I Kings 11:40 · Bible study
1 Kings 11:40 Commentary: God's Sovereignty in Jeroboam's Flight
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did Solomon try to kill Jeroboam, and how did his flight to Egypt fulfill God's unstoppable plan?
Research Summary
- Meaning: Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam to prevent the fulfillment of Ahijah's prophecy, but Jeroboam escaped to Egypt and stayed there until Solomon's death, ensuring God's plan unfolded as promised.
- Key words: ba.qash (seek earnestly), mut (put to death), ba.rach (flee), Shishak (Sheshonk I, first named Egyptian king in Scripture), ad mot Shelomoh (until the death of Solomon).
- Main debate: No significant debate on meaning; older commentators equated Shishak with Sesostris, but modern scholarship identifies him with Sheshonk I of the 22nd Dynasty.
- Theological theme: God's sovereignty over human opposition, neither a king's sword nor a long delay can thwart His promises.
- Best use: Preaching on waiting for God's timing; teaching on how God uses even hostile nations to protect His servants; studying the transition from Solomon's reign to the divided kingdom.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, where he remained until the death of Solomon.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Therefore Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
KJV King James Version 1769
Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam; but Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And Solomon seeketh to put Jeroboam to death, and Jeroboam riseth and fleeth to Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and he is in Egypt till the death of Solomon.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam; and Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt; and he was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
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.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Procuró por tanto Salomón de matar á Jeroboam, pero levantándose Jeroboam, huyó á Egipto, á Sisac rey de Egipto, y estuvo en Egipto hasta la muerte de Salomón.
Procurou, portanto, Salomão de matar a Jeroboão, mas levantando-se Jeroboão, fugiu ao Egito, a Sisaque rei do Egito, e esteve em Egito até a morte de Salomão.
Salomon chercha à faire mourir Jéroboam. Et Jéroboam se leva et s’ enfuit en Égypte auprès de Schischak, roi d’ Égypte; il demeura en Égypte jusqu’ à la mort de Salomon.
Salomo aber trachtete, Jerobeam zu töten. Da machte sich Jerobeam auf und floh nach Ägypten zu Sisak, dem König in Ägypten, und blieb in Ägypten, bis daß Salomo starb.
Daarom zocht Salomo Jerobeam te doden; maar Jerobeam maakte zich op, en vlood in Egypte, tot Sisak, den koning van Egypte, en was in Egypte, totdat Salomo stierf.
Perciò Salomone cercò di far morire Geroboamo; ma questi si levò e fuggì in Egitto presso Scishak, re d’Egitto, e rimase in Egitto fino alla morte di Salomone.
Przetoż Salomon chciał zabić Jaroboama; ale wstawszy Jeroboam uciekł do Egiptu, do Sesaka, króla Egipskiego, i był w Egipcie aż do śmierci Salomonowej.
Соломон же хотел умертвить Иеровоама; но Иеровоам встал и убежал в Египет к Сусакиму, царю Египетскому, и жил в Египте до смерти Соломоновой.
所羅門 因此想要 殺 耶羅波安。耶羅波安 卻起身 逃往 埃及；到了 埃及 王 示撒那裡，就住 在埃及，直到 所羅門 死了。
And Solomon was looking for a chance to put Jeroboam to death; but he went in flight to Egypt, to Shishak, king of Egypt, and was in Egypt till the death of Solomon.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Kings 11:40
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Solomon's attempt to kill Jeroboam was a direct response to the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite (1 Kings 11:29, 39). The announcement that Jeroboam would rule ten tribes, combined with Jeroboam's own aspirations and the rebellion he led (1 Ki 11:26, 27), reached the king's ears. Cambridge Bible notes that such news would make any monarch anxious to remove a rival with divine backing. Gill's Exposition goes further: Solomon was trying to 'detest the counsel of God', an act of folly for someone who knew the Lord had already decreed the kingdom would be given to his servant. Barnes adds that Jeroboam's rebellion proved 'premature,' as Solomon's power was still too strong to be shaken. All agree that Jeroboam's flight to Shishak king of Egypt, the first Egyptian monarch named individually in Scripture, was a natural refuge, and that he remained there until Solomon's death, exactly as God's plan required. The consensus is summed up by Lange: this series of events shows a 'special act of divine retributive justice,' with God stirring up adversaries to accomplish His purpose.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but God's prophetic word through Ahijah was not thwarted; Jeroboam found refuge in Egypt and returned after Solomon's death.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Why Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam | All commentators agree that Solomon's attempt was a direct response to Ahijah's prophecy and Jeroboam's rebellion, motivated by fear of losing power. | No substantive debate; some (Gill) emphasize Solomon's folly in opposing God's counsel, while others (Barnes) focus on the political rivalry between Ephraim and Judah. |
| Identification of Shishak | All modern commentators identify him with Sheshonk I (Sesonchosis), the first king of Egypt's 22nd Dynasty, ruling c. 980, 960 BC. | Older commentators sometimes equated him with Sesostris (Gill, Clarke note this opinion but reject it; Clarke says Sesostris lived 'long before Solomon's time'). |
| Nature of Jeroboam's flight | All see it as a political refuge, not a lack of faith; Egypt was a common sanctuary for fugitives. | Some (Barnes) describe the prior rebellion as 'premature,' implying Jeroboam acted too soon; others (Lange) simply note he 'lifted up his hand.' No disagreement on the flight itself. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The reign of Solomon began in wisdom and blessing but ended in spiritual decline. By the time of 1 Kings 11, Solomon had married many foreign wives, turned to their gods, and provoked Yahweh's anger (vv. 1, 8). The Lord responded by raising up adversaries: Hadad the Edomite, Rezon of Damascus, and Jeroboam son of Nebat (vv. 14, 26). The prophet Ahijah delivered a dramatic sign, tearing a new garment into twelve pieces and giving ten to Jeroboam (vv. 29, 31). This symbolic act announced the coming division of the kingdom.
Jeroboam himself was no passive recipient. He 'lifted up his hand against the king' (1 Ki 11:26, 27), initiating a rebellion that Barnes calls an Ephraimite bid for power. The immediate trigger was Solomon's building of the Millo, a project that may have imposed heavy burdens on the northern tribes. But the rebellion failed, and Jeroboam fled to Egypt.
Egypt had long been a place of refuge for fugitives from Israel (cf. Hadad in vv. 17, 22). The fact that Jeroboam went to Shishak, not the same Pharaoh who was Solomon's father-in-law, is significant. Shishak (Sheshonk I) founded the 22nd Dynasty and would later invade Judah in Rehoboam's fifth year (1 Ki 14:25, 26). His willingness to harbor a rebel indicates a shift in Egypt's attitude toward Israel. Gill and Cambridge both note that Shishak was of a different dynasty from Solomon's ally, and Lange adds that his reception of Jeroboam shows his hostile feelings. Jeroboam stayed in Egypt until Solomon's death, about twenty years according to some reckoning, then returned to lead the northern tribes under Rehoboam, fulfilling the prophecy just as God had planned.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for 1 Kings 11:40. The verse appears in the Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and all major translations with consistent wording. The chief difference is in the spelling of Shishak's name (Sesac in the Latin Vulgate of the Douay-Rheims), reflecting transliteration from Greek or Hebrew, but the identification remains the same. The passage is textually stable.
Reception History
Throughout church history, this verse has been read as a clear example of God's sovereignty overriding human opposition. Early Jewish and Christian interpreters saw in Jeroboam's flight a pattern of the righteous being preserved despite a tyrant's plot, a type echoed in the flight of the infant Jesus to Egypt (Matthew 2:13, 15). Reformation-era commentators such as Matthew Henry and John Gill highlighted Solomon's folly in attempting to nullify a divine decree, using the verse to teach that no human counsel can stand against God's will. Modern historical-critical scholarship shifted focus to the political and chronological details: identifying Shishak with Sheshonk I and dating the flight to the latter part of Solomon's reign. In devotional use, the verse offers comfort to believers who find God's promises delayed or threatened by powerful enemies; the flight to Egypt becomes a lesson in patient waiting under God's protection.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Human plans collide with God's purpose. Solomon thought killing Jeroboam would prevent the split, but God had already decreed it. No human strategy can overturn divine promise.
- Flight does not mean failure. Jeroboam's escape to Egypt wasn't a defeat, it was God's shelter. The same God who sent the prophecy also provided a safe house until the right time.
- God works through foreign powers. Shishak, a pagan king, became an unwitting instrument of God's plan. The Lord can use anyone to protect His chosen servants.
Five-point outline
- The spiritual condition of Israel at the time: Solomon's fall and God's judgment (1 Ki 11:1, 13).
- The human conditions of the divided kingdom: Jeroboam's royal qualities and his rebellion of Ephraim (Barnes).
- The prophetic announcement: Ahijah's garment-torn sign (1 Ki 11:29, 39).
- The opposition of the king: Solomon's attempt to kill (the present verse).
- The providential protection and timing: flight to Shishak and return after Solomon's death (vv. 40, 43).
Illustration hooks
- The political refugee: A dissident from a powerful regime flees to a rival country. The host nation's leader is no friend of the dissident's oppressor. The situation mirrors Jeroboam's welcome by Shishak, who had no loyalty to Solomon.
- The delayed promotion: An employee is promised a top job, but the boss fights to block it. The person must wait, sometimes years, until the time is right. Jeroboam waited two decades in Egypt before stepping into his role.
- God's use of an unbeliever: A non-Christian employer unknowingly creates the conditions for a believer to serve God's purposes. Shishak had no faith in Yahweh, but he became the shelter for God's chosen leader.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God had already promised Jeroboam the kingdom, why did Solomon still try to kill him?
- Is it okay to flee from danger when I believe God has called me to something? Did Jeroboam lack faith by running?
- How long must I wait when God's promise seems delayed? What did Jeroboam learn during those years in Egypt?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at a turning point in Israel's story. Solomon, once wise, now fights against God's revealed will. Jeroboam, promised a kingdom, becomes a runaway. The chapter forces us to ask: What do we do when human power lines up against divine purpose? How do we wait through a delay that God Himself has scripted? This study invites your group to wrestle with those questions together.
Discussion questions
- Read 1 Kings 11:26, 40 before this verse. What had God promised Jeroboam through the prophet Ahijah? Why might Solomon have reacted with such violence when he heard about it?
- Jeroboam 'fled' to Egypt. Does fleeing mean he lacked faith in God's promise? What other biblical figures fled from danger (e.g., Jacob, Moses, David)? What do their stories teach us about faith and prudence?
- The text says Shishak 'king of Egypt' gave Jeroboam refuge. Why is it significant that Shishak was a different king than Solomon's father-in-law? How was God at work even in a pagan king's hospitality?
- Verse 40 ends with Jeroboam in Egypt 'until the death of Solomon.' That wait could have been twenty years. What might Jeroboam have learned about patience and trust during that time? How do we handle long waiting periods in our own lives?
- Solomon 'sought to kill' Jeroboam. The Hebrew verb (Piel of ba.qash) suggests an earnest, determined search. In what ways do we sometimes try to block God's plan, even when we know what He has said?
- God used an adversary (Shishak) to protect His servant. Have you ever seen God use an unlikely person or situation to help you fulfill His purpose? Share if comfortable.
- This verse shows both human opposition and divine sovereignty. How does knowing that God's will cannot be stopped, even by a king like Solomon, shape how you face opposition in your own life?
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 Kings 14:25 | In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem; |
| I Kings 14:26 | and he took away the treasures of Yahweh’s house and the treasures of the king’s house. He even took away all of it, including all the gold shields which Solomon had made. |
| II Chronicles 12:2 | In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had trespassed against Yahweh, |
| II Chronicles 12:9 | So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and took away the treasures of Yahweh’s house and the treasures of the king’s house. He took it all away. He also took away the shields of gold which Solomon had made. |
| II Chronicles 16:10 | Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in the prison; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time. |
| Proverbs 21:30 | There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against Yahweh. |
| Isaiah 14:24 | Yahweh of Armies has sworn, saying, “Surely, as I have thought, so shall it happen; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: |
| Isaiah 14:27 | For Yahweh of Armies has planned, and who can stop it? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?” |
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
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws attention to Shishak as the first Egyptian king in Scripture identified by a proper name rather than the title Pharaoh. He notes that while some equate Shishak with the famous conqueror Sesostris, he considers that king too early for Solomon's time.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes sets Jeroboam's rebellion in the context of Ephraim's old ambition to reclaim its leading position among the tribes. He also identifies the Egyptian king Shishak with the pharaoh Sheshonk I known from the monuments, fixing a precise historical anchor for the period.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator identifies Shishak as the first Egyptian king named in the Old Testament and links him to the historical figure Sesonchosis from Manetho's records. He places Shishak's accession around 988 B.C., near the end of Solomon's reign, and notes that Solomon's attempt on Jeroboam's life was prompted by the prophetic word from Ahijah reaching the king.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Salomon sought therefore to kill Ieroboam, and Ieroboam arose, and fled into Egypt vnto Shishak King of Egypt, and was in Egypt vntil the death of Salomon.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights the folly of Solomon trying to kill Jeroboam, since God had already told Solomon the kingdom would be given to his servant. He also notes that Shishak, king of Egypt, is the only Egyptian king in Scripture called by his own name, not Pharaoh, and matches the famous conqueror Sesostris of Greek historians.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB observes that Shishak gave shelter and encouragement to a rebellious refugee, and that he came from a different Egyptian dynasty than the pharaoh who had been Solomon’s father-in-law. This shift in ruling houses meant Shishak had no loyalty to Solomon’s line.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the adversaries raised against Solomon were direct acts of divine retribution for his idolatry, not merely permitted events. He insists these troubles surfaced only after Solomon's fall, contrary to critics who place them early in his reign. For Lange, the foes served as instruments of God's justice, humbling the king without removing his throne.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that God's judgment on Solomon's house for idolatry is severe yet tempered with mercy. For David's sake, one tribe is spared so that a lamp for his line always remains in Jerusalem, showing God's covenant faithfulness even while He punishes sin.