1 Kings 11:28

_AND THE MAN JEROBOAM WAS A MIGHTY MAN OF VALOUR: AND SOLOMON SEEING THE YOUNG MAN THAT HE WAS INDUSTRIOUS, HE MADE HIM RULER OVER ALL THE CHARGE OF THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH._ And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour х_ GIBOWR_ (H1368) _ CHAAYIL_ (H2428)] - mighty, in power, as of Nimrod (Genesis 10:8), in wealth, as of Boaz, Kish, and other Israelites (Ruth 2:1; 1 Samuel 9:1; 2 Kings 15:20). But in this passage it is used metaphorically of strong mental capability, active, enterprising [Septuagint, aneer ergoon]. And Solomon

26-40 In telling the reason why God rent the kingdom from the house of Solomon, Ahijah warned Jeroboam to take heed of sinning away his preferment. Yet the house of David must be supported; out of it the Messiah would arise. Solomon sought to kill his successor. Had not he taught others, that whatever devices are in men's hearts, the counsel of the Lord shall stand? Yet he himself thinks to defeat that counsel. Jeroboam withdrew into Egypt, and was content to live in exile and obscurity for awhile, being sure of a kingdom at last. Shall not we be content, who have a better kingdom in reserve?...

A MIGHTY MAN OF VALOR - Here “a man of strength and activity.” It is a vague term of commendation, the exact force of which must be fixed by the context. See Ruth 2:1; 1 Samuel 9:1, etc. Solomon made Jeroboam superintendent of all the forced labor (“the charge”) exacted from his tribe - the tribe of Ephraim - during the time that he was building Millo and fortifying the city of Jerusalem 1 Kings 9:15....

EXPOSITION SOLOMON'S ADVERSARIES.—As the historian has collected together in 1 Kings 6:1; 1 Kings 7:1; 1 Kings 8:1, all the information he can convey respecting the _temple, _and in 1 Kings 9:1; 1 Kings 10:1. all the scattered notices respecting Solomon's _power _and _greatness, _so here he arranges in one section the history of Solomon's _adversaries_._ _It must not be supposed that the following records stand in due chronological order. The enmities here mentioned did no

AND THE MAN JEROBOAM WAS A MIGHTY MAN OF VALOUR,.... A man of great strength of body, and fortitude of mind: AND SOLOMON SEEING THE YOUNG MAN THAT HE WAS INDUSTRIOUS; in what he was set about in the above buildings and repairs: HE MADE HIM RULER OVER ALL THE CHARGE OF THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH; the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, to be a prince or a deputy governor of them; or rather to collect the king's tax from them, or the revenues of that part of the country, see Proverbs 22:29....

7. SOLOMON'S FAILURE: JUDGMENT ANNOUNCED AND THE BEGINNING OF DISRUPTION CHAPTER 11 _ 1. Solomon's polygamy and departure from God (1 Kings 11:1)_ 2. Hadad the Edomite (1 Kings 11:14) 3. Rezon the second adversary (1 Kings 11:23) 4. Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:26) 5. Solomon's reign and death (1 Kings 11:41) “But--.” An ominous word with which this chapter begins. It introduces us to the sad picture of Solomon's great apostasy. “He shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people

SIN OF SOLOMON, AND THE ADVERSARIES RAISED UP IN CONSEQUENCE. From various differences in the arrangement of the earlier verses in the LXX and Heb., it has been supposed that in its original form the narrative merely recorded the fact that Solomon had a number of wives, and that he built sanctuaries and offered sacrifice to their gods. In its present form the influence of a Deuteronomic editor is unmistakable. But the account of Solomon's adversaries (1 Kings 11:14 ff.) must be derived from an earlier source; and even as it stands does not necessarily mean that they were raised up in punishment of his sin. Hadad, the Edomite (1 Kings 11:14) must have troubled him early in his reign (1 Kings 11:21 f.), and Rezon wa

MADE HIM RULER. gave him oversight, which gave him opportunity to oppress and create disaffection....

_and Solomon seeing_ The verb is finite, therefore render (with R.V.) SAW. _was industrious_ Literally -did work." _he made him ruler over all the charge of_, &c. Better (with R.V., AND HE GAVE HIM CHARGE OVER ALL THE LABOUR (_Heb_. burden) _of the house of Joseph_, i.e. the tribe of Ephraim. The labour here spoken of is that compulsory work, which the Israelites did by turns for parts of the year, and which the tributary subject-population were constantly employed upon. It is not difficult to conceive circumstances under which such duty might become very distasteful to the northern section of the kingdom. For between them and the people of Judah there was a pronounced opposition even in David's time. And the compulsory labour on the walls of Jerusalem was just the sort of occupation to aggravate this old enmity. Jeroboam saw this and took advantage of it....

D. THE REBELLION OF JEROBOAM 11:26-40 TRANSLATION (26) And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow, even he raised up a hand against the king. (27) And this is the circumstance which caused him to raise up a hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and closed the breach of the city of David his father. (28) And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. And Solomon saw the young man that he was industrious, and he appointed him over all the charge of the house of Joseph. (29) And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out from Jerusalem, that Ahijah the Shilonite, the prophet, who had clothed himself with a new garment, found him in the way; and the two of them were alone in the field. (30) And Ahijah took hold of the new garment which was upon him, and tore it into twelve pieces. (31) And he said to Jer...