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and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded.
1 Kings 11:10 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he didn’t keep that which Yahweh commanded.
  • KJV And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.
  • BSB Although He had warned Solomon explicitly not to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command.
  • NASB and had commanded him regarding this thing, that he was not to follow other gods; but he did not comply with what the Lord had commanded.
  • NLT He had warned Solomon specifically about worshiping other gods, but Solomon did not listen to the Lord’s command.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

God had specifically commanded Solomon not to follow other gods, but he did not keep that command. It stresses that his sin was direct disobedience to a clear word.

Overview

The LORD had explicitly charged Solomon on this very matter, leaving him without excuse. His failure to keep God's command was a knowing breach of covenant. The verse highlights that Solomon's downfall was not a subtle error but plain disobedience against a clear and personal instruction, reinforcing that sin's essence is the refusal to heed what God has plainly said.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 3

  • 1 Kgs 6:12–13“Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in my statutes, and execute my ordinances, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father.
  • 1 Kgs 9:4–7As for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep my statutes and my ordinances;
  • 2 Chr 7:17–22“As for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep my statutes and my ordinances;

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 Kings videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 Kings 11:10YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 KingsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.

How 1 Kings 11:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.