attack the donkey or disturb the man’s body. Unlike the disobedient prophet, the beasts bent their wills to God’s sovereignty.

13:32 will surely come to pass. The old prophet instructed his sons to bury him beside the Judean prophet (v. 31). The old prophet was finally willing to identify himself with the message that the man of God from Judah had given against worship at Bethel.

13:33 again he made priests. Unlike the old prophet, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but continued appointing priests outside the tribe of Levi to serve the high places (12:30–32).

1 Kings 14

14:1 At that time. Probably indicating a time shortly after the incident recorded in chap. 13. Abijah. Meaning “my father is the Lord,” Jeroboam’s son’s name implies that his father desired to be regarded as a worshiper of the Lord at the time of his son’s birth. Abijah was referred to as a “child” (vv. 3, 12, 17), a term which can be used from childhood through young adulthood. Of all of Jeroboam’s family, Abijah was the most responsive to the Lord (v. 13). Jeroboam’s son, Abijah, should not be confused with Rehoboam’s son of the same name (see note on 15:1–8).

14:2 disguise yourself. Probably for the avoidance of recognition by the people. Jeroboam did not want his subjects to know that he was consulting a prophet of the Lord. Shiloh. See note on 11:29.

14:3 take…ten loaves. A simple ordinary food gift added to the disguise (cf. 1 Sam. 9:7, 8; 2 Kin. 8:8). Ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey reflected the means of a common person, not royalty.

14:9 more evil. Jeroboam had not only failed to live up to the standard of David, but his wickedness had surpassed even that of Saul and Solomon. He had installed a paganized system of worship for the entire population of the northern kingdom (cf. 16:25, 30; 2 Kin. 21:11).

14:11 dogs…birds. The covenant curse of Deut. 28:26 was applied to Jeroboam’s male descendants.

14:13 the grave. See note on 13:22.

14:14 a king. I.e., Baasha (15:27–30).

14:15 Ahijah announced God’s stern judgment on Israel for joining Jeroboam’s apostasy. Struck by the Lord, Israel would sway like a reed in a rushing river, a biblical metaphor for political instability (cf. Matt. 11:7; Luke 7:24). One day, the Lord would uproot Israel from Palestinian soil and scatter it in exile E of the Euphrates. The fulfillment of this prophecy is recorded in 2 Kin. 17:23.

14:17 Tirzah. Jeroboam had apparently moved his capital from Shechem to Tirzah (cf. 12:25), located in the tribal region of Manasseh, about 7 mi. NE of Shechem and 35 mi. N of Jerusalem. Tirzah was famous for its beauty (Song 6:4).

14:20 twenty-two years. 931–910 B.C.

14:21 seventeen years. 931–913 B.C.

14:22–24 Judah outdid her ancestors in evil, provoking the Lord to jealous anger (v. 22). Signs of idolatrous practice were everywhere (vv. 23, 24). She even practiced sacred prostitution to promote fertility (v. 24). Judah had begun the downward slide toward doom that Israel was in.

14:25 fifth year. 927/926 B.C. Shishak. See note on 11:40.

14:27 bronze shields. These bronze shields replaced Solomon’s gold shields, which were used as a ransom paid to Shishak. The bronze shields illustrate the sharp decline from the reign of Solomon to Rehoboam.

14:30 war…all their days. Many border skirmishes erupted as the armies in the N/S maneuvered for tactical advantage and control of territory (14:19; 15:6). A major battle ultimately erupted during the reign of Abijam (cf. 2 Chr. 13:1–20).

1 Kings 15

15:1—16:22 Having documented the establishment of idolatry in both Israel and Judah (12:1–14:31), the text moves to a quick survey of the kings of Judah and Israel from 913 to 885 B.C. The author notes that the high places remained in Judah (15:14), and the sins of Jeroboam continued in Israel (15:26, 34; 16:13, 19).

15:1–8 Abijam. He was at first called Abijah in 2 Chr. 13:1, 2. Since Abijam means “father of the sea,” and Abijah, “my father is the LORD,” he may have had his name changed because of his sin. See notes on 2 Chr. 13:1–22.

15:2 three years. 913–911 B.C. Parts of years were considered as whole years in this reckoning (cf. v. 9).

15:3 his heart was not loyal. Cf. 11:4, where the same statement was made concerning Solomon. Cf. v. 14.

15:4 a lamp. See note on 11:36.

15:5 what was right in the eyes of the LORD. This commendation is frequently used in speaking of kings of Judah and means only that they did or did not do what was generally acceptable to God, e.g., v. 11.

15:7 war. See 14:30; 2 Chr. 13:1–20.

15:9–24 Asa. He was the first of the religiously good kings of Judah (cf. v. 11). See notes on 2 Chr. 14:1—16:14.

15:10 forty-one years. 911–870 B.C.

15:11–15 Asa did 4 good things: 1) he removed the “sacred” prostitutes (v. 12); 2) he rid the land of all the idols made by his predecessors (v. 12); 3) he removed the corrupt queen mother and burned the idol she had made; and 4) he placed “holy things,” items that he and his father had dedicated to the Lord, back in the temple (v. 15). Though he never engaged in idolatry, Asa’s failure was his toleration of “the high places” (v. 14).

15:13 obscene image. This term is derived from the verb “to shudder” (Job 9:6). “Horrible, repulsive thing” suggests a shocking, perhaps even a sexually explicit, idol. Asa removed his grandmother, Maacah, the official queen mother, because of her association with this idol. Brook Kidron. A seasonal river that ran through the Kidron Valley that marks the eastern boundary of Jerusalem.

15:16 Baasha. Asa, who ruled Judah (ca. 911–870 B.C.), enjoyed 10 years of peace after Jeroboam’s defeat by Abijam (2 Chr. 13:19, 20) until Baasha began attacking. See notes on 15:27—16:7; 2 Chr. 16:1–6.

15:17 Ramah. A strategic town in Benjamin, located about 5 mi. N of Jerusalem along the main N-S highway, built by Baasha, king of Israel, to effectively blockade the city of Jerusalem.

15:18 Ben-Hadad. Ben-Hadad I, the grandson of Hezion (probably Rezon; see note on 11:23–25, ca. 940–915 B.C.) and the son of Tabrimmon (ca. 912–890 B.C.). He was the powerful ruler of the Syrian kingdom (Aramea; see note on 10:29), centered in Damascus. The majority of historians think that Ben-Hadad reigned ca. 900–860 B.C. and was succeeded by a son or grandson, Ben-Hadad II, who ruled ca. 860–841 B.C. (cf. 20:34). Asa sent a sizable gift to influence Ben-Hadad I to break his treaty with Israel, enter instead a treaty with Judah, and invade Israel from the N.

15:20 Ijon…Naphtali. The army of Ben-Hadad I invaded Israel and took cities in the land N of the Sea of Galilee, a conquest giving Syria control of the trade routes to the Mediterranean coast and Israel’s fertile Jezreel Valley, and also making Syria a great military threat to Israel. Baasha gave up fortifying Ramah and went to live in Tirzah, the capital of the northern kingdom.

15:22 Geba…Mizpah. With the threat to Judah from Israel removed, Asa conscripted a Judean labor force to fortify Geba, about 6 mi. NE of Jerusalem, and Mizpah, about 7 mi. N of Jerusalem, using the very building material for those fortifications that Baasha had used at Ramah.

15:25 Nadab…two years. 910–909 B.C.

15:27—16:7 Baasha. See note on 15:16.

15:27 Gibbethon. This city, located about 32 mi. W of Jerusalem, within the territory of Dan, was given to the Levites (Josh. 19:44) but controlled by the Philistines, on whose border it lay.

15:29 he killed all the house of Jeroboam. Baasha, the northern king, in a vicious practice too common in the ancient Near East, annihilated all of Jeroboam’s family. This act fulfilled Ahijah’s prophecy against Jeroboam (cf. 14:9–11). However, Baasha went beyond the words of the prophecy, since 14:10 specified judgment only on every male, while Baasha killed all men, women, and children.

15:30 This epitaph for wicked Jeroboam of Israel follows through the history of the northern kingdom relentlessly as the standard of sin by which judgment fell on the successive kings (see 15:34; 16:2, 19, 31; 22:52; 2 Kin. 3:3; 10:29, 31; 13:2, 11; 14:24; 15:9, 18, 24, 28).

15:33 twenty-four years. 909–886 B.C.

1 Kings 16

16:1 Jehu the son of Hanani. Cf. v. 7. This Hanani may have been the prophet who warned Judah’s King Asa (2 Chr. 16:7–9). Jehu, like Ahijah before him (14:7–16), delivered the Lord’s message of judgment to the king of Israel. The pattern emerges in the book of Kings that the Lord used His prophets as a legitimate means by which to confront the sin of Israel’s kings.

16:2–4 Baasha had angered the Lord by following the sinful paths of Jeroboam. Appropriately, he faced the same humiliating judgment Jeroboam had (14:10, 11). Though he waded through slaughter to his throne, he owed it to the permission of God, by whom all kings reign. His judgment was that no long line of heirs would succeed him; instead, his family would be totally annihilated and their corpses shamefully scavenged by hungry dogs and birds.

16:8–14 Elah…two years. Ca. 886–885 B.C.

16:11 friends. I.e., “relatives able to redeem.” Cf. Ruth 2:1. Zimri not only killed Elah and his immediate sons, but all of the extended relatives of Baasha who could help his family.

16:15 seven days. Zimri’s reign (885 B.C.) was the shortest of any king of Israel. Gibbethon. See note on 15:27.

16:16 Omri. When the soldiers of Israel in the field heard of Elah’s death, they immediately acclaimed Omri, the commander of Israel’s army, as the new king.

16:21 Tibni. The death of Zimri (vv. 17, 18) automatically placed the kingdom in Omri’s hands. Half of the population including the army, sided with Omri, but the other half backed Tibni. Nothing further is known of Tibni, but he was strong enough to rival Omri for about 4 years (cf. v. 15 with v. 23).

16:21–28 Omri. Ruled the northern kingdom ca. 885–874 B.C.

16:23-2 Kin. 13:25 This section is strategic in the book(s) of Kings and contains over one third of the total narrative of the book(s). The coming of the dynasty of Omri to the kingship of Israel brought with it the introduction of Baal worship with official sanction in Israel (16:31, 32). Through intermarriage with the house of Omri, Baal worship penetrated into Judah and corrupted the line of David (2 Kin. 8:18, 27), initiating a gigantic struggle before Baalism was officially eradicated in both Israel and Judah (2 Kin. 9:14—12:21).

16:23 twelve years. Omri ruled 12 years (ca. 885–874 B.C.), from Asa’s 27th year (16:15) to Asa’s 38th year (v. 29). This notice of his beginning to reign in Asa’s 31st year must be a reference to his sole rule.

16:24 Samaria. The hill of Samaria, named after its owner, Shemer, was located 7 mi. NW of Shechem and stood 300 ft. high. Though ringed by other mountains, it stood by itself so that attackers had to charge uphill from every side. This new capital amounted to the northern equivalent of Jerusalem. Its central location gave Israelites easy access to it.

16:29—22:40 Ahab…twenty-two years. Ca. 874–853 B.C.; see notes on 2 Chr. 18:1–34.

16:30 evil…more than all who were before him. With Ahab, Israel’s spiritual decay reached its lowest point. He was even worse than his father, Omri, who was more wicked than all before him (v. 25). Ahab’s evil consisted of perpetuating all the sins of Jeroboam and promoting the worship of Baal in Israel (vv. 31, 32). Of all Israel’s kings, Ahab outraged the Lord most (v. 33).

16:31 Jezebel. The wretched wife of Ahab became symbolic of the evil of false religion (cf. Rev. 2:20). Ethbaal. His name meant “Baal is alive.” The father of Jezebel was the king of Phoenicia (including Tyre and Sidon) who had murdered his predecessor and, according to Josephus, was a priest of the gods Melqart and Astarte.

16:31, 32 Baal. Meaning “lord, husband, owner,” Baal was the predominant god in Canaanite religion. He was the storm god who provided the rain necessary for the fertility of the land. The worship of Baal was widespread among the Canaanites with many local manifestations under various other titles, the Tyrians calling him Baal Melqart. The worship of Baal had infiltrated Israel long before the time of Ahab (Judg. 2:11, 13; 3:7; 10:6, 10; 1 Sam. 12:10). However, Ahab gave it official sanction in Samaria through building a temple for Baal (see 2 Kin. 3:2). As David had captured Jerusalem and his son Solomon had built a temple for the Lord there, so Omri established Samaria and his son Ahab built a temple for Baal there.

16:34 Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. The re-fortification of Jericho was forbidden by God, who had supernaturally destroyed it. But Joshua predicted that a man and his sons would violate God’s restriction (see note on Josh. 6:26). Two of Hiel’s sons died when they sought to assist him to fortify the city (see marginal note).

1 Kings 17

17:1 Elijah. His name means “the LORD is God.” The prophet Elijah’s ministry corresponded to his name: He was sent by God to confront Baalism and to declare to Israel that the Lord was God and there was no other. Tishbite. Elijah lived in a town called Tishbe, E of the Jordan River in the vicinity of the Jabbok River. not be dew nor rain. The autumn and spring rains and summer dew were necessities for the crops of Israel. The Lord had threatened to withhold these from the Land if His people turned from Him to serve other gods (Lev. 26:18, 19; Deut. 11:16, 17; 28:23, 24). Elijah had prayed for the drought (cf. James 5:17) and God answered. It lasted 3 years and 6 months according to James (5:17). The drought proved that Baal, the god of the rains and fertility, was impotent before the Lord.

17:3 Brook Cherith. Probably this was a seasonal brook that flowed during the rainy season but dried up when the weather turned hot. It was located E of the Jordan River.

17:6 ravens brought. God’s supernatural provision, much like the manna and quail during Israel’s wilderness wanderings (Ex. 16:13–36).

17:9 Zarephath. A town on the Mediterranean coast about 7 mi. S of Sidon. Elijah was sent to live there, in a territory controlled by Ahab’s father-in-law, Ethbaal. In this way, he showed the power of God in the very area where the impotent Baal was worshiped, as He provided miraculously for the widow in the famine (vv. 10–16).

17:23 your son lives. Canaanite myths claimed that Baal could revive the dead, but here it was the Lord, not Baal, who gave back the boy’s life. This conclusively demonstrated that the Lord was the only true God and Elijah was His prophet (v. 24).

17:24 a man of God. See note on 12:22. A man of God has a true word from God.

1 Kings 18

18:1 third year. Cf. James 5:17.

18:2 famine. This was to give Ahab opportunity to repent. He was the cause of national judgment in the famine. If he repented, rain would come.

18:3 Obadiah. His name means “servant of the LORD.” He was the manager of Ahab’s royal palace and a devout worshiper of the Lord, who had demonstrated his devotion to the Lord by protecting 100 of the Lord’s prophets from death by Jezebel (vv. 4, 13) which had put him on tenuous ground with Ahab.

18:12 the Spirit of the LORD will carry you. The servant had been asked to tell Ahab that Elijah was present to speak with him (vv. 7, 18), but he was afraid because Ahab was seeking Elijah so intensely. Since Elijah had disappeared from sight earlier (17:5), Obadiah was afraid that the Holy Spirit would carry Elijah away again (cf. 2 Kin. 2:16) and the irrational Ahab would kill him for the false report of Elijah’s presence.

18:17 troubler. Such was one who brought misfortune on a community by breaking an oath or by making a foolish one (Josh. 6:18; 7:25).

18:18 Baals. These were the local idols of Baal (cf. Judg. 2:11). The prophet boldly told Ahab that the calamity of drought and famine was traceable directly to his and his family’s patronage and practice of idolatry.

18:19 Mount Carmel. The Carmel range of mountains, rising to 1,800 ft. at its highest point, extends about 30 mi. to the SE from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea into the S of the Jezreel Valley. A series of rounded peaks and valleys, it became a symbol of beauty and fruitfulness because of its lush tree cover (Song 7:5; Is. 35:2). It is not known at exactly what point along this ridge the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal took place. The queen cared for 850 false prophets who were associated with her.

18:21 falter between two opinions. Lit. “limp along on or between two twigs.” Israel had not totally rejected the Lord, but was seeking to combine worship of Him with the worship of Baal. The issue posed by Elijah was that Israel had to choose who was God, the Lord or Baal, and then serve God wholeheartedly. Rather than decide by his message, Elijah sought a visible sign from heaven.

18:24 the God who answers by fire. Since Baal’s followers believed that he controlled the thunder, lightning, and storms, and the Lord’s followers declared the same (Pss. 18:14; 29:3–9; 104:3), this would prove to be a fair test to show who was God.

18:27 mocked. The myths surrounding Baal portrayed him as musing on actions to take, fighting a war, traveling, and even dying and coming back to life. Elijah’s sarcastic advice to the prophets of Baal played on these beliefs.

18:28 the blood gushed out. Self-laceration was practiced to rouse a god’s pity and response in the ancient world, but was prohibited by the OT law (Lev. 19:28; Deut. 14:1).

18:29 no…no…no. This 3-fold declaration emphasized the complete lack of response on the part of Baal. The fact that there was no response indicated Baal’s impotence and non-existence (Jer. 10:5).

18:31 twelve stones. The 12 stones represented the 12 tribes, since this contest had significance for both Judah and Israel. Although the tribes had been divided into two nations, they were still one people in the Lord’s plans, with the same covenants and a single destiny.

18:32 two seahs. This was about 4 gal. or a third of a bu. of seed.

18:36 the evening sacrifice. This sacrifice was offered around 3:00 p.m. (Ex. 29:38–41; Num. 28:3–8).

18:40 Seize the prophets. Taking advantage of the excited feelings of the people over the manifestation of Jehovah as the true God, Elijah called on them to seize the priestly imposters and fill the river with their blood, the river that was dried up by their idolatry. Brook Kishon. This river, which drains the Jezreel Valley from E to the NW, was in the valley N of Mt. Carmel. executed them. The killing of the 450 prophets of Baal (18:19) fulfilled the law’s demands that false prophets be executed (Deut. 13:1–5) and that those embracing idolatry or inciting others to practice it were worthy of death (Deut. 13:13–18; 17:2–7). Further, these deaths were just retribution for Jezebel’s killing of the Lord’s prophets (vv. 4, 13).

18:41 eat and drink. Elijah instructed Ahab to celebrate the end of the drought.

18:42 bowed down. Elijah’s actions expressed his and Israel’s humble submission to God. Elijah prayed for rain this time (cf. 17:1; James 5:17) and God again answered (cf. James 5:18). Since the Lord’s curse was lifted, the rains would be coming.

18:45 Jezreel. A town located in the tribal allotment of Issachar at the eastern end of the Jezreel Valley, N of Mt. Gilboa, about 55 mi. N of Jerusalem. Jezreel was Ahab’s winter capital (see 21:1), situated between 15 to 25 mi. E of the Carmel Range.

18:46 ran ahead. It was customary in the ancient Near East for kings to have runners before their chariots. The prophet showed Ahab his loyalty by rendering to him that service. Empowered by God, Elijah ran on foot ahead of Ahab’s chariot the 15 to 25 mi. from Mt. Carmel to Jezreel.

1 Kings 19

19:3 he saw. His hope shattered, Elijah fled as a prophet, broken by Jezebel’s threats (v. 2), her unrepentant Baalism, and her continuing power over Israel. Elijah expected Jezebel to surrender; when she did not capitulate, he became a discouraged man (vv. 4, 10, 14). Beersheba. A city located 100 mi. S of Jezreel (18:45, 46) in the Negev, it marked the southern boundary of the population of Judah.

19:4 broom tree. A desert bush that grew to a height of 10 ft. It had slender branches featuring small leaves and fragrant blossoms. take my life. Since Israelites believed that suicide was an affront to the Lord, it was not an option, whatever the distress. So Elijah asked the Lord for death (cf. Jon. 4:3, 8) because he viewed the situation as hopeless. Job (Job 6:8, 9), Moses (Num. 11:10–15), and Jeremiah (Jer. 20:14–18) had also reacted in similar fashion during their ministries.

19:6 cake…and…water. As at Cherith and Zarephath (17:6, 19), God provided food and drink for Elijah in the midst of his distress and the surrounding famine.

19:8 forty days. Elijah’s trip took over double the time it should have taken. Therefore, the period had symbolic meaning as well as showing literal time. As the people of Israel had a notable spiritual failure and so wandered 40 years in the wilderness (Num. 14:26–35), so a discouraged Elijah was to spend 40 days in the desert. As Moses had spent 40 days on the mountain without bread and water, sustained only by God as he awaited a new phase of service (Ex. 34:28), so Elijah was to spend 40 days depending on God’s enablement as he prepared for a new commission from the Lord. As Moses had seen the presence of God (Ex. 33:12–23), so Elijah experienced a manifestation of God. Horeb. An alternate name for Mt. Sinai, located about 200 mi. S of Beersheba.

19:10, 14 Elijah viewed the Israelites as rebels against the Mosaic Covenant, a rebellion that his ministry had been unable to arrest (see v. 3). Paul used this incident as an illustration in Rom. 11:3.

19:11 the LORD passed by. The 3 phenomena, wind, earthquake, and fire, announced the imminent arrival of the Lord (cf. Ex. 19:16–19; Ps. 18:7–15; Hab. 3:3–6). The Lord’s self-revelation to Elijah came in a faint, whispering voice (v. 12). The lesson for Elijah was that Almighty God was quietly, sometimes imperceptibly, doing His work in Israel (v. 18).

19:15 the Wilderness of Damascus. The Syrian Desert S and E of the city of Damascus, the city located to the NE of Israel.

19:15–17 The Lord instructed Elijah to anoint Hazael of Syria (see 2 Kin. 8:8), Jehu (see 2 Kin. 9:2), and Elisha (v. 19) for the purpose of commissioning them to destroy Baal worship in Israel. Through these 3 men, the Lord completed the execution of Baal worshipers that Elijah had begun. Actually, Elijah commissioned only the last of these 3 men directly—the other two were indirectly commissioned through Elisha. Elisha was involved in Hazael’s becoming Syria’s king (2 Kin. 8:7–14), and one of Elisha’s associates anointed Jehu (2 Kin. 9:1–3). By the time the last of these men died (2 Kin. 13:24), Baalism had been officially barred from Israel.

19:16 Abel Meholah. The hometown of Elisha was located in the Jordan Valley, 10 mi. S of Beth-Shanon, in the tribal allotment of Manasseh.