I Kings 1:40 · Bible study
1 Kings 1:40 Commentary: Joy That Splits the Earth
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Scholarly study of 1 Kings 1:40, Solomon’s coronation joy. Hyperbole or literal splitting? Text, context, and theological meaning.
Research Summary
- Meaning: At Solomon’s coronation, the crowd’s joyful noise is described with deliberate hyperbole: the earth seemed to split open.
- Key words: ‘alah (go up, ascend), baqa‘ (split, cleave), chalil (flute/pipe), simchah (joy).
- Main debate: Whether “the earth rent” is hyperbole for a loud sound or a literal miracle; a minority propose a textual variant meaning “resounded.”
- Theological theme: God’s faithfulness to the Davidic covenant, publicly acknowledged by a united people.
- Best use: A narrative text that illustrates how God’s sovereign choice of a leader is met with popular joy, and how Scripture uses vivid language to convey the weight of a moment.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
All the people followed him, playing flutes and rejoicing with such a great joy that the earth was split by the sound.
WEB World English Bible 2000
All the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth shook with their sound.
KJV King James Version 1769
And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And all the people come up after him, and the people are piping with pipes, and rejoicing--great joy, and the earth rendeth with their voice.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And all the multitude went up after him, and the people played with pipes, and rejoiced with a great joy, and the earth rang with the noise of their cry.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Después subió todo el pueblo en pos de él, y cantaba la gente con flautas, y hacían grandes alegrías, que parecía que la tierra se hundía con el clamor de ellos.
Depois subiu todo o povo depois dele, e cantava a gente com flautas, e faziam grandes alegrias, que parecia que a terra se fendia com o barulho deles.
Tout le peuple monta après lui, et le peuple jouait de la flûte et se livrait à une grande joie; la terre s’ ébranlait par leurs cris.
Und alles Volk zog ihm nach herauf, und das Volk pfiff mit Flöten und war sehr fröhlich, daß die Erde von ihrem Geschrei erscholl.
En al het volk kwam op achter hem, en het volk pijpte met pijpen, en verblijdde zich met grote blijdschap, zodat de aarde van hun geluid spleet.
E tutto il popolo risalì al suo séguito sonando flauti e abbandonandosi a una gran gioia, si che la terra rimbombava delle loro grida.
I szedł wszystek lud za nim. Tenże lud grał na piszczałkach, weseląc się weselem wielkiem, tak iż drżała ziemia od głosu ich.
И весь народ провожал Соломона, и играл народ на свирелях, и весьма радовался, так что земля расседалась от криков его.
眾 民 跟隨他 上來， 且吹 笛，大大 歡 呼，聲音 震 地。
And all the people came up after him, piping with pipes, and they were glad with great joy, so that the earth was shaking with the sound.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Kings 1:40
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree the verse describes an eruption of popular joy at Solomon’s anointing. The crowd followed him up from Gihon to the city of David, playing flutes and shouting with such force that the ground seemed to split. Barnes, Gill, and Keil-Delitzsch call the phrase “the earth rent” a deliberate hyperbole, an ancient Near Eastern way of saying the noise was overwhelming. Clarke notes a similar English expression: “They rent the air with their cries.” The Hebrew verb baqa‘ (to cleave, split open) is taken figuratively; no commentator argues for a literal geological event. Some, like the Cambridge Bible and Barnes, observe that the Septuagint reads “was broken asunder” (ἐῤῥάγη) and the Vulgate has “resounded,” suggesting the original text may have meant “resounded” rather than “split,” but the majority read the MT as hyperbole. Across traditions, Reformed, Wesleyan, Baptist, Anglican, the consensus stands: the language magnifies the spontaneous, unanimous joy of a people whose new king has ended a succession crisis and brought hope of stability.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The text emphasizes overwhelming, public joy that expressed itself audibly and physically at the inauguration of God’s chosen king.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Earth splitting or resounding? | The sound was extraordinarily loud and the joy was immense. | Most read the Hebrew verb <em>baqa‘</em> as hyperbole (split); some, following the Vulgate and a possible textual emendation, argue the original meant 'resounded.' Both sides find the image intense. |
| Pipes or dances? | The people expressed joy through music and movement. | The MT says 'piped with pipes'; the LXX reads 'danced in dances.' Josephus tries to combine both. The difference affects how we imagine the scene, not its meaning. |
| Role of popular acclamation | The crowd openly endorsed Solomon as king. | Some see this as a democratic element, others as ceremonial confirmation of a divine decision already made. Both views affirm that God’s choice and the people’s joy are not opposed. |
Historical & Cultural Context
First Kings 1 opens with King David bedridden and aged. One of his sons, Adonijah, had declared himself king without David’s knowledge, a move that threatened civil war. But the old king acted decisively. He ordered Solomon, his chosen successor, to be anointed at the Gihon spring, a water source just east of Jerusalem. Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the military commander led the procession. Solomon rode on David’s own mule, a public symbol of royal authority.
After the anointing, the crowd “came up” from Gihon to the royal citadel on Mount Zion. The Hebrew verb ‘alah (to ascend) reflects the geography: Gihon lay in the Kidron Valley, and the city sat on the ridge above. As they climbed, the people played chalilim, flutes or pipes made of reed or bone, instruments used at festivals (1 Samuel 10:5) and in prophetic bands. The music was joined by trumpets (verse 39) and the people’s own shouts.
The joy was more than celebration. It was relief. David’s clear appointment ended the uncertainty that Adonijah’s usurpation had created. The public acclamation, “Long live King Solomon!”, was both a political endorsement and a religious affirmation. In Israel, the king was Yahweh’s anointed, and the people’s rejoicing acknowledged God’s choice. The scene mirrors earlier coronations: Saul at Gilgal (1 Samuel 11:15) and David at Hebron (1 Chronicles 12:38, 40). Each time, joy marked the moment when God’s people united under the king He had given them.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note no significant textual variants for the verse as a whole. The verb baqa‘ (to split) is secure in the MT. The LXX renders it ἐῤῥάγη (“was broken asunder”), which supports the sense of violent splitting. The Vulgate has insonuit (“resounded”), which may reflect a slightly different Hebrew Vorlage or a translator’s interpretative choice. Some scholars (cited in Barnes and Cambridge Bible) suggest a change of one letter to read raqash (“resound”) instead of baqa‘, but the consensus holds the MT as the better reading, with hyperbole intended.
Reception History
Christian interpreters have long read this verse as a picture of the joy that accompanies God’s appointed king. Matthew Henry contrasts the celebration with Adonijah’s self-indulgent feast, noting that true joy flows from God’s order, not human ambition. John Wesley saw here a model of public thanksgiving when God resolves a crisis. In the broader tradition, the verse has been connected to Zechariah 9:9, the coming of a humble king riding on a donkey, and applied typologically to Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, where the people also shouted with joy. The image of the earth splitting under the sound of acclaim appears in later hymns that speak of “shouts of joy” that “rend the sky,” though such language is poetic, not exegetical.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Right King: Solomon’s coronation was God’s plan through David. The people followed the right leader, not a usurper.
- The Right Response: Joy expressed through music, shouting, and such noise that the earth seemed to split. The people poured out their hearts.
- The Right Result: Unity and peace. The celebration signaled the end of a crisis and the beginning of a reign that would bring wisdom and prosperity.
Five-point outline
- Crisis behind the celebration. David’s age, Adonijah’s ambition, and the risk of civil war set the stage. The joy was hard-won.
- Authority properly transferred. David’s order, the anointing, and the public procession show a legitimate succession. God works through orderly means.
- The voice of the people. Their acclamation was not the source of authority but its joyful recognition. They shouted because they knew God’s choice was good.
- Music as the language of joy. Pipes, trumpets, and shouting, the full range of human expression was used to celebrate God’s faithfulness.
- Hyperbole that speaks truth. The earth did not literally split, but the description is truer than a dry factual report. The joy was earth-shattering.
Illustration hooks
- Crowd noise at a championship game: The roar of a stadium when the home team wins, the ground seems to shake. That is a faint echo of the joy at Solomon’s coronation.
- A church that cannot stop singing: After a time of division, a congregation unites in a hymn so full-throated that visitors feel the floor vibrate.
- Uncontainable good news: When a person hears that a loved one is safe after an accident, their shouts of relief fill the room. The news is too big for quiet whispers.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Did the earth literally split in two? Most commentators see hyperbole. But the poetic truth is that the joy was so intense it felt like the ground was breaking apart.
- What does this celebration say about God’s choice of Solomon? It shows God’s sovereign plan was publicly confirmed. The people did not choose him; they accepted the one God had given through David.
- How should we respond when God sets a leader over us? With gratitude and joy, even when the leader is not perfect. The joy is in the God who provides order and hope, not in the leader himself.
Leading a Discussion
This verse captures the climax of a tense political drama. A dying king, a usurper’s feast, and then, suddenly, a public coronation that unleashes a wave of joy so powerful that the ground seems to split. As you discuss, pay attention to what the people do and why. Their response is not forced. It flows from the relief of a crisis resolved and the hope of a good reign under God’s anointed.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What do you see happening in verse 40? List every action: coming up, piping, rejoicing, the earth splitting.
- Observation: Compare this verse to verse 41, where Adonijah and his guests hear the noise. What contrast does the author draw?
- Interpretation: Why do you think the people reacted with such intense joy? What factors, political, spiritual, social, contributed?
- Interpretation: The phrase “the earth rent” is clearly hyperbolic. What is the author trying to communicate by using such strong language?
- Interpretation: Look at 1 Samuel 11:15 and 1 Chronicles 12:38-40. How do other coronation scenes in the Old Testament describe the people’s response? What is similar?
- Application: When have you experienced or witnessed a celebration that felt “earth-shaking”? What made it so powerful?
- Application: How can we cultivate a spirit of genuine rejoicing when God brings resolution or provides leadership, even in our own church or community?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 11:15 | All the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before Yahweh in Gilgal. There they offered sacrifices of peace offerings before Yahweh; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. |
| II Kings 11:14 | and she looked, and behold, the king stood by the pillar, as the tradition was, with the captains and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!” |
| II Kings 11:20 | So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. They had slain Athaliah with the sword at the king’s house. |
| I Chronicles 12:38 | All these were men of war who could order the battle array, and came with a perfect heart to Hebron to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king. |
| I Chronicles 12:40 | Moreover those who were near to them, as far as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, brought bread on donkeys, on camels, on mules, and on oxen: supplies of flour, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep in abundance; for there was joy in Israel. |
| Psalms 97:1 | Yahweh reigns! Let the earth rejoice! Let the multitude of islands be glad! |
| Daniel 3:5 | that whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. |
| Zechariah 9:9 | Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the people celebrated with dancing, singing, and playing whatever instruments they had. He then explains that the phrase "the earth rent" is a vivid figure of speech, much like the English expression "they rent the air with their cries," meaning their shouts were extremely loud.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes defends the reading "piped with pipes" against the proposed "danced with dances," noting that flutepipes were well known in ancient Israel. He then suggests that the phrase "the earth rent" may be either strong Oriental hyperbole or a slight corruption of the original text.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible School notes textual ambiguity in the Hebrew: one phrase could mean “piped with pipes” or “danced in dances.” It points out that Josephus tried to combine both readings, and the verb for “rent” was understood variously by the Septuagint, Vulgate, and Josephus as either splitting apart or simply resounding.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The note highlights the unrestrained, public joy of the people as they followed him. Their piping and rejoicing was so loud that the very earth echoed, showing the celebration was not quiet or private but a sweeping, audible display of popular support.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill explains that the pipes were hollow instruments played by mouth and fingers, a description he supports by citing the Jewish commentator Jarchi. He interprets the dramatic image of the earth splitting with sound as hyperbole, meant to convey the immense size of the crowd and the thunderous volume of their joyful shouts.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown note that the phrase "all the people came up after him" describes a physical ascent: the crowd moved from the lower valley up to the fortified citadel of Zion. This clarifies the precise geographical movement rather than a mere following.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch point out that the description of the earth nearly splitting from the people's shouting is deliberate hyperbole. The Hebrew verb they use means "to burst in pieces," but here it is a vivid exaggeration for the ground shaking under the noise of the crowd.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that Abishag was not David's concubine but a medical attendant prescribed by physicians to restore his lost natural warmth. He stresses that the text explicitly says David did not know her, and any scandal comes from the general lack of chastity in that era, not from David personally.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that David acted decisively to crush Adonijah's rebellion before it gained ground. He deliberately chose Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah — trusted men whom Adonijah had snubbed — to carry out the anointing and proclaim Solomon king.