1 Kings 11:14-25
Enemies Rise against Solomon
Read the passage
14Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom.
15Earlier, when David was in Edom, Joab the commander of the army had gone to bury the dead and had struck down every male in Edom.
16Joab and all Israel had stayed there six months, until he had killed every male in Edom.
17But Hadad, still just a young boy, had fled to Egypt, along with some Edomites who were servants of his father.
18Hadad and his men set out from Midian and went to Paran. They took men from Paran with them and went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food.
19There Hadad found such great favor in the sight of Pharaoh that he gave to him in marriage the sister of Queen Tahpenes, his own wife.
20And the sister of Tahpenes bore Hadad a son named Genubath. Tahpenes herself weaned him in Pharaoh’s palace, and Genubath lived there among the sons of Pharaoh.
21When Hadad heard in Egypt that David had rested with his fathers and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead, he said to Pharaoh, “Let me go, that I may return to my own country.”
22But Pharaoh asked him, “What have you lacked here with me that you suddenly want to go back to your own country?” “Nothing,” Hadad replied, “but please let me go.”
23And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah,
24and had gathered men to himself. When David killed the Zobaites, Rezon captained a band of raiders and went to Damascus, where they settled and gained control.
25Rezon was Israel’s enemy throughout the days of Solomon, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled over Aram with hostility toward Israel.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The LORD raises up Hadad the Edomite as an adversary against Solomon. Hadad belongs to Edom’s royal line. As a young boy, he escaped Joab’s campaign against Edom with servants of his father and eventually reached Egypt.
Pharaoh gives Hadad a house, food, and land. He finds favor there, marries the queen’s sister, and has a son who grows up among Pharaoh’s sons. Yet when Hadad hears that David and Joab are dead, he asks to return to his own country. Pharaoh asks what he lacks in Egypt. Hadad answers that he lacks nothing, but still asks to go. The account lets us hear the request without supplying everything he thinks or plans.
God also raises up Rezon, who escaped from Hadadezer of Zobah, gathered a band of men, and gained control in Damascus. Unlike the account of Hadad’s request, this description explicitly names Rezon’s hostility toward Israel. He troubles Israel throughout Solomon’s reign, adding to Hadad’s opposition.
These histories follow the LORD’s announcement of judgment on Solomon’s divided worship. The narrator identifies God’s action while showing the earlier wars, displacement, and human decisions involved. Solomon’s wealth has not placed his kingdom beyond the reach of God’s word.
The passage also keeps the cost of earlier victories in view: a child who fled violence has grown up and wants to go home. We should read carefully enough to notice that history without claiming to know motives the account has not given us.
Questions
1 Whom does the LORD raise against Solomon first?
AnswerHe raises Hadad the Edomite, who escaped Joab’s campaign as a boy and found refuge in Egypt. After David and Joab die, Hadad asks Pharaoh to let him return to his own country.
2 What happens to Rezon?
AnswerRezon escapes, gathers men, takes Damascus, and becomes an adversary from the north who troubles Israel.
3 What does their appearance reveal about Solomon's kingdom?
AnswerIt reveals that the kingdom's outward security can conceal unresolved wounds and opposition growing at its borders.
4 How can we respond to trouble without pretending to know all God’s purposes?
AnswerListen for needed correction, examine our own responsibilities, and seek peace where possible. This narrator identifies the LORD’s action in Solomon’s story; we do not have the same knowledge of every conflict around us. We can take wrongdoing seriously without labeling every difficult person a divine punishment.
What This Means for Us
Unresolved harm does not disappear because a household looks successful. Old violence, ignored resentment, and unequal power can shape the next crisis even when everyone prefers to call the past settled.
Do not use this passage to label every difficult person a divine enemy. Instead, examine what your household has left unrepaired, seek peace where possible, and take real threats seriously without feeding cycles of retaliation.
Prayer
God of justice, show us the wounds our success may hide. Give us courage to repair what we can, wisdom to address real danger, and restraint so old harm does not become new cruelty. Amen.