I Kings 11:27
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and this is the account of his rebellion against the king. Solomon had built the supporting terraces and repaired the gap in the wall of the city of his father David.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
This chapter begins with as melancholy a "but" as almost any we find in all the Bible. Hitherto we have read nothing of Solomon but what was great and good; but the lustre both of his goodness and of his greatness is here sullied and eclipsed, and his sun sets under a cloud. I. The glory of his piety is stained by his departure from God and his duty, in his latter days, marrying strange wives and worshipping strange gods (Kg1 11:4-8). II. The glory of his prosperity is stained by God's displeasure against him and the fruits of that displeasure. 1. He sent him an angry message (Kg1 11:9-13). 2. He stirred up enemies, who gave him disturbance, Hadad (Kg1 11:14-22), Rezon (Kg1 11:23-25). 3. He gave away ten tribes of his twelve, from his posterity after him, to Jeroboam, whom therefore he sought in vain to slay (Kg1 11:26-40), and this is all that remains here to be told concerning Solomon, except his death and burial (Kg1 11:41-43), for there is nothing perfect under the sun, but all is so above the sun.
Open source ↗11:27-28 Solomon noted the work ethic of Jeroboam during the repair of the city’s structures and put him in charge. Jeroboam’s status among the laborers may have made him aware of brewing discontent in northern sections of Solomon’s kingdom. Jeroboam showed leadership on this occasion, as well as during the empire’s division and reorganization of the northern tribes (12:12-19, 25-33). Unfortunately, he did not always use his abilities wisely and later proved unfaithful to the Lord (12:25–13:10; 14:14-16; 2 Kgs 17:21-23).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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As soon as Pharaoh’s daughter had come up from the City of David to the palace that Solomon had built for her, he built the supporting terraces.
This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon imposed to build the house of the LORD, his own palace, the supporting terraces, and the wall of Jerusalem, as well as Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
When Sanballat and Tobiah, together with the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they were furious,
If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth.
O LORD, Your hand is upraised, but they do not see it. They will see Your zeal for Your people and be put to shame. The fire set for Your enemies will consume them!
“In that day I will restore the fallen tent of David. I will repair its gaps, restore its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old,
You saw that there were many breaches in the walls of the City of David. You collected water from the lower pool.
You did not go up to the gaps or restore the wall around the house of Israel so that it would stand in the battle on the Day of the LORD.
That is not the case. But a man named Sheba son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him alone, and I will depart from the city.” “Look,” the woman replied, “his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”
You have shaken the land and torn it open. Heal its fractures, for it is quaking.