Solomon's Idolatry

King Solomon loved many foreign women including the daughter of Pharaoh, and women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites (1 Kings 11:1). When Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect with the Lord as was the heart of David his father (1 Kings 11:4). He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. He built a high place for Chemosh in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech (1 Kings 11:7). Consequently, the Lord was angry with Solomon and stated he would rend the kingdom from him and give it to his servant, though for David's sake it would not happen in Solomon's days.

The Lord stirred up adversaries against Solomon. Hadad the Edomite, who was of the king's seed in Edom, returned from Egypt where he had found favor with Pharaoh (1 Kings 11:14-22). Another adversary was Rezon the son of Eliadah, who reigned in Damascus and abhorred Israel. Additionally, Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda and Solomon's servant, lifted up his hand against the king (1 Kings 11:26). Solomon had previously made Jeroboam ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph because he saw the young man was industrious.

While Jeroboam was leaving Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the way. Ahijah was clad with a new garment, and the text does not say who else was present (1 Kings 11:29). Ahijah caught the new garment and rent it into twelve pieces. He told Jeroboam to take ten pieces, for the Lord intended to give ten tribes to Jeroboam while leaving one tribe for Solomon's son. Because Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam, the text states Jeroboam fled into Egypt unto Shishak king of Egypt and remained there until the death of Solomon (1 Kings 11:40).