I Kings 11:6 · Bible study
1 Kings 11:6 Commentary: Going Fully After Yahweh
Hebrew · 4 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does it mean to 'go fully after Yahweh'? Solomon's tragic fall and the call to wholehearted devotion.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Solomon's evil and divided loyalty are summed up: he did not follow Yahweh exclusively as David did.
- Key words: 'went not fully', Hebrew mile (to fill, complete); suggests wholehearted, exclusive devotion.
- Main debate: Was Solomon a total apostate or did he maintain temple worship while tolerating idolatry? Commentators like Gill note he did not relinquish Yahweh worship but added others.
- Theological theme: Wholehearted covenant loyalty is required; God rejects a divided heart even when outward forms continue.
- Best use: A warning against spiritual drift and a call to examine whether our devotion is full or partial.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
So Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD; unlike his father David, he did not follow the LORD completely.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Solomon did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and didn’t go fully after Yahweh, as David his father did.
KJV King James Version 1769
And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and went not fully after Jehovah, as did David his father.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and Solomon doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and hath not been fully after Jehovah, like David his father.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Solomon did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and followed not fully Jehovah, as David his father.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And Solomon did that which was not pleasing before the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as David, his father.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
E hizo Salomón lo malo en los ojos de Jehová, y no fué cumplidamente tras Jehová como David su padre.
E fez Salomão o que era mau aos olhos do SENHOR, e não seguiu completamente o SENHOR como o seu pai Davi.
Et Salomon fit ce qui est mal aux yeux de l’ Éternel, et il ne suivit point pleinement l’ Éternel, comme David, son père.
Und Salomo tat, was dem HERRN übel gefiel, und folgte nicht gänzlich dem HERRN wie sein Vater David.
Alzo deed Salomo dat kwaad was in de ogen des HEEREN; en volhardde niet den HEERE te volgen, gelijk zijn vader David.
Così Salomone fece ciò ch’è male agli occhi dell’Eterno e non seguì pienamente l’Eterno, come avea fatto Davide suo padre.
I uczynił Salomon, co się nie podobało Panu, ani chodził doskonale za Panem, jako Dawid, ojciec jego.
И делал Соломон неугодное пред очами Господа и не вполне последовал Господу, как Давид, отец его.
所羅門 行 耶和華 眼中 看為惡的事，不 效法他父親 大衛 專心 順從 耶和華。
And Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord, not walking in the Lord's ways with all his heart as David his father did.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Kings 11:6
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that 1 Kings 11:6 marks the summary of Solomon's spiritual collapse. The verse states two realities: Solomon did evil in Yahweh's sight, and he did not go fully after Yahweh as David had. The evil is concretely idolatry, building high places for Chemosh and Molech, sacrificing to foreign gods (vv. 5, 8). But the second clause is more subtle. Gill notes that Solomon did not abandon temple worship; he continued the sacrifices but added the worship of other gods. Matthew Henry calls it a 'sad story' of defection and degeneracy. The verb 'go fully after' (Hebrew mile, 'to fill') implies a complete, exclusive following, something Solomon, unlike Caleb or David, never sustained. The consensus holds that Solomon's sin was not a single act but a gradual turning of the heart, warned against in Deuteronomy 17, leading to a divided loyalty that the text condemns as not 'full'.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Divided loyalty view: Solomon continued temple worship and maintained the outward forms while allowing idolatry (Gill). The text criticizes incomplete devotion, not absolute rejection.
- Apostasy view: Verse 9 says his heart was 'turned away from Yahweh.' He built high places and worshipped other gods (vv. 5-8). Some argue he functionally abandoned the covenant.
What is clear: All agree that Solomon did evil, did not follow Yahweh exclusively, and this sin led to the division of the kingdom. His failure is a warning against a divided heart.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Solomon's apostasy versus divided loyalty | All agree Solomon committed idolatry and did evil; his heart was turned away from exclusive devotion to Yahweh. | Some, like Gill, argue he still worshipped at the temple but compromised by allowing idolatry. Others see this as total apostasy. The text says his heart was not perfect with God (v.4), but does not explicitly say he stopped temple worship. |
| Comparison to David | David is held up as a model of wholehearted following despite his sins. Both sinned gravely, but David's heart is described as 'perfect'. | Reformed and some evangelical traditions emphasize David's repentance and covenant status. Others focus on the difference: David's sins were not idolatry, while Solomon's were. Some argue David's heart was ultimately loyal, while Solomon's was divided. |
| What 'going fully after Yahweh' means practically | It involves exclusive worship and obedience, avoiding any compromise with other gods or worldly loyalties. | Some traditions stress this as a matter of inner commitment and sincerity (heart), others as external obedience to commands. The example of Caleb and David suggests both internal and external wholeheartedness. |
Historical & Cultural Context
First Kings 11 sits at the turning point of the united monarchy. Solomon's reign had reached its zenith: immense wealth, international alliances, and a magnificent temple. But the same chapter that records his sin also reveals the seeds of the division. The command to kings in Deuteronomy 17:16, 17 prohibited multiplying horses from Egypt, accumulating silver and gold, and taking many wives, lest the heart turn away. Solomon broke every prohibition. He imported horses from Egypt (1 Kings 10:28, 29), amassed gold in unprecedented quantities (10:14, 27), and collected 700 wives and 300 concubines, many from nations God had forbidden intermarriage with (11:1, 2). These foreign wives turned his heart after other gods (v. 4). The high places built for Chemosh, Molech, and Ashtoreth (vv. 5, 7) directly violated the central sanctuary law (Deuteronomy 12). The context also shows God's grace: He had appeared to Solomon twice (v. 9), yet Solomon did not keep the command. The language of 'not going fully after' echoes the description of Caleb, who 'followed Yahweh wholeheartedly' (Numbers 14:24, Joshua 14:8,14). Solomon, the temple builder, ends up tolerating altars to abominations on the Mount of Olives, a place that later becomes the site of Jesus' tears over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). The verse exposes the gap between religious activity and wholehearted devotion. Like Solomon, we can attend worship but allow competing loyalties to erode our exclusive commitment to God.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries mention no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. Chief interpretive issues stem from the meaning of the idiom mile ('fully') and the comparison to David, not from textual uncertainty.
Reception History
Throughout church history, 1 Kings 11:6 has been used to illustrate the danger of prosperity and the deceitfulness of sin. Early Christian writers like Chrysostom pointed to Solomon as a warning that even the wisest can fall. Medieval exegetes often connected his divided heart to the warnings against loving the world in 1 John 2:15, 17. During the Reformation, commentators like Matthew Henry emphasized the tragedy of a king who began so well and ended so poorly, urging vigilance in the Christian life. More recently, this passage has been a staple in sermons on the subtlety of idolatry, how good gifts (wealth, relationships, wisdom) can become objects of misplaced devotion. The comparison with David has also been a comfort: even after great failure, a whole heart can be restored, pointing forward to the greater Son of David who never wavered.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The evil that is visible. Solomon did evil by directly worshipping other gods. Idolatry is not merely a private sin but a public affront to Yahweh's exclusive claim.
- The heart that is divided. He did not go fully after Yahweh. The issue was not total abandonment but a lack of wholeheartedness. He kept the temple services but his heart was split.
- The grace that is remembered. Despite this, God does not destroy the kingdom immediately, for David's sake (vv. 12, 13). The passage ends with judgment delayed and a remnant preserved, a picture of God's faithfulness even when his king fails.
Five-point outline
- Solomon's sin was not from ignorance but from choice: he violated clear commands.
- His love for foreign wives became the wedge that turned his heart (v. 2).
- He attempted to mix worship: Yahweh alongside idols. The text calls this evil because it is a breach of exclusive covenant loyalty.
- Comparison to David: David had grievous sins but his heart was 'perfect' (whole, complete) with the Lord. Solomon's heart was divided.
- God's response: judgment and a torn kingdom, but mercy for David's sake.
Illustration hooks
- Mixed loyalty in relationships: A person who promises exclusive commitment in marriage but entertains romantic attachments on the side. The full loyalty is missing even if the primary relationship continues.
- Business and faith: A Christian who attends church but makes compromises in business that violate clear ethical principles, believing they can keep both worlds separate without conflict.
- Spiritual drift: The slow process of letting worldly comforts and relationships weaken one's devotion to God, not through a dramatic rebellion but through gradual accommodation.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I know if I am 'going fully after God' or just coasting?
- What does it mean to have a 'perfect heart' like David when David himself sinned greatly?
- Is it possible to attend church and serve God while having idolatry in my heart, like Solomon?
Leading a Discussion
This verse serves as a mirror for anyone who has known God's goodness but felt their devotion grow cold. Solomon was the wisest, richest, and most blessed king, yet he ended up building altars to demons. How did that happen? The passage forces us to examine where our heart truly lies. As you discuss, remember that the point is not to shame but to invite a wholehearted return to the God who never turns away from us.
Discussion questions
- Read 1 Kings 11:1, 10. What specific commands did Solomon break? (See Deuteronomy 17:14, 20.)
- What does the phrase 'did not go fully after the Lord' suggest about the condition of Solomon's heart? How is it different from simply 'doing evil'?
- Compare Solomon's description here with God's assessment of David (1 Kings 11:4, 9:4). David had terrible failures, yet why is his heart called 'perfect'? What does that teach us about God's standard?
- Why do you think God allowed Solomon to have so many blessings and yet fall so far? What does that tell us about the relationship between prosperity and faithfulness?
- In what areas of life is it easiest to have a 'divided heart' today? How can a believer guard against the slow drift Solomon experienced?
- The text shows God appeared to Solomon twice (v. 9). Yet Solomon still turned away. What does that say about the power of persistent sin and the need for ongoing spiritual disciplines?
- If someone feels they have drifted like Solomon, where can they find hope? Look at God's continued mercy for David's sake and the promise of a coming King (Messiah). How does that point to Jesus?
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)
| Numbers 14:24 | But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him I will bring into the land into which he went. His offspring shall possess it. |
| Joshua 14:8 | Nevertheless, my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; but I wholly followed Yahweh my God. |
| Joshua 14:14 | Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he followed Yahweh, the God of Israel wholeheartedly. |
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
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What the Commentators Say
4 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights a contrast between Solomon and David: both sinned, but David returned to follow the Lord consistently, whereas Solomon did not. Solomon's wickedness was not a momentary lapse but a failure to continue in faithfulness to God as his father had done.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill observes that Solomon never abandoned the true God entirely or stopped temple worship, yet his tolerance of other gods made his service incomplete. Unlike David, who served the Lord wholly and solely, Solomon's partial devotion was still evil in God's sight.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues Solomon never personally worshipped idols or sacrificed to foreign gods. His fall came through authorizing and patronizing his wives' idolatrous worship, building altars for them while remaining outwardly loyal to Jehovah. The king tolerated what he should have forbidden, and for that the kingdom was divided.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry emphasizes the shocking tragedy of Solomon's fall, noting that even the wisest and most blessed king was seduced into idolatry through his doting love for foreign women. He observes that Scripture faithfully records this shameful chapter as a warning that no one is beyond temptation.