Now the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,
- KJV And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
- BSB Now the LORD grew angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.
- NKJV So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,
- NLT The Lord was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.
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
The LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away, though God had appeared to him twice. The personal nature of God's prior revelation made the sin graver.
Overview
God's anger is just, intensified by the fact that He had graciously appeared to Solomon twice (at Gibeon and after the temple's dedication) with promises and warnings. Solomon had received more than most yet turned away. To whom much is given, much is required, and this verse shows that great privilege and revelation make later unfaithfulness all the more serious in God's sight.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- 1 Kgs 3:5In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for what I should give you.”
- 1 Kgs 9:2Yahweh appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon.
- Deut 3:26But Yahweh was angry with me for your sakes, and didn’t listen to me. Yahweh said to me, “Let this satisfy you. Speak no more to me of this matter.
- 2 Sam 6:7Yahweh’s anger burned against Uzzah; and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by God’s ark.
- Deut 9:8Also in Horeb you provoked Yahweh to wrath, and Yahweh was angry with you to destroy you.
- Num 12:9Yahweh’s anger burned against them; and he departed.
- Deut 7:4For he will turn away your son from following me, that they may serve other gods. So Yahweh’s anger would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly.
- Exod 4:14Yahweh’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he comes out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
- Deut 9:20Yahweh was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him. I prayed for Aaron also at the same time.
- Ps 90:7–8For we are consumed in your anger. We are troubled in your wrath.
- Ps 78:58–60For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their engraved images.
- Hos 4:11Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away understanding.
- 1 Kgs 11:2–4of the nations concerning which Yahweh 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.
- 2 Tim 4:10for Demas left me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
- 1 Chr 21:7God was displeased with this thing; therefore he struck Israel.
- Prov 4:23Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
- 2 Sam 11:27When the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased Yahweh.
- Isa 29:13–14The Lord said, “Because this people draws near with their mouth and with their lips to honor me, but they have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which has been taught;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 11:9 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
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