What does Ahias promise Jeroboam, and what condition goes with it?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

He says the Lord will give Jeroboam ten tribes and make him king over Israel. If he listens to all the Lord commands, walks in his ways and keeps his commandments and precepts as David did, the Lord will be with him, build him a faithful house and deliver Israel to him.

Chapter breakdown

Solomon loves many foreign women besides Pharao’s daughter: women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon and the Hethites. The Lord had told Israel not to go in to those nations or let them come into theirs, warning that they would certainly turn their hearts to their gods. Solomon is joined to them with ardent love. He has seven hundred wives as queens and three hundred concubines, and they turn his heart away. In his old age his heart follows strange gods and is not perfect with the Lord as David his father’s was. He worships Astarthe, the Sidonians’ goddess, and Moloch, the Ammonites’ idol, doing what displeases the Lord and not fully following him as David did. He builds a temple for Chamos, Moab’s idol, on the hill opposite Jerusalem, and for Moloch, the children of Ammon’s idol. He does likewise for all his foreign wives, who burn incense and offer sacrifices to their gods.

The Lord is angry because Solomon’s mind has turned away from Israel’s God, who appeared to him twice and commanded him not to follow strange gods. Solomon has not kept that command. The Lord says that because he has done this and failed to keep the covenant and commanded precepts, he will divide and tear away his kingdom and give it to his servant. For David his father’s sake this will happen after Solomon’s days, out of his son’s hand. The whole kingdom will not be taken: one tribe will be given to his son for David the Lord’s servant’s sake and for chosen Jerusalem.

Challoner’s separate note explains one tribe as besides Juda, his own native tribe.

The Lord raises Adad, an Edomite of Edom’s royal line, as Solomon’s adversary. When David was in Edom, Joab the army’s general went to bury the slain and killed every male in Edom. He remained six months with all Israel until he had killed every male. Adad, then a little boy, fled toward Egypt with certain Edomites who served his father. They left Madian for Pharan, took men from Pharan and reached Egypt’s king Pharao. He gave Adad a house, food and land. Adad gained such favor that Pharao gave him the sister of his own wife, Queen Taphnes, in marriage. Taphnes’s sister bore Adad a son, Genubath. Taphnes raised him in Pharao’s house, and he lived among Pharao’s children.

Hearing in Egypt that David had died and Joab was dead, Adad asks Pharao to let him return to his country. Pharao asks what he lacks there that makes him want to leave. Adad answers that he lacks nothing, but still begs to go.

God also raises Razon, Eliada’s son, as an adversary. He has fled his master Adarezer, Soba’s king, and gathers men against him, becoming captain of robbers when David kills those of Soba. They go to Damascus, settle there and make him king there. He is Israel’s adversary throughout Solomon’s days. The account also speaks of Adad’s evil and hatred against Israel, and of reigning in Syria.

Jeroboam, Nabat’s son, an Ephrathite from Sareda and Solomon’s servant, rises against the king. His mother is Sarua, a widow. In explaining the rebellion, the account says Solomon built Mello and filled the breach in David his father’s city. Jeroboam is valiant and mighty. Seeing that the young man is ingenious and industrious, Solomon appoints him over the tributes of Joseph’s whole house.

When Jeroboam leaves Jerusalem, Ahias the Silonite prophet, wearing a new garment, meets him on the way; the two are alone in a field. Ahias divides his new garment into twelve parts and tells Jeroboam to take ten pieces. He declares the Lord’s word: he will tear the kingdom from Solomon’s hand and give Jeroboam ten tribes. One tribe remains for David his servant and Jerusalem, the city chosen from Israel’s tribes, because Solomon has forsaken him, worshipping Astarthe of Sidon, Chamos of Moab and Moloch of Ammon, and failing to walk in his ways, do justice and keep his precepts and judgments as David did. Solomon will remain prince all his life for chosen David’s sake, who kept the commandments and precepts. The kingdom will be taken from his son, with ten tribes given to Jeroboam. One is given to his son so a lamp remains for David always before the Lord in Jerusalem, chosen for his name.

The Lord’s word continues: he will take Jeroboam to reign over all his soul desires as Israel’s king. If Jeroboam listens to all he commands, walks in his ways, does right before him and keeps commandments and precepts as David did, he will be with him, build him a faithful house as he built David’s and deliver Israel to him. He will afflict David’s descendants for this, but not forever. Solomon seeks to kill Jeroboam, who flees to Egypt’s king Sesac and stays in Egypt until Solomon’s death.

The rest of Solomon’s words, deeds and wisdom are said to be written in the book of the words of the days of Solomon.

Challoner’s separate note says this book is lost, along with various other books mentioned in Scripture.

Solomon reigns in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. He dies and is buried in David his father’s city, and his son Roboam reigns in his place.

Challoner’s separate note explains slept as died and says Solomon was about fifty-eight years old, having reigned forty years.

The story inside

Solomon’s foreign wives turn his heart to gods the Lord had forbidden him to follow. His worship and building for them precede the Lord’s anger and sentence, which delays the kingdom’s division for David’s sake and preserves a tribe for his son. The chapter recounts Adad’s escape and family in Egypt, his request to leave, and Razon’s path to kingship in Damascus. Jeroboam’s position under Solomon is followed by Ahias’s torn garment and explanation of ten tribes, the retained lamp for David, and Jeroboam’s conditional faithful house. Solomon seeks to kill him and he stays in Egypt until Solomon dies. The closing verses name a written record, forty years of rule, burial and Roboam’s succession, with separate notes on the book and approximate age.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The judgment has explicit exceptions and timing. The Lord names Solomon’s broken covenant and precepts, but delays the tearing of the kingdom until his son’s time for David’s sake. One tribe is preserved for David and Jerusalem; Challoner separately explains it as besides Juda.
2
Adad’s request should remain distinct from an accomplished return. The chapter tells how he escaped, what Pharao gave him, whom he married, and who raised Genubath. After hearing of David and Joab’s deaths, he asks to go home and says he lacks nothing; no granted request or campaign is described here.
3
Ahias’s garment makes the number ten visible through ten pieces of twelve. The accompanying word explains Solomon’s conduct, the time of division and David’s remaining lamp. Jeroboam’s promised faithful house carries stated requirements, and David’s affliction is qualified as not forever.

Test your recall

Why is the kingdom’s division delayed beyond Solomon’s lifetime, and what conduct is required for Jeroboam’s promised faithful house?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 36140–36173
3 Kings Chapter 11 Solomon by means of his wives falleth into idolatry: God raiseth him adversaries, Adad, Razon, and Jeroboam: Solomon dieth. 11:1. And king Solomon loved many strange women, besides the daughter of Pharao, and women of Moab, and of Ammon, and of Edom, and of Sidon, and of the Hethites: 11:2. Of the nations concerning which the Lord said to the children of Israel: You shall not go in unto them, neither shall any of them come into yours: for they will most certainly turn away your hearts to follow their gods. And to these was Solomon joined with a most ardent love. 11:3. And he had seven hundred wives as queens, and three hundred concubines: and the women turned away his heart. 11:4. And when he was now old, his heart was turned away by women to follow strange gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David, his father. 11:5. But Solomon worshipped Astarthe, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Moloch, the idol of the Ammonites. 11:6. And Solomon did that which was not pleasing before the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as David, his father. 11:7. Then Solomon built a temple for Chamos, the idol of Moab, on the hill that is over against Jerusalem, and for Moloch, the idol of the children of Ammon. 11:8. And he did in this manner for all his wives that were strangers, who burnt incense, and offered sacrifice to their gods.
Lines 36175–36192
11:9. And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his mind was turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice; 11:10. And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not follow strange gods: but he kept not the things which the Lord commanded him. 11:11. The Lord therefore said to Solomon: Because thou hast done this, and hast not kept my covenant, and my precepts, which I have commanded thee, I will divide and rend thy kingdom, and will give it to thy servant. 11:12. Nevertheless, in thy days I will not do it, for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. 11:13. Neither will I take away the whole kingdom; but I will give one tribe to thy son, for the sake of David, my servant, and Jerusalem, which I have chosen.
Lines 36194–36194
One tribe.... Besides that of Juda, his own native tribe.
Lines 36196–36219
11:14. And the Lord raised up an adversary to Solomon, Adad, the Edomite, of the king’s seed, in Edom. 11:15. For when David was in Edom, and Joab, the general of the army, was gone up to bury them that were slain, and had killed every male in Edom, 11:16. (For Joab remained there six months with all Israel, till he had slain every male in Edom,) 11:17. Then Adad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants, with him, to go into Egypt: and Adad was then a little boy. 11:18. And they arose out of Madian, and came into Pharan, and they took men with them from Pharan, and went into Egypt, to Pharao, the king of Egypt: who gave him a house, and appointed him victuals, and assigned him land. 11:19. And Adad found great favour before Pharao, insomuch that he gave him to wife the own sister of his wife, Taphnes, the queen. 11:20. And the sister of Taphnes bore him his son, Genubath; and Taphnes brought him up in the house of Pharao: and Genubath dwelt with Pharao among his children.
Lines 36221–36227
11:21. And when Adad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab, the general of the army, was dead, he said to Pharao: Let me depart, that I may go to my own country. 11:22. And Pharao said to him: Why, what is wanting to thee with me, that thou seekest to go to thy own country? But he answered: Nothing; yet I beseech thee to let me go.
Lines 36229–36238
11:23. God also raised up against him an adversary, Razon, the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Adarezer, the king of Soba. 11:24. And he gathered men against him, and he became a captain of robbers, when David slew them of Soba: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt there, and they made him king in Damascus. 11:25. And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon: and this is the evil of Adad, and his hatred against Israel; and he reigned in Syria.
Lines 36240–36249
11:26. Jeroboam also, the son of Nabat, an Ephrathite, of Sareda, a servant of Solomon, whose mother was named Sarua, a widow woman, lifted up his hand against the king. 11:27. And this is the cause of his rebellion against him; for Solomon built Mello, and filled up the breach of the city of David, his father. 11:28. And Jeroboam was a valiant and mighty man: and Solomon seeing him a young man ingenious and industrious, made him chief over the tributes of all the house of Joseph.
Lines 36251–36281
11:29. So it came to pass at that time, that Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, and the prophet Ahias, the Silonite, clad with a new garment, found him in the way: and they two were alone in the field. 11:30. And Ahias taking his new garment, wherewith he was clad, divided it into twelve parts: 11:31. And he said to Jeroboam: Take to thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give thee ten tribes. 11:32. But one tribe shall remain to him for the sake of my servant, David, and Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel: 11:33. Because he hath forsaken me, and hath adored Astarthe, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Chamos, the god of Moab, and Moloch, the god of the children of Ammon: and hath not walked in my ways, to do justice before me, and to keep my precepts, and judgments, as did David, his father. 11:34. Yet I will not take away all the kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him prince all the days of his life, for David my servant’s sake, whom I chose, who kept my commandments, and my precepts. 11:35. But I will take away the kingdom out of his son’s hand, and will give thee ten tribes: 11:36. And to his son I will give one tribe, that there may remain a lamp for my servant, David, before me always in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen, that my name might be there.
Lines 36283–36297
11:37. And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign over all that thy soul desireth, and thou shalt be king over Israel. 11:38. If then thou wilt hearken to all that I shall command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do what is right before me, keeping my commandments and my precepts, as David, my servant, did: I will be with thee, and will build thee up a faithful house, as I built a house for David, and I will deliver Israel to thee: 11:39. And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but yet not for ever. 11:40. Solomon, therefore, sought to kill Jeroboam: but he arose, and fled into Egypt, to Sesac, the king of Egypt, and was in Egypt till the death of Solomon.
Lines 36299–36301
11:41. And the rest of the words of Solomon, and all that he did and his wisdom: behold they are all written in the book of the words of the days of Solomon.
Lines 36303–36304
The book of the words, etc.... This book is lost, with divers others mentioned in holy writ.
Lines 36306–36310
11:42. And the days that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem, over all Israel, were forty years. 11:43. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David, his father; and Roboam, his son, reigned in his stead.
Lines 36312–36313
Solomon slept, etc.... That is, died. He was then about fifty-eight years of age, having reigned forty years.