Solomon's foreign wives turn his heart; the adversaries Hadad, Rezon, and Jeroboam rise; Ahijah tears the garment into twelve pieces, and Solomon dies.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Now king Solomon loved many foreign women, besides the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
verse value 6210
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 62 letters. Verse gematria: 6210 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "loved" (אָהַ֞ב, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·daughter·of·Pharaoh" (וְאֶת־בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֑ה, 9 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "foreign" (נׇכְרִיּ֛וֹת), "many" (רַבּ֖וֹת), "and·daughter·of·Pharaoh" (וְאֶת־בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֑ה). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·the·king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings); "women" (root אשה, 35x in I Kings). First appearance of the root עמוני ("Ammonites") in I Kings. First appearance of the root אדמי ("Edomite") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·daughter·of·Pharaoh', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְהַמֶּ֣לֶךְ [and·the·king] (101) + שְׁלֹמֹ֗ה [Solomon] (375) + אָהַ֞ב [loved] (8) + נָשִׁ֧ים [women] (400) + נׇכְרִיּ֛וֹת [foreign] (686) + רַבּ֖וֹת [many] (608) + וְאֶת־בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֑ה [and·daughter·of·Pharaoh] (1164) + מוֹאֲבִיּ֤וֹת [Moabites] (465) + עַמֳּנִיּוֹת֙ [Ammonites] (576) + אֲדֹ֣מִיֹּ֔ת [Edomite] (455) + צֵֽדְנִיֹּ֖ת [Zidonians] (554) + חִתִּיֹּֽת [Hittites] (818) = 6210.
Rashi
"And the daughter of Pharaoh." She too was among the foreign women, but she was more beloved to him than all of them; he counted her separately, on her own account. So too it is written (2 Samuel 2:30): "And they numbered the servants of David, nineteen men, and Asahel."
Radak
"Many foreign women." He committed two evils in this matter: one, that he multiplied women; and even if they had been from Israel, it was forbidden for him to multiply them, as it is written, "Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away" (Deuteronomy 17:17). How much more so since they were foreign women who turned his heart after other gods. And he trusted in his wisdom, saying, "I will multiply, and I will not stray." This is what the prophet said: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom" (Jeremiah 9:23). And regarding what is stated, "and the daughter of Pharaoh," for she was the beginning of the corruption. Even though she did not turn his heart until he had multiplied foreign women in his old age, and they turned his heart. And he did not serve idolatry himself, but rather he permitted his wives to serve idolatry to other gods. Even though he permitted them to build high places in Jerusalem for idolatrous worship. This is what is stated, "Then Solomon built" (1 Kings 11:7), meaning he permitted them to build, and he did not protest against them.
Ralbag
"And King Solomon loved women..." Behold, he is censured from two sides: one, that he took women from the nations concerning whom the Torah warned not to intermarry with them, lest they turn our hearts after their gods; and the second side, because he multiplied for himself women, from which the Torah warned him in the Parashah of Shoftim. And if one were to say that we should already consider that they had converted before Solomon took them, behold, even so he would not escape censure, for Pharaoh's daughter was forbidden to enter the congregation of the Lord even after she converted, since only the third generation is permitted to enter the congregation of the Lord. And the Moabite and Ammonite women are also from a people not worthy to enter the congregation, as it is stated, "An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the congregation of the Lord." And even though their females were not forbidden from entering the congregation, as we explained there, behold, it was not fitting for a king to marry them, for the seed that would be his from them cannot be very complete. And it was incumbent upon Solomon to be very meticulous that his seed be complete with the Lord, so that the covenant that the Lord made with his father David—that his kingship would endure forever—would be fulfilled for him, provided his sons guard His Torah. Do you not see that Rehoboam was the son of an Ammonite woman and did evil in the eyes of the Lord? Moreover, because Solomon allowed his wives to serve their gods, they are as if they had not converted. And behold, it says, "and the daughter of Pharaoh, king of Egypt," because through her he strayed more from the ways of the Torah than he strayed through taking his other foreign wives, and she too was very dear to him, to the extent that he already built for her a house in the manner mentioned in what preceded.
Metzudat David
And Pharaoh's daughter. Since she was dear to him more than all of them, for this reason he separated her to herself.
Malbim
And King Solomon, after he recounted how Solomon succeeded as long as he walked in the ways of the Lord, began to recount how in his final days, when he abandoned the Lord, the Lord also abandoned him. And Rabbi Isaac Abarbanel already explained that his sin was threefold: 1. That he loved foreign women; his relationship with them was not that of a man who marries a wife, but rather that of a youth who is enamored, and whose soul is bound to the soul of his beloved, as it is stated regarding them: "Solomon clung to them with love." 2. That they were foreign women, with whom the Torah forbade intermarriage. 3. That he took many wives, whereas the king is warned not to multiply wives for himself, even if they were like Abigail. And it expounds, against [the point of] foreign women, [that the verse] says: "Moabite, Ammonite," etc., and the daughter of Pharaoh was foremost among them, with whom he began to go astray. And even though he converted them, were they not...
of the nations concerning which Hashem said to the children of Israel: ‘You shall not go among them, neither shall they come among you; for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods’; Solomon did cleave to these in love.
verse value 3678
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 86 letters. Verse gematria: 3678 is divisible by 613, the number of the commandments (mitzvot). The shortest word is "which" (אֲשֶׁ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "from·the·nations" (מִן־הַגּוֹיִ֗ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 47: among·them, to·them. 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "from·the·nations" (מִן־הַגּוֹיִ֗ם), "said·Hashem" (אָֽמַר־יְהֹוָה֩), "to·children·of" (אֶל־בְּנֵ֨י). The root הם appears 3 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "which" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "said·Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·gods', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 4 words.
Radak
"You shall not enter into marriage with them." Just as it is written, "Neither shall you make marriages with them; your daughter you shall not give to his son, and his daughter you shall not take for your son." And although this was stated with regard to the seven nations, the same law applies to all other idol-worshipping nations as well. However, since they were coming into their land, He warned them specifically about them. But if one were to return them to the religion of Israel, it would not be forbidden. If they convert with a whole heart, not out of fear or love, this matter is disputed in the words of our Sages of blessed memory, as we have written in the verse, "And Solomon loved."
“Indeed, they will incline your heart.” Truly, they will incline your heart, as it is stated: “For he will turn your son away from following Me,” and the Targum [renders it]: “Perhaps they will mislead your heart.”
Metzudat David
From the nations. It refers to the Hittites; they are from the seven idolaters that the Torah said (Deuteronomy 7:3-4): 'you shall not intermarry with them' etc. 'for they will turn away' etc.
Metzudat Zion
Achen. Truly:
Malbim
From the nations concerning whom the Lord spoke and forbade intermarriage with them, because they would turn your heart away after their gods; and regarding [the word] "loved," it explains: "Solomon clung to them in love" — that he did not cling [to them] merely by way of marriage, but by way of love and desire; and regarding [the word] "many," it explains:
And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.
verse value 4574
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 48 letters. The shortest word is "seven" (שְׁבַ֣ע, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·concubines" (וּפִלַגְשִׁ֖ים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 447: hundred, hundred. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "princesses·of" (שָׂרוֹת֙), "and·concubines" (וּפִלַגְשִׁ֖ים), "and·turned·away" (וַיַּטּ֥וּ). The root אשה appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·he·had" (root היה, 196x in I Kings); "seven" (root שבע, 38x in I Kings); "women" (root אשה, 35x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hundred', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיְהִי־ל֣וֹ [and·he·had] (67) + נָשִׁ֗ים [women] (400) + שָׂרוֹת֙ [princesses·of] (906) + שְׁבַ֣ע [seven] (372) + מֵא֔וֹת [hundred] (447) + וּפִלַגְשִׁ֖ים [and·concubines] (469) + שְׁלֹ֣שׁ [three] (630) + מֵא֑וֹת [hundred] (447) + וַיַּטּ֥וּ [and·turned·away] (31) + נָשָׁ֖יו [his·wives] (366) + אֶת־לִבּֽוֹ [his·heart] (439) = 4574.
Malbim
"And he had seven hundred wives, princesses," and through this, "his wives turned his heart away." For even in his youth, they had turned his heart, only that in his early years his discernment still stood firm within him, and the turning was toward minor sins; but:
For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not whole with Hashem his God, as was the heart of David his father.
verse value 3606
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 78 letters. Notable word values: "gods" (אֱלֹהִ֣ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "to·time·of" (לְעֵת֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "his·heart" (אֶת־לְבָב֔וֹ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "old-age·of" (זִקְנַ֣ת), "turned·away" (הִטּ֣וּ). The root לבב appears 3 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "with·Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "and·it·was" (root היה, 196x in I Kings); "Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings). First appearance of the root עת ("to·time·of") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'another', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 8 words.
Ralbag
"And it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods." After it had been stated that his wives turned his heart, it was not necessary to say, "and his heart was not wholly with the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father." If the intention were that Solomon himself served other gods, this would be clear. But the intention here is that his love for his wives inclined his heart to permit them to serve other gods and to avert his eyes from them. From this, it is also clarified that when it says, "Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the god of the Sidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites," the meaning is that he permitted his Sidonian and Ammonite wives to serve their gods and averted his eyes from them. For this reason, it says, "Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as David his father had done." For if he had fully followed the Lord, he would not have tolerated his wives committing this great sin. Further proof of this—that the meaning is that he averted his eyes from his wives and permitted them to serve other gods—is found in the statement, "And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods." This clarifies that Solomon’s sin was permitting his wives to offer sacrifices and burn incense to their gods, which is beyond doubt. For this reason, it says, "Then Solomon built a high place," implying that he built it inasmuch as he permitted his wives to build it. In general, his taking them [as wives] was the cause for the building of these high places for idolatry, and thus Solomon was the cause of their construction. In general, it is a falsehood regarding a wise man like Solomon that he should have gone after these vanities and abominations, even though he attained knowledge of God, blessed be He, more than any other man. Moreover, the books he composed through the Holy Spirit bear witness to this, and God, blessed be He, also appeared to him on occasions. Therefore, it is inconceivable that a man like him would serve foreign gods. You should know that it is already stated that if someone did a thing, whether he did it himself or through an agent, as Solomon said, "I have built You an exalted house" (1 Kings 8:13). It is also said that he did it when he did not protest against the one doing it, although he had the power to protest. This is very common in languages: you will see that blame for a matter is placed on the one who had the power to protest but did not, and they will say to him that he is doing everything. For this reason, I consider that the Torah says, "You shall surely rebuke your neighbor" (Leviticus 19:17), meaning that if you do not rebuke him, you will bear the sin for what he sins in, as if you had committed that sin with your own hands. In this third manner, it says in this place, "Then Solomon built."
Metzudat David
After other gods. Meaning: to leave them to go, they after other gods.
Malbim
(4-7) The Questions: How can it be conceived that Solomon, the wisest of all men, would believe in a baseless falsehood and follow after the vanity of other gods? And if so, that he did [so], how can it be said that his heart was not wholly devoted like the heart of his father David? And furthermore, how can it be said, after stating that he went after Ashtoreth, etc., that he did not cleave to the Lord like his father David, which implies that he was merely not like David, but does not imply that he actually served idols?
And it came to pass in the time of Solomon’s old age that his inclination grew strong, until he inclined his heart after other gods. And he explained the matter, so that you should not think that he himself served idolatry, God forbid, but rather that he did not protest against his wives, who served other gods, and through this it was revealed that his heart was not whole with the Lord his God, like the heart of David his father, for then the love of the Lord was stronger than the love of his wives, and he would divorce them from his presence.
For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the detestation of the Ammonites.
verse value 3325
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "detestable thing or idol" (שִׁקֻּ֖ץ, 3 letters) and the longest is "Ashtoreth" (עַשְׁתֹּ֔רֶת, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "Ashtoreth" (עַשְׁתֹּ֔רֶת), "Zidonians" (צִדֹנִ֑ים), "Milcom" (מִלְכֹּ֔ם). The root אחר appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings); "and·went" (root הלך, 115x in I Kings); "god·of" (root אלהים, 99x in I Kings). First appearance of the root שקוץ ("detestable thing or idol") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Zidonians', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ [and·went] (66) + שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה [Solomon] (375) + אַחֲרֵ֣י [after] (219) + עַשְׁתֹּ֔רֶת [Ashtoreth] (1370) + אֱלֹהֵ֖י [god·of] (46) + צִדֹנִ֑ים [Zidonians] (194) + וְאַחֲרֵ֣י [and·after] (225) + מִלְכֹּ֔ם [Milcom] (130) + שִׁקֻּ֖ץ [detestable thing or idol] (490) + עַמֹּנִֽים [Ammonites] (210) = 3325.
Metzudat David
And Solomon went. On account that he did not protest against his wives who were going, the Scripture counts upon him as though he went after them.
Metzudat Zion
Melchem. It is Molech:
Sheketz. He calls it in language of contempt; it denotes disgust:
Malbim
"And Solomon went" – this means that he appeared as though he was following them, and it explains how this matter related to him, for by means of:
6) “Who did that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord,” in that he did not follow after the Lord as his father David had done, who would risk his life for the sake of the word of the Lord, whereas he did not act thus, for:
Cross-references: II Samuel 12:30; II Kings 23:13; Zephaniah 1:5
And Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of Hashem, and went not fully after Hashem, as did David his father.
verse value 1610
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 42 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "the·evil" (הָרַ֖ע, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·eyes·of" (בְּעֵינֵ֣י, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings); "and·did" (root עשה, 143x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיַּ֧עַשׂ [and·did] (386) + שְׁלֹמֹ֛ה [Solomon] (375) + הָרַ֖ע [the·evil] (275) + בְּעֵינֵ֣י [in·eyes·of] (142) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + מִלֵּ֛א [followed·fully] (71) + אַחֲרֵ֥י [after] (219) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + כְּדָוִ֥ד [as·David] (34) + אָבִֽיו [his·father] (19) = 1610.
Metzudat David
He did not fill. He did not complete after the word of the Lord, to protest against his wives who desecrated His word.
Then did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh the detestation of Moab, in the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestation of the children of Ammon.
verse value 3810
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 57 letters. The shortest word is "then" (אָז֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "Jerusalem" (יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 490: detestable thing or idol, detestable thing or idol. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "will·build" (יִבְנֶ֨ה), "and·for·Molech" (וּלְמֹ֕לֶךְ), "Ammon" (עַמּֽוֹן). The root שקוץ appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "and·for·Molech" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Jerusalem', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 4 words.
Rashi
"Then Solomon built the high place" (1 Kings 11:7). Our Sages (Shabbat 56b) said: Since he did not protest against his wives, it was called by his name.
“On the mountain that is before Jerusalem.” The Mount of Olives:
Metzudat David
Then he built. Meaning: when he left his wives, then it was counted to him as though he built a high place, etc.
On the mountain. It is the Mount of Olives.
Malbim
Then Solomon built, for the construction that his wives had carried out was done with his permission and was named after him, since the construction was on the mountain facing Jerusalem, and this was for his Sidonian and Ammonite wives.
And so did he for all his foreign wives, who offered and sacrificed to their gods.
verse value 2953
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "and·thus" (וְכֵ֣ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·all·his·wives" (לְכׇל־נָשָׁ֖יו, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "to·all·his·wives" (לְכׇל־נָשָׁ֖יו), "foreign" (הַנׇּכְרִיּ֑וֹת), "offering·incense" (מַקְטִיר֥וֹת). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "did" (root עשה, 143x in I Kings); "to·their·gods" (root אלהים, 99x in I Kings); "to·all·his·wives" (root אשה, 35x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'foreign', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְכֵ֣ן [and·thus] (76) + עָשָׂ֔ה [did] (375) + לְכׇל־נָשָׁ֖יו [to·all·his·wives] (446) + הַנׇּכְרִיּ֑וֹת [foreign] (691) + מַקְטִיר֥וֹת [offering·incense] (765) + וּֽמְזַבְּח֖וֹת [and·sacrificing] (469) + לֵאלֹהֵיהֶֽן [to·their·gods] (131) = 2953.
Metzudat David
And so he did , etc. To turn a blind eye to all his foreign wives who burned incense, etc.
Malbim
And similarly he did for all his wives, the Edomite and Moabite ones: he built a high place according to their abominations. And he explained the matter so that you not err, thinking that Solomon himself performed these deceptions; rather, his wives were burning incense and offering sacrifices to their gods, and he did not interfere with their hands. And Abarbanel added that Solomon, in his wisdom, attained the existence of the separate entities and the truth of what they are, as far as is possible. And the height of his knowledge reached to know their nature, their power, and their governance of the lower realms, and the ways, the intermediaries, and the preparations necessary to draw down the abundance of every prince and ruler from the separate entities upon his people and his inheritance. And in his old age, his wives inclined his heart—not to serve idolatry, God forbid—but to teach them the manners of the service of their gods, and the ways of preparation, how to draw down the abundance from the upper princes who are appointed over their nations, in order to draw down the abundance upon those nations. And this was a great sin, even if the engagement was with this knowledge, and even though he taught it to his wives who had already converted, and all the more so in allowing them to do this in Jerusalem, which the Lord chose for His dwelling place. And according to his words, [the verse] "And Solomon went after Ashtoreth" is better understood, meaning that he engaged in contemplative pursuits regarding the drawing down of abundance from above. However, even according to the simple meaning, behold, according to the Mekhilta, the negative commandment "You shall have no other gods" applies to keeping an idol in one's house, even if one does not worship it. And it has already been clarified by me elsewhere that one transgresses the prohibition of "making an idol" even if he made it through others, as it is stated in the Sifra, Parashat Kedoshim, and even if he made it through a non-Jew. And thus, if we say that Solomon commanded them to make it, as it is written, "Then he built," he transgressed the negative commandment. And if the women built it and he remained silent, he transgressed the prohibition of keeping an idol in his domain. And our Sages of blessed memory already explained (Shabbat 56a) that anyone who says that Solomon sinned is merely mistaken. And their words are compelled by the verses, for otherwise he would not have said that his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord like the heart of his father David, nor that he did not follow the Lord like his father David. And he explicitly stated that his wives were burning incense, not the king himself.
And Hashem was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from Hashem, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,
verse value 2395
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 54 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "with" (מֵעִ֤ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·he·was·angry" (וַיִּתְאַנַּ֥ף, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·he·was·angry" (וַיִּתְאַנַּ֥ף), "because·turned" (כִּֽי־נָטָ֣ה), "the·appearing" (הַנִּרְאָ֥ה). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "with·Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings); "Israel" (root ישראל, 120x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·Solomon', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 9 words. Full calculation: וַיִּתְאַנַּ֥ף [and·he·was·angry] (547) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + בִּשְׁלֹמֹ֑ה [with·Solomon] (377) + כִּֽי־נָטָ֣ה [because·turned] (94) + לְבָב֗וֹ [his·heart] (40) + מֵעִ֤ם [with] (150) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + אֱלֹהֵ֣י [God·of] (46) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל [Israel] (541) + הַנִּרְאָ֥ה [the·appearing] (261) + אֵלָ֖יו [to·him] (47) + פַּעֲמָֽיִם [twice] (240) = 2395.
Radak
"Who had appeared to him." [Meaning:] who had appeared to him, for the heh of the definite article does not come on the past tense. And likewise "the dedication," "Samuel," "which are found here," and other examples that we wrote about in the book Mikhlol.
"Twice." In Gibeon, the first and second time, after his prayer, when it was said to him, "I have heard your prayer," and He commanded him: in the first vision in a general manner, and in the second vision explicitly.
Metzudat David
Twice. Once at Gibeon, and once after his prayer. But in the remaining times He spoke with him through a prophet.
Metzudat Zion
Vita'anaf. From the language of anger and wrath:
Malbim
"And the Lord was angry with Solomon": It is clear to me that the verb *anaf* (to be angry) when used in the *hitpa'el* conjugation indicates that the intensity of His wrath was exhausted, for the expressions of anger and wrath come in connection with idolatry, as the Rambam writes in the *Moreh Nevuchim*. However, here the punishment was decreed such that the wrath was expended until it was completely exhausted, and this is what is meant by *vayit'anaf* (and He was angry). This occurred because his heart turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.
and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he kept not that which Hashem commanded.
verse value 3574
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 57 letters. Notable word values: "gods" (אֱלֹהִ֣ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "this" (הַזֶּ֔ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "not·to·go" (לְבִ֨לְתִּי־לֶ֔כֶת, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·he·shall·order" (וְצִוָּ֤ה), "not·to·go" (לְבִ֨לְתִּי־לֶ֔כֶת), "that·he·commanded" (אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֖ה). The root אחר appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·he·commanded" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "concerning·the·thing" (root דבר, 191x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'another', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 5 words.
Ralbag
And He commanded him concerning this matter, so that he should not go after other gods. The meaning is that from the commandment of God, blessed be He, he was obligated not to permit idol worship in his house, even though this was the way his sons would go after other gods upon seeing their mothers worshiping idols. And already God, blessed be He, had aroused them, so that He might set him straight, lest he go after other gods, so that the kingship would be established for him, and Israel would not be exiled from their land, and the Temple would not be destroyed.
Malbim
And He commanded him concerning this matter, and the matter that he heard from the mouth of the Lord Himself, and he transgressed it in this, there is no remedy for him, as it is stated by the wise of heart regarding the punishment of the prophet who came from Bethel, that the lion devoured him, because he was not permitted to disobey a word that he heard from the Lord Himself, and this is what it says, "he did not keep that which the Lord commanded him," and what it says, "that appeared to him twice," and even though He spoke with him three times, the second utterance (6:11) is not counted, because then He did not appear to him in a vision, but rather the word of the Lord came to him (as stated above 9:2):
Wherefore Hashem said to Solomon: ‘Forasmuch as this has been in your mind, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely rend the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant.
verse value 7996
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 90 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֜ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "because" (יַ֚עַן, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·kingdom" (אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָה֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: that, which. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "was·this" (הָֽיְתָה־זֹּ֣את), "my·covenant" (בְּרִיתִ֣י), "from·upon·you" (מֵעָלֶ֔יךָ). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings). First appearance of the root קרע ("surely") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 6 words.
Rashi
"That which was with you. That you knew that you were transgressing My commandment:"
Radak
"And the Lord said to Solomon"—through a prophet, namely Ahijah the Shilonite.
Metzudat David
And the Lord said. Through a prophet He said to him.
Metzudat Zion
Yean. Because:
Malbim
(11-14) The questions: What is the meaning of “because this has been with you,” which lacks a clear explanation? Why does verse 12 say “for the sake of David your father,” whereas verse 13 says “for the sake of David My servant”? Why did He not tear it apart in his days, since he was the sinner, and it was fitting that his eyes should see the consequence of his hand, rather than punishing his son?
"Because this thing has been with you" — this means that even though you did not serve idolatry in actual deed, you transgressed the prohibition of keeping an idol in your possession and in Jerusalem, for the idol was in your possession and you did not keep My covenant to eradicate the idol. Therefore, "I will tear the kingdom and give it to your servant." And this punishment was measure for measure: just as they served the host of heaven, who are the servants of God, and removed the kingdom from God, blessed be He, so too will the kingship be removed from him and given to his servant. However, He explained to him that what is stated, "I will tear," refers to the decree that was decreed upon him at that time, and that while he was still alive, Ahijah the Shilonite came to Jeroboam and gave him ten torn pieces, representing the ten tribes. Nevertheless, the actual event would not take place in his days. And this is what is stated:
Notwithstanding in your days I will not do it, for David your father’s sake; but I will rend it out of the hand of your son.
verse value 1349
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 37 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "indeed·in·your·days" (אַךְ־בְּיָמֶ֙יךָ֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 426: I·will·do·it, I·will·tear·it. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "indeed·in·your·days" (אַךְ־בְּיָמֶ֙יךָ֙), "I·will·do·it" (אֶעֱשֶׂ֔נָּה), "I·will·tear·it" (אֶקְרָעֶֽנָּה). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·will·do·it" (root עשה, 143x in I Kings); "indeed·in·your·days" (root יום, 100x in I Kings); "not" (root לא, 90x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·father', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: אַךְ־בְּיָמֶ֙יךָ֙ [indeed·in·your·days] (103) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + אֶעֱשֶׂ֔נָּה [I·will·do·it] (426) + לְמַ֖עַן [for·sake·of] (190) + דָּוִ֣ד [David] (14) + אָבִ֑יךָ [your·father] (33) + מִיַּ֥ד [from·hand·of] (54) + בִּנְךָ֖ [your·son] (72) + אֶקְרָעֶֽנָּה [I·will·tear·it] (426) = 1349.
Malbim
"Only in your days will I not do it" — meaning that the completion of the deed will not be in your days. And this is [the meaning of] "for the sake of David your father," which is understood according to what I explained: that the Lord gave the kingdom to David's son without any condition. Only to the seed of David's seed was the kingdom given conditionally, as it is written: "The Lord has sworn to David in truth, He will not turn back from it: 'The fruit of your body I will set upon your throne.'" And this was without condition, as is indicated by the phrase "He will not turn back from it." [However, regarding the continuation:] "If your children will keep My covenant... then their children also will sit forever upon your throne," thus He placed a condition upon David's grandchildren that they keep His covenant. Therefore, He could not tear away the kingdom in David's days, but only in the days of his son.
However I will not rend away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to your son; for David My servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.’
verse value 4363
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 61 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֖ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "only" (רַ֤ק, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·the·kingdom" (אֶת־כׇּל־הַמַּמְלָכָה֙, 10 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "rod" (שֵׁ֥בֶט), "your·son" (לִבְנֶ֑ךָ). The root מען appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "which" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "I·will·give" (root נתן, 113x in I Kings); "not" (root לא, 90x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·son', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 7 words.
Radak
"One tribe." For Benjamin, since his portion was with Judah in Jerusalem, between the two of them, they are counted as one tribe.
Ralbag
“For the sake of My servant David”: This teaches that the Divine providence that rests upon the father extends to his son. Thus, for the sake of My servant David, He watched over Solomon so that no part of the kingdom would be torn away from him during his lifetime; and for the sake of My servant David, He watched over Solomon’s descendants so that the kingdom would not be removed from them entirely. And indeed, He counted the tribes of Judah and Benjamin as one tribe, because their inheritance was joined together.
“And for Jerusalem, which I have chosen.” This means that because Jerusalem was chosen eternally to be the site of the Temple, I desire that the kingdom of the one who reigns there shall endure there perpetually. For this will serve as a cause to maintain the affairs of the Temple in a more complete manner, since each of these kings will strive for its repair, on account of the fact that their ancestors built it.
Metzudat David
One tribe. He speaks of Judah. And also Benjamin is included with it, for Jerusalem the city of kingship was an inheritance for both of them; and it was subordinate to Judah.
For the sake of Jerusalem. Since it was chosen to have in it the house of the sanctuary; and in order to establish all the matters of the house in their proper place, it is proper that a king from the seed of the builder of the house reign in it, to be concerned and zealous in the deeds of his father.
Malbim
"Only I will not tear away the entire kingdom, and this will not be on account of the fact that David is your father, for that is of no benefit except to Solomon himself, as stated above. Rather, it is for the sake of David My servant, on account of the fact that he was My servant, and his throne is like the sun before Me; and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen, as it is written also: 'their sons shall sit upon your throne forever, for the Lord has chosen Zion.' For through the choosing of Zion, it will be seen that the throne of David will remain there, since it was he who built Zion, as explained in the commentary on Psalms there."
And Hashem raised up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was of the king’s seed in Edom.
verse value 1897
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 42 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "adversary" (שָׂטָן֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·Solomon" (לִשְׁלֹמֹ֔ה, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "Edomite" (הָאֲדֹמִ֑י), "from·seed·of" (מִזֶּ֧רַע). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "to·Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings). First appearance of the root הדד ("Hadad") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Edomite', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words.
Radak
"And the LORD raised up an adversary for him." This was in the time of Solomon's old age, when his heart turned away from the Lord.
"He is in Edom." From the seed of the king who was in Edom, or it is saying this concerning Hadad.
Metzudat David
He in Edom. Meaning: he is from the seed of the king who reigned in Edom.
Metzudat Zion
Shatan. An accuser, to incite his men to fight against him:
Malbim
"And the Lord raised up an adversary to Solomon." This is in connection with God's promise to David regarding Solomon (II Samuel 7:12), where He said, "I will establish your seed after you... and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever. I will be to him a father... and when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men, but My mercy shall not depart from him... and your house and your kingdom shall be established forever." He thereby informed him that although the kingship of his descendants is conditional, nevertheless, if his son errs in his ways, God will reprove him to bring him back to what is good through the rod of men and the afflictions of human beings. By this means, the kingship will be preserved even in the hands of his descendants forever. Therefore, although it was decreed due to Solomon's sin to tear the kingdom from the hand of his son, God nevertheless devised plans not to tear away the entire kingdom, by raising up an adversary against Solomon and reproving him with the rod of men, until he repented of his deeds. Consequently, a lamp remained for David, and one tribe remained for the kingship of his son, as it is stated, "and your house and your kingdom shall be established forever." And that one adversary was Hadad the Edomite, who was from the royal lineage of Edom.
For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, and had smitten every male in Edom—
verse value 3267
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 58 letters. Notable word values: "and·he·struck" (וַיַּ֥ךְ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "prince" (שַׂ֣ר, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·slain" (אֶת־הַחֲלָלִ֑ים, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "when·being" (בִּֽהְי֤וֹת), "with·Edom" (אֶת־אֱד֔וֹם), "to·bury" (לְקַבֵּ֖ר). The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·was" (root היה, 196x in I Kings); "David" (root דוד, 69x in I Kings); "when·went·up" (root עלה, 60x in I Kings). First appearance of the root נכה ("and·he·struck") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·slain', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיְהִ֗י [and·it·was] (31) + בִּֽהְי֤וֹת [when·being] (423) + דָּוִד֙ [David] (14) + אֶת־אֱד֔וֹם [with·Edom] (452) + בַּעֲל֗וֹת [when·went·up] (508) + יוֹאָב֙ [Joab] (19) + שַׂ֣ר [prince] (500) + הַצָּבָ֔א [the·host] (98) + לְקַבֵּ֖ר [to·bury] (332) + אֶת־הַחֲלָלִ֑ים [the·slain] (524) + וַיַּ֥ךְ [and·he·struck] (36) + כׇּל־זָכָ֖ר [every·male] (277) + בֶּאֱדֽוֹם [in·Edom] (53) = 3267.
Rashi
And it came to pass when David was in Edom. Then Hadad fled from before David and Joab.
To bury the slain. They buried the dead of Edom. This is what is stated there in the Book of Samuel (II Samuel 8:13): "And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down Edom." The people all praised him, saying, "A pious man who buries his own slain." And similarly it says regarding the war of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 39:13): "And all the people of the land will bury them, and it will be a name for them." And the Targum translates "to bury the slain" as: "To strip the slain," meaning to take their spoils.
Radak
“While David was in Edom.” Just as it says “in Edom,” the matter is recounted here now, for Hadad fled and was a small child when he fled, and he fled from his land with some Edomite men when Joab struck down every male in Edom. And when he heard that David and Joab had died, he plotted to take vengeance on Israel. And what is recounted about the matter of his wife, who was the sister of the queen, and his son, who was weaned among the sons of Pharaoh—all this is stated to inform us that his hatred of Israel was so intense that he abandoned all this good fortune in order to take vengeance on Israel. He said to Pharaoh, “Send me away,” and he went to his land. But it did not succeed for him to harass Israel until the time of Solomon’s old age, when the Lord raised up a satan against Israel because of the sin of idolatry committed by Solomon’s wives, who built high places. And likewise, He raised up another satan against Solomon, Rezon the son of Eliada. Both of them harassed Israel during the time of Solomon’s old age.
"And he smote every male in Edom." [This teaches that this happened] after he had smitten every male in Edom, for first he struck them and afterward he buried them. And just as this conjunction vav [indicates reversed order], so too: "You were angry, and we had sinned" — [meaning] after we had sinned, You were angry; and "He made the sea into dry land, and the waters were split" — [meaning] after the waters were split, He made the sea into dry land. And besides these [examples] that we have written in the book Mikhlol — and concerning this matter our Sages of blessed memory explained: "And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down Edom" — this is a good name that he acquired among the nations, because he commanded that the slain be buried. And so the Prophet says regarding the wars of Gog and Magog: "And all the people of the land shall bury them, and it shall be a name [of renown] for them." But the Targum [Yonatan renders] "to bury the slain" as "to strip the slain" — meaning, to take their spoils and their weapons.
Ralbag
"And it came to pass when David was in Edom" – this means that David was in Edom to bury the fallen, in order to purify the land, at the time that Joab, the commander of the army, went up against Edom to strike them. And afterwards it relates that Joab had already struck every male in Edom.
Metzudat David
Edom. Meaning: in Edom.
When Joab went up. When Joab went up there to smite them, David was there, to bury the slain. And he smote. Meaning: for Joab smote every male in Edom; and because of the multitude of their slain, David was burying them, out of compassion and pity.
Malbim
(15-25) The Questions: After he had decreed his punishment by the tearing of the kingdom, why did He add to raise up a satan for him? He begins to recount that He raised up Hadad as a satan, yet he did not recount at all in what manner he acted as a satan against him. And in verse 23, it should have said, "And God raised up for him another satan." Moreover, why it was that Rezon acted as a satan is not known. And what is written, "and the evil which Hadad [did]," has no explanation. And what is written that Joab cut off every male in Edom contradicts what is written (II Samuel 8) that he placed governors in Edom.
(15-16) "And David smote Edom" — in the Book of Samuel and in I Chronicles it is stated that he smote Edom, eighteen thousand, and placed governors in Edom. This implies that he left some survivors from them. And according to this, it appears that initially he placed governors over them. However, when Joab went to bury the slain, they rebelled against him a second time. Then he cut off every male in Edom, in accordance with the law regarding rebels. And for this purpose, they remained there for six months to cut off those who remained and those who were hidden.
for Joab and all Israel remained there six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom—
verse value 3699
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 44 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·all·Israel" (וְכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "six" (שֵׁ֧שֶׁת), "remained·there" (יָשַׁב־שָׁ֥ם), "until·he·cut·off" (עַד־הִכְרִ֥ית). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 94x in I Kings); "and·all·Israel" (root כל, 86x in I Kings); "remained·there" (root ישב, 52x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·all·Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּ֣י [for] (30) + שֵׁ֧שֶׁת [six] (1000) + חֳדָשִׁ֛ים [months] (362) + יָשַׁב־שָׁ֥ם [remained·there] (652) + יוֹאָ֖ב [Joab] (19) + וְכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל [and·all·Israel] (597) + עַד־הִכְרִ֥ית [until·he·cut·off] (709) + כׇּל־זָכָ֖ר [every·male] (277) + בֶּאֱדֽוֹם [in·Edom] (53) = 3699.
Radak
And all Israel. All Israel who were with him in the war dwelled there until he had completely destroyed every male in Edom, and until they buried the slain.
that Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him, to go into Egypt; Hadad being yet a little child.
verse value 2228
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 54 letters. The shortest word is "Hadad" (אֲדַ֡ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·men" (וַאֲנָשִׁ֨ים, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 407: and·men, with·him. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "Hadad" (אֲדַ֡ד), "and·men" (וַאֲנָשִׁ֨ים), "Edomite" (אֲדֹמִיִּ֜ים). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·come" (root בוא, 109x in I Kings); "and·men" (root איש, 79x in I Kings); "of·the·servants·of" (root עבד, 78x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Egypt', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיִּבְרַ֣ח [and·fled] (226) + אֲדַ֡ד [Hadad] (9) + הוּא֩ [he] (12) + וַאֲנָשִׁ֨ים [and·men] (407) + אֲדֹמִיִּ֜ים [Edomite] (105) + מֵעַבְדֵ֥י [of·the·servants·of] (126) + אָבִ֛יו [his·father] (19) + אִתּ֖וֹ [with·him] (407) + לָב֣וֹא [to·come] (39) + מִצְרָ֑יִם [Egypt] (380) + וַהֲדַ֖ד [and·Hadad] (19) + נַ֥עַר [boy] (320) + קָטָֽן [young] (159) = 2228.
Radak
"And Hadad fled." [Here spelled] with an aleph, whereas elsewhere [it is spelled] with a heh; and it is one and the same [name], for the letters aleph, heh, vav, and yod are interchangeable, as in [the case of] "Yishai" and "Ishai," and the like.
Metzudat David
And he fled. Then Adad fled; and he is Hadad.
Malbim
(17-18) “And he fled,” and at that time Hadad fled, with men accompanying him, and they passed through the territory of Midian and Paran, and from there many people joined him. Consequently, he appeared in the eyes of Pharaoh as a prince and a great man, and Pharaoh gave him a house, assured him of bread year after year, and also gave him land over which to rule.
And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran; and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, and appointed him victuals, and gave him land.
verse value 5083
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 88 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֔וֹ) = 36, double chai. Verse gematria: 5083 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֔וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "king·Egypt" (מֶלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 36: to·him, to·him. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "from·Midian" (מִמִּדְיָ֔ן), "Paran" (פָּארָ֑ן), "with" (עִמָּ֜ם). The root בוא appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "house" (root בית, 191x in I Kings); "and·he·gave·to·him" (root נתן, 113x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Paran', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 16 words.
Rashi
"And bread he assigned to him." He said to his servants: Give him so much and so much bread for the day.
Radak
"And they departed from Midian." Perhaps when they left Edom, they delayed in Midian, and they departed from there and came to Paran. And men arose with them from Paran, because those men recognized him as being of royal lineage. Therefore, they took them along with them, in order that they might testify on his behalf before Pharaoh that he was of royal lineage.
"And bread" – He said to give it to him. And the Targum of Jonathan renders: "And food" – He said to provide it for him.
"And the land he gave him." Cities over which he would be a ruler and an official.
Ralbag
"And men took with them from Paran." It is possible that they took them so that there would be a large group with him, and this would be the reason that Pharaoh would honor him and exalt him, along with the fact that they also testified that he was of royal descent; and for this reason Pharaoh gave him what he gave him.
"And bread" – He said to him: This means that [Pharaoh] had already said to give him his allotted portion of bread continually.
“And he gave him land.” This means that he gave him cities, so that he would rule over them.
Metzudat David
And they went from Midian. For they fled through Midian; and from there they came to Paran; and they took with them men from there, to go to Egypt to increase their number of men, to appear in Pharaoh's eyes as a commander and a great man.
And he gave. Pharaoh gave him a house to dwell in; and he said to give him bread for his food; and he even gave him land for an inheritance.
And Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.
verse value 4339
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 57 letters. Notable word values: "Hadad" (הֲדַ֥ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "favour" (חֵ֛ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·he·gave·to·him" (וַיִּתֶּן־ל֤וֹ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "favour" (חֵ֛ן), "sister·of" (אֶת־אֲח֣וֹת), "queen" (הַגְּבִירָֽה). The root אשה appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·he·gave·to·him" (root נתן, 113x in I Kings); "wife" (root אשה, 35x in I Kings); "in·eyes·of" (root עין, 32x in I Kings). First appearance of the root אחות ("sister·of") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'very', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַיִּמְצָ֨א [and·found] (147) + הֲדַ֥ד [Hadad] (13) + חֵ֛ן [favour] (58) + בְּעֵינֵ֥י [in·eyes·of] (142) + פַרְעֹ֖ה [Pharaoh] (355) + מְאֹ֑ד [very] (45) + וַיִּתֶּן־ל֤וֹ [and·he·gave·to·him] (502) + אִשָּׁה֙ [wife] (306) + אֶת־אֲח֣וֹת [sister·of] (816) + אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ [his·wife] (707) + אֲח֖וֹת [sister] (415) + תַּחְפְּנֵ֥יס [Tahpenes] (608) + הַגְּבִירָֽה [queen] (225) = 4339.
Rashi
The noblewoman. The queen:
Metzudat Zion
Hagvira. The queen:
Malbim
And afterward it says, "He found favor," until he married the sister of Pharaoh's wife; and his son was regarded as a son of kings and was raised among Pharaoh's children. And even though he had all this honor, nevertheless:
And the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh’s house among the sons of Pharaoh.
verse value 6794
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 74 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֜וֹ) = 36, double chai. Verse gematria: 6794 is divisible by 86, the value of Elohim. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֜וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·she·weaned·him" (וַתִּגְמְלֵ֣הוּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 455: Genubath, Genubath. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·she·weaned·him" (וַתִּגְמְלֵ֣הוּ), "Tahpenes" (תַחְפְּנֵ֔ס). The root פרעה appears 3 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·was" (root היה, 196x in I Kings); "house·of" (root בית, 191x in I Kings); "his·son" (root בן, 72x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Pharaoh', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 7 words.
Metzudat David
Pharaoh's house. In Pharaoh's house.
Among the sons of, etc. To be raised with them and similar to them.
Metzudat Zion
Vatgmalo. A matter of weaning the suckling from its mother's breast; like (Genesis 21:8) 'on the day of weaning' (b'yom hagamal):
And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh: ‘Let me depart, that I may go to mine own country.’
verse value 4242
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 72 letters. Notable word values: "Hadad" (הֲדַד֙) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "he·heard" (שָׁמַ֣ע, 3 letters) and the longest is "with·his·fathers" (עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 19: and·Hadad, Joab. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "that·slept" (כִּֽי־שָׁכַ֤ב), "and·that·died" (וְכִי־מֵ֖ת), "captain·of·the·host" (שַׂר־הַצָּבָ֑א). The root הדד appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "to·my·land" (root איל, 125x in I Kings); "and·I·will·go" (root הלך, 115x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'captain·of·the·host', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Rashi
“for David slept” — David, who died a natural death, is described with the term “slept,” whereas Joab, who was killed, is described with the term “died.” Another explanation: David, who left behind a worthy son to succeed him, is described with the term “slept,” whereas Joab, who did not leave behind a worthy son to succeed him, is not described with the term “slept,” but rather with the term “died” (Bava Batra 116a).
Radak
"When David slept with his fathers, and when Joab the commander of the army died." They expounded upon this: Why is "sleeping" stated regarding David, whereas "death" is stated regarding Joab? Is not "sleeping" synonymous with "death"? Rather, since David died on his bed, the term "sleeping" is used for him; since Joab was killed, the term "death" is used for him. Since David's sons succeeded him in his position, the term "sleeping" is used for him; since Joab's sons did not succeed him in his position, the term "death" is used for him.
“Send me.” He said to Pharaoh, “Send me away,” for he reasoned: Since David and Joab have died, and Solomon is but a youth, and there is no man of war, he intends to do harm to Israel. While he was still in Egypt, he could not harm them, for Pharaoh’s daughter was Solomon’s wife. But when he departed from Egypt, his scheme did not succeed, for all the days of Solomon there was no adversary and no evil plague, until his old age. And then there were adversaries against Israel: Hadad and Rezon as well.
Ralbag
And he said to Pharaoh, “Send me away, and I will go to my land.” It seemed as though Hadad thought to take vengeance upon Israel, seeing that their mighty men, who were successful in war, had died. Nevertheless, he could not do so while Solomon was walking in the ways of the Lord, as his father David had done. But in his old age, when this sin was found in him, then Hadad became an adversary to Solomon and to Israel. Although it is written, “Judah and Israel dwelt securely, each man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon,” the meaning here is that this was so for the majority of Solomon’s days, up until his old age. For you will find the word “all” used in the words of the prophets in a similar manner, as it says, “They rose early in the morning, and behold, they were all dead corpses.” And what is meant here by “he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon” is: all the remaining days of Solomon, from the time of his old age onward, when his wives served other gods.
Metzudat David
To my land. For he planned to gather men to fight against Israel, when he heard that the king and the commander of the army who smites in Edom had died; and as though with them the valor of Israel died.
Malbim
"When he heard that Joab had died and David was no longer present, he asked permission to return to his land to take vengeance upon Israel. However, as long as Solomon walked in the ways of the Lord, he could not lift his head; but now that Solomon had sinned:"
Then Pharaoh said to him: ‘But what have you lacked with me, that, behold, you seek to go to your own country?’ And he answered: ‘Nothing; however let me depart in any wise.’
verse value 4316
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 60 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֣וֹ) = 36, double chai. Verse gematria: 4316 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֣וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·your·land" (אֶל־אַרְצֶ֑ךָ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, and·said. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "what·you" (מָֽה־אַתָּ֤ה), "and·behold·you" (וְהִנְּךָ֥), "to·your·land" (אֶל־אַרְצֶ֑ךָ). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "to·your·land" (root איל, 125x in I Kings); "to·go" (root הלך, 115x in I Kings). First appearance of the root חסר ("lacking") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·your·land', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 5 words.
Metzudat David
For what are you. Meaning: and what are you lacking being with me? In a question. And why do you seek to go to your land?
And God raised up another adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah.
verse value 3174
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 54 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֥ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "to·him" (לוֹ֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Eliada" (בֶּן־אֶלְיָדָ֑ע, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "Rezon" (אֶת־רְז֖וֹן), "son·of·Eliada" (בֶּן־אֶלְיָדָ֑ע), "Hadarezer" (הֲדַדְעֶ֥זֶר). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "who" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "son·of·Eliada" (root בין, 107x in I Kings); "God" (root אלהים, 99x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'son·of·Eliada', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיָּ֨קֶם [and·he·raised·up] (156) + אֱלֹהִ֥ים [God] (86) + לוֹ֙ [to·him] (36) + שָׂטָ֔ן [adversary] (359) + אֶת־רְז֖וֹן [Rezon] (664) + בֶּן־אֶלְיָדָ֑ע [son·of·Eliada] (167) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [who] (501) + בָּרַ֗ח [he·fled] (210) + מֵאֵ֛ת [from] (441) + הֲדַדְעֶ֥זֶר [Hadarezer] (290) + מֶלֶךְ־צוֹבָ֖ה [king·Zobah] (193) + אֲדֹנָֽיו [his·lord] (71) = 3174.
Rashi
"And God raised up an adversary against him." This refers to Solomon. This is what the prophet Nathan said to David (2 Samuel 7:14): "When he does wrong, I will correct him with the rod of men."
Radak
"And God raised up an adversary for him." To Solomon, meaning, furthermore, He raised up for him another adversary, Rezon, who also had fled from Hadadezer when David struck him, as it is written in the Book of Samuel, saying, "Then Rezon fled from his master." This Rezon gathered men and became captain of a band. When he heard that Hadad had returned to his land in order to harm Israel, he too went with his men to Damascus and succeeded there, until he and his men reigned in Damascus. Afterwards, he grew even stronger and reigned over all Aram, for Damascus was part of Aram. At first, he did not overpower the men who had come with him, and he allowed them to be rulers in the city with him, until he strengthened himself in his kingship and reigned alone over Aram, and he harmed Israel.
Malbim
"And the Lord raised up for him an adversary" – this means that He raised up an adversary who would join with him, namely Hadad, through whom Hadad would carry out the scheme of his heart. And this refers to Rezon son of Eliada, who bore no enmity toward Israel; on the contrary, he had benefited from them, for he had fled from Hadadezer king of Zobah, his master.
And he gathered men to him, and became captain over a troop, when David slew them [of Zobah]; and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.
verse value 3343
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 61 letters. The shortest word is "in·her" (בָ֔הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "prince·a band" (שַׂר־גְּד֔וּד, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "prince·a band" (שַׂר־גְּד֔וּד). The root דמשק appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·reigned" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "and·it·was" (root היה, 196x in I Kings); "to·him" (root על, 127x in I Kings). First appearance of the root קבץ ("and·he·gathered") in I Kings. First appearance of the root דמשק ("Damascus") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'them', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיִּקְבֹּ֤ץ [and·he·gathered] (208) + עָלָיו֙ [to·him] (116) + אֲנָשִׁ֔ים [man] (401) + וַיְהִ֣י [and·it·was] (31) + שַׂר־גְּד֔וּד [prince·a band] (517) + בַּהֲרֹ֥ג [when·killing] (210) + דָּוִ֖ד [David] (14) + אֹתָ֑ם [them] (441) + וַיֵּלְכ֤וּ [and·they·went] (72) + דַמֶּ֙שֶׂק֙ [Damascus] (444) + וַיֵּ֣שְׁבוּ [and·they·dwelt] (324) + בָ֔הּ [in·her] (7) + וַֽיִּמְלְכ֖וּ [and·they·reigned] (112) + בְּדַמָּֽשֶׂק [in·Damascus] (446) = 3343.
Metzudat David
When he was slaying. At the time that David slew the army of Hadadezer, Rezon then fled; and he gathered to himself men; and he became their head. And when Hadad returned to his land, he too went and his men to Damascus; and they ruled in it. And his mind was to join with Hadad and fight against Israel.
Metzudat Zion
Gdud. A band of men:
Malbim
"And he gathered men about him, etc." — when David killed them. And because David killed the army of Hadadezer, thereby he [Rezon] found strength to gather men about him and to become a commander of a raiding band. And if David had not killed them, he [Rezon] would have fled and been pursued by his master [Hadadezer], and thus he attained good through David. However, now Hadad joined with Rezon son of Eliada, and they went to Damascus and reigned in Damascus — that through Hadad's help, he [Rezon] reigned in Damascus; or perhaps they both, Hadad and Rezon, reigned there at first.
And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did; and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Aram.
verse value 3843
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 55 letters. Notable word values: "Hadad" (הֲדָ֑ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "adversary" (שָׂטָ֤ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·with·the·evil" (וְאֶת־הָרָעָ֖ה, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "to·Israel" (לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙), "and·with·the·evil" (וְאֶת־הָרָעָ֖ה). The root ישראל appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "and·he·reigned" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "and·it·was" (root היה, 196x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hadad', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיְהִ֨י [and·it·was] (31) + שָׂטָ֤ן [adversary] (359) + לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ [to·Israel] (571) + כׇּל־יְמֵ֣י [all·days·of] (110) + שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה [Solomon] (375) + וְאֶת־הָרָעָ֖ה [and·with·the·evil] (687) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [that] (501) + הֲדָ֑ד [Hadad] (13) + וַיָּ֙קָץ֙ [and·he·abhorred] (206) + בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל [in·Israel] (543) + וַיִּמְלֹ֖ךְ [and·he·reigned] (106) + עַל־אֲרָֽם [over·Aram] (341) = 3843.
Rashi
"And the evil of Hadad" — along with the evil that came through Hadad, this too was the evil of Rezon.
Radak
"All the days of Solomon." From the time that he arose to be an adversary, he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon. However, we cannot interpret "all the days of Solomon" as meaning from the time that Solomon began to reign, for it is written: "And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon" (1 Kings 4:25), and it is also stated: "There was no adversary nor any evil mishap" (1 Kings 5:4). Rather, these adversaries arose only in the time of Solomon's old age, from the time that his heart turned away from the Lord. And after they arose, they were adversaries to Israel all the days of Solomon until Solomon died, so that he might be comforted regarding the sin and recognize that as long as he loved the Lord, there was no adversary and no evil mishap, but since he sinned, the adversaries arose.
"And the evil which Hadad did": His evil was joined with the evil which Hadad did to Israel.
"And he loathed Israel." "Vayikatz" (and he loathed) is a transitive verb, and its Targumic translation is "and he rebelled against Israel." Alternatively, it may be an intransitive verb, like its counterparts, meaning that he became weary of them and rejected them, despite having been at peace with them.
Ralbag
“And he loathed Israel.” This means that he was an end and a source of disgust to Israel; or alternatively, the intent is that he was in distress of heart on account of Israel, because he could not carry out all his wishes against them. For his desire was to destroy them if he could, and his eyes were always set on doing them every evil when they would fall into his hands. And through his great exertion to harm Israel, he became king over Aram and caused them to rebel against King Solomon, for prior to this Aram had been bringing tribute to Solomon and to David, as is mentioned in the Book of Samuel. And it was assumed that all the kings who were in Aram after this were descended from him. Therefore you will find that there was a king of Aram in the days of Ahab, named Ben-Hadad, and they traced his lineage to his father, and he was called by this name on account of the great stature of Hadad among them.
Metzudat David
All the days of Solomon. From the time he sinned until the day of his death.
And the evil. Meaning: the evil of Rezon was with the evil that Hadad did; for if he were alone, he would not have been able to withstand.
And he loathed. He despised Israel, and was not willing that it should continue to rule over Aram any longer as it had since then, when David placed officers in Aram, as is said in II Samuel (8:10).
And he reigned. And he reigned in Aram; and not an officer of the king of Israel.
Metzudat Zion
Viketz. He loathed; like (Genesis 27:46) 'I am weary of my life' (katziti b'chayi):
Malbim
"And there was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon" — this refers to the remaining days of Solomon, from the time of his old age when he sinned against the Lord, until the day of his death. "And the evil which Hadad did" — meaning, although Rezon did not harbor hatred toward Israel, he joined with this evil of Hadad, who had suffered harm at the hands of Israel and bore a grudge against them; thus Rezon participated in this hostility, becoming an adversary to them as well. Now, Aram used to bring tribute to David, as mentioned in the Book of Samuel, and likewise to Solomon. They caused Aram to rebel against Solomon. Consequently, "he loathed Israel," for conflict arose among them. And consequently, "he reigned over Aram," for after they feared Solomon and that he would wage war against them, they all accepted him as king to fight their battles and defend them, since initially he ruled only over Damascus alone.
And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, he also lifted up his hand against the king.
verse value 3565
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 60 letters. The shortest word is "hand" (יָ֖ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "from·Zeredah" (מִן־הַצְּרֵדָ֗ה, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "Ephraimite" (אֶפְרָתִ֜י), "from·Zeredah" (מִן־הַצְּרֵדָ֗ה), "Zeruah" (צְרוּעָה֙). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·the·king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "to·Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings); "son·of·Nebat" (root בין, 107x in I Kings). First appearance of the root ירבעם ("and·Jeroboam") in I Kings. First appearance of the root רום ("and·he·lifted·up") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Solomon', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְיָרׇבְעָם֩ [and·Jeroboam] (328) + בֶּן־נְבָ֨ט [son·of·Nebat] (113) + אֶפְרָתִ֜י [Ephraimite] (691) + מִן־הַצְּרֵדָ֗ה [from·Zeredah] (394) + וְשֵׁ֤ם [and·name·of] (346) + אִמּוֹ֙ [his·mother] (47) + צְרוּעָה֙ [Zeruah] (371) + אִשָּׁ֣ה [wife] (306) + אַלְמָנָ֔ה [widow] (126) + עֶ֖בֶד [servant] (76) + לִשְׁלֹמֹ֑ה [to·Solomon] (405) + וַיָּ֥רֶם [and·he·lifted·up] (256) + יָ֖ד [hand] (14) + בַּמֶּֽלֶךְ [in·the·king] (92) = 3565.
Rashi
And he raised his hand against the king. He rebuked him in public:
Radak
"And Jeroboam, the son of Nebat." They said in a derash [homiletical exposition]: This Nebat is the same as Micah, and he is the same as Sheba, the son of Bichri. Now, Sheba, the son of Bichri, was from the tribe of Benjamin, whereas Nebat was from the tribe of Ephraim.
Afrati. From the tribe of Ephraim:
“And Jeroboam lifted up his hand against the king.” He rebelled against him, speaking against him and not fearing him. Previously, Solomon had appointed him over all the forced labor of the House of Joseph, to collect the tax from Manasseh and Ephraim, because he saw that he was diligent in his work—meaning, he observed that he was swift and efficient in his tasks. At that time, before he lifted his hand against the king, Ahijah the Shilonite found him and prophesied to him regarding the kingship. Therefore, due to the appointment he had received initially, and due to the news of the kingship that Ahijah had told him, his heart became proud, and he spoke the words that he spoke against Solomon. When Solomon was informed of this, he sought to kill him, and Jeroboam fled to Egypt. This is the order of the matter. However, between the verse “And Jeroboam lifted up his hand against the king” and the verse “And Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam,” the intervening words were placed [in the narrative] for the purpose of explaining why his heart became proud, leading him to lift his hand against the king.
Ralbag
And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the Ephraimite. This means that he was from the tribe of Ephraim.
He was a servant to Solomon, and he lifted his hand against the king. The meaning is that because Solomon had appointed him as one of his servants and officials, his heart became proud, to the extent that he already lifted his hand against the king, as if his status were above the rank of the king. And this "lifting of the hand" was that his heart took it upon itself to criticize his actions and to reprove him for them, as will be related subsequently. And after this, it will relate in what capacity Solomon appointed him, and it also relates another cause for his pride, which is that Ahijah the Shilonite prophesied to him that he would be king over the ten tribes. But prior to this, it relates what his "lifting of the hand" was, namely that he said, reproaching him: "See what he has done." Behold, Solomon built the Millo, which his father David had not wanted to build, in order that there be utility in it for the gathering of Israel and the pilgrims. And furthermore, he did another disgraceful thing: he closed up the breach of his father David. There was a place there where the wall had a breach, so that Israel could come to the king whenever they wished to present before him their matters of dispute. Thus it appears to me [this is my own view]. And it has already been explained regarding this that he had left there a breached place so that he could flee from it if Israel should rebel against him. And it is as if he said that Solomon, in his pride, did not fear that Israel would rebel against him. And in this, Jeroboam sinned against Solomon in two respects: the first, because he criticized him for his actions and reproved him for them; and the second, because he did not accord him honor, but rather called him by his name and said, "Solomon built the Millo," and likewise he called David by his name, and neither of them was called "king."
Metzudat David
An Ephrathite. From the tribe of Ephraim.
And he lifted his hand. He rebelled against him, while he was still a servant to him.
Malbim
And as for Jeroboam: [the LORD] raised up for him [Solomon] yet another adversary, from the House of Israel. And although he was the son of a widowed woman and had been a servant to Solomon, [and thus] subdued under him, he raised his hand against the king—meaning that he rebelled against him and conspired against him.
And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breach of the city of David his father.
verse value 3353
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 52 letters. Notable word values: "and·this" (וְזֶ֣ה) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "hand" (יָ֖ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "that·he·lifted·up" (אֲשֶׁר־הֵרִ֥ים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 14: hand, David. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "that·he·lifted·up" (אֲשֶׁר־הֵרִ֥ים), "shut" (סָגַ֕ר), "the·breach" (אֶת־פֶּ֕רֶץ). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·he·lifted·up" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "in·the·king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "the·matter" (root דבר, 191x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·king', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 8 words. Full calculation: וְזֶ֣ה [and·this] (18) + הַדָּבָ֔ר [the·matter] (211) + אֲשֶׁר־הֵרִ֥ים [that·he·lifted·up] (756) + יָ֖ד [hand] (14) + בַּמֶּ֑לֶךְ [in·the·king] (92) + שְׁלֹמֹה֙ [Solomon] (375) + בָּנָ֣ה [he·built] (57) + אֶת־הַמִּלּ֔וֹא [the·Millo] (483) + סָגַ֕ר [shut] (263) + אֶת־פֶּ֕רֶץ [the·breach] (771) + עִ֖יר [city·of] (280) + דָּוִ֥ד [David] (14) + אָבִֽיו [his·father] (19) = 3353.
Rashi
"And this is the matter" – this is what he reproved him about:
Solomon built the Millo. And with this construction he sealed up the breach in the City of David, for the breach was located at the rear of the Millo. He said to him: "Your father made breaches in the wall so that pilgrims could enter through it, and you have walled it up, to perform forced labor [angaria] for Pharaoh's daughter, by housing there her servants and her attendants" (Sanhedrin 101b).
Radak
Solomon built the Millo. The Millo was a place in Jerusalem, adjacent to Jerusalem, and it was a broad area for the people to assemble there. From this matter, they called it "Millo," which is a matter of assembly. And Solomon built that place because he needed it when he built the house for Pharaoh's daughter. Nevertheless, it appears that what Solomon did was not good in the eyes of the people, and they were afraid of him, saying, "Such and such did Solomon do." And this Jeroboam was haughty of heart and boldened his face, and said, "Solomon built the Millo." That is to say: "See the evil that he did." Furthermore, he said "Solomon" and did not say "the king," and this was rebellion against the king. Moreover, he said, "He closed up the breach of his father David." They explained this to mean that David had made a breach in the wall of Zion, so that if the Israelites rebelled against him, he could go out and flee from there without their knowledge, as is the custom today among the kings of the Ishmaelites, who make a breach in their fortresses so that if the city's inhabitants rise up against the king, he can flee from there; and they call its name "the Gate of Betrayal." And Solomon closed up that breach. And Jeroboam said, "See the haughtiness of his heart, that he closed the breach," meaning that he was confident and did not fear rebellion. And in the words of our Sages of blessed memory: Why did Jeroboam merit the kingship? Because he reproved Solomon. And why was he punished? Because he reproved him in public. He said to him: "Your father David made breaches in the wall so that the Israelites could ascend for the pilgrimage festivals, and you have fenced them off in order to do forced labor for Pharaoh's daughter." And our Sages of blessed memory said: What is the meaning of "and this is the matter in which he lifted his hand against the king"? That he removed his phylacteries before him.
Metzudat David
And this was the matter. Meaning: in this matter he rebelled against the king; which he criticized his deeds in public; and he said: Solomon built the Millo; and did David not leave it vacant, to gather in it in time of need?
He sealed , etc. Meaning: from then on the wall of the City of David was broken through, to go out and come in to the king, to present to him their words of contention. And behold, Solomon sealed the breach; as though he does not care to do justice for the people.
Malbim
The Questions: The commentators' explanation that what is stated, 'Solomon built the Millo,' is a word of contempt that Jeroboam spoke about Solomon, is very forced. For did he not have [ample grounds] to disparage him for having taken foreign wives and built high places for them? Not so the closing of the breaches of the city — that is for the good of the city, so that an enemy will not conquer it and go up through its breaches.
“And this is the matter in which he lifted his hand against the king” means that this was the reason he had the power to lift his hand, even though he had risen like a root from a dry land, for he grew great and had courage of heart due to two matters: 1. Solomon built the Millo, which were large, spacious buildings, and he also closed up the breach of the City of David, his father, that is to say, he built the walls of Jerusalem, which had been breached (as stated above, 9:15):
And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour; and Solomon saw the young man that he was industrious, and he gave him charge over all the labour of the house of Joseph.
verse value 4081
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 65 letters. The shortest word is "strength" (חָ֑יִל, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·young·man" (אֶת־הַנַּ֗עַר, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 322: and·the·man, Jeroboam. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·the·man" (וְהָאִ֥ישׁ), "mighty·man" (גִּבּ֣וֹר), "the·young·man" (אֶת־הַנַּ֗עַר). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "house·of" (root בית, 191x in I Kings); "Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings); "that·doing" (root עשה, 143x in I Kings). First appearance of the root פקד ("and·he·appointed") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'strength', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 11 words.
Rashi
And Solomon saw the youth. Previously:
"For he was a doer of work." He was quick in his work and diligent:
"For every burden of the house of Joseph." (Targum:) "For all the collectors of the tax of the house of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim," because he was from the tribe of Ephraim.
Ralbag
And behold, the Scripture states: “Now the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor, and Solomon saw the young man that he was a diligent worker.” He was swift in his work, for which reason Solomon appointed him, and appointed him for this purpose: to collect the tribute that all the House of Joseph bore upon them, namely Manasseh and Ephraim. At that time, after the king had appointed him to this office, immediately when Jeroboam went out from Jerusalem to go and collect the taxes with which he had been entrusted, Ahijah the Shilonite encountered him on the way. Ahijah the Shilonite was covered with a new garment, and they were alone in the field. When Ahijah looked around and saw that there was no one present who might observe their actions and be able to report them to King Solomon, then he seized the new garment that was upon him and tore it into twelve pieces. He thereby informed him that he would reign over ten tribes after the death of Solomon, because he had allowed his household to serve idolatry. However, he would not take any part of his kingdom during his lifetime, for the sake of David, the servant of the Lord, who guarded His commandments and statutes. For this reason as well, He would not remove the kingdom entirely from the seed of Solomon, as He had previously promised him: if he would guard the commandments of the Lord and His statutes, He would build for him a house that would endure for a long time. Thus, the seed of David would be punished in this manner: they would not possess the entire kingdom. Yet His seed would not be punished for all days, for the entire kingdom would again return to the seed of David. Since the entire kingdom did not return to the seed of David in the days of the First Temple, nor in the days of the Second Temple, behold, this is proof that the complete return of the kingdom to the seed of David was vowed, and this will be in the days of King Messiah. After him, the kingdom will not depart from him, as has been explained in several places in the Book of Daniel.
Metzudat David
For he was a doer of work. Meaning: that he is swift and diligent in his deeds.
And he appointed him. Already, before he had raised his hand against him, he had appointed him over the burden of the house of Joseph; meaning: to collect from them the tax.
Metzudat Zion
Vifaked. A matter of appointment and stewardship; like (Genesis 39:5) 'from the time he appointed him' (me'az hifkid oto):
Saval. The burden of the tax:
Malbim
"And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor": He was engaged in the work of these constructions together with the builders. At that time, Solomon recognized him and saw that he was performing labor. Consequently, he found favor in Solomon's eyes, and the king appointed him over the forced labor of the House of Joseph. This was because all the tribes contributed a tax and assisted in these constructions, particularly in the building projects of Jerusalem, which were the responsibility of all the tribes. The king appointed him over the forced labor of the House of Joseph to collect the tax from his tribe, since he was from the tribe of Ephraim, and to supervise the work being carried out by the portion of the House of Joseph. This was the initial cause for his rise to prominence as an official over the forced labor of his tribe, and he became a prince and an officer of the king.
And it came to pass at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; now Ahijah had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field.
verse value 4891
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 86 letters. Notable word values: "and·he" (וְה֤וּא) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "time" (בָּעֵ֣ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "from·Jerusalem" (מִירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "covering·himself" (מִתְכַּסֶּה֙), "new" (חֲדָשָׁ֔ה), "and·two·of·them" (וּשְׁנֵיהֶ֥ם). The root הוא appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·was" (root היה, 196x in I Kings); "with·a·garment" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings); "that" (root הוא, 65x in I Kings). First appearance of the root שילני ("the·Shilonite") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Jerusalem', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 13 words.
Radak
Shiloni. He was from Shiloh, and he said: "From Shiloh, Shiloni; from Giloh, Giloni."
"And he covered himself." Whether it was Ahijah or Jeroboam, there is no decisive proof. And so it is in the words of our Sages of blessed memory: Rav and Levi, one says it was the rent garment of Ahijah, and the other says it was the rent garment of Jeroboam. Rabbi Shmuel said: It is reasonable to follow the one who says it was Ahijah’s, for it is the way of the righteous to rend their garments in a dispute concerning the House of David.
Metzudat David
And it came to pass at that time. When he appointed him, and he went out from Jerusalem to go to collect the tribute.
And he. It refers to Ahijah the Shilonite.
And the two alone. And there was no one else, to reveal the matter that he would do.
Malbim
"And it came to pass at that time" — and furthermore, this was joined to the courage that he had attained through the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, who strengthened his heart through his prophecy, and through this he found in his heart to raise his hand against the king.
And Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces.
verse value 3917
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 44 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·he·tore·it" (וַיִּ֨קְרָעֶ֔הָ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·caught" (וַיִּתְפֹּ֣שׂ), "new" (הַחֲדָשָׁ֖ה), "and·he·tore·it" (וַיִּ֨קְרָעֶ֔הָ). The root קרע appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "in·the·garment" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings); "on·him" (root על, 127x in I Kings). First appearance of the root תפש ("and·caught") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'on·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיִּתְפֹּ֣שׂ [and·caught] (796) + אֲחִיָּ֔ה [Ahijah] (24) + בַּשַּׂלְמָ֥ה [in·the·garment] (377) + הַחֲדָשָׁ֖ה [new] (322) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [that] (501) + עָלָ֑יו [on·him] (116) + וַיִּ֨קְרָעֶ֔הָ [and·he·tore·it] (391) + שְׁנֵ֥ים [two] (400) + עָשָׂ֖ר [ten] (570) + קְרָעִֽים [pieces] (420) = 3917.
Metzudat David
Twelve pieces. Meaning: twelve fragments; or, tears proper. And in twelve tears there are thirteen fragments; and he gave to Jeroboam eleven fragments, and in them were ten tears, to hint at ten tribes. And in his hand remained two fragments, and in them was one tear, to hint that the tribe of Judah would remain for the kingship of the house of David; and the tribe of Benjamin is included in the tribe of Judah, and they were subordinate to them. And the Levites -- did they not dwell among all the tribes of Israel? And they are not counted at all.
Metzudat Zion
Vityafosh. And he seized:
Malbim
The Sages of blessed memory disputed the meaning of “and he tore it” (ויקרעה): whether it was the garment of Achia or the garment of Yeravam. It is clear to us that a prophecy which is accompanied by a specific action is binding and must come to pass; it cannot be nullified in any way. Thus, by the act of tearing the garment, the matter was decreed irrevocably, without possibility of change, even if Solomon were to repent.
And he said to Jeroboam: ‘Take you ten pieces; for thus says Hashem, the God of Israel: Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to you—
verse value 6384
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 85 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֜ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·kingdom" (אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָה֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 575: ten, ten. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "take·for·yourself" (קַח־לְךָ֖). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'pieces', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 16 words.
but he shall have one tribe, for My servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel—
verse value 3843
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 63 letters. Notable word values: "the·one" (הָאֶחָ֖ד) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "in·her" (בָ֔הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "shall·be·his" (יִֽהְיֶה־לּ֑וֹ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·the·rod" (וְהַשֵּׁ֥בֶט), "shall·be·his" (יִֽהְיֶה־לּ֑וֹ). The root שבט appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "which" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "shall·be·his" (root היה, 196x in I Kings); "Israel" (root ישראל, 120x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'shall·be·his', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 12 words.
Radak
"And the one tribe." Judah and Benjamin are counted as a single tribe, because they were joined together in their inheritance and in Jerusalem.
Malbim
"For the sake of My servant David"—as stated above in verse 13:
because that they have forsaken Me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways, to do that which is right in Mine eyes, and to keep My statutes and Mine ordinances, as did David his father.
verse value 6912
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 109 letters. Verse gematria: 6912 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "because" (יַ֣עַן, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·worshipped" (וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲווּ֮, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 46: god·of, god·of, god·of. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "they·have·forsaken·Me" (עֲזָב֗וּנִי), "to·Ashtoreth" (לְעַשְׁתֹּ֘רֶת֮), "Zidonians" (צִדֹנִין֒). The root אלהים appears 3 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "to·do" (root עשה, 143x in I Kings); "and·not·they·walked" (root הלך, 115x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'sons·of·Ammon', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 9 words.
Radak
"Who have forsaken Me": Solomon and his household, and those who followed after them.
Metzudat David
That they have forsaken me. Meaning: he allowed his wives to forsake Me and to bow down to the service of idols.
And have not walked in My ways. He did not teach them to walk in My ways, etc., as David his father did.
However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand; but I will make him prince all the days of his life, for David My servant’s sake, whom I chose, because he kept My commandments and My statutes;
verse value 6018
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 78 letters. Notable word values: "my·servant" (עַבְדִּי֙) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "but" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·the·kingdom" (אֶת־כׇּל־הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה, 10 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: whom, because. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·not·I·will·take" (וְלֹא־אֶקַּ֥ח), "from·his·hand" (מִיָּד֑וֹ), "chieftain" (נָשִׂ֣יא). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "whom" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "day" (root יום, 100x in I Kings); "but" (root כי, 94x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·his·hand', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 16 words.
Radak
"And I will not take anything from the kingdom." I will not take anything from the kingdom from his hand. And similarly, "You shall not do any work," "You shall not eat any fat or any blood," and things like them.
Metzudat David
All the kingdom. Meaning: I will not take anything from the kingdom from his hand. And its like is (Exodus 20:10): 'you shall not do any work.' And he means: no work.
For a prince I will appoint him. All his days I will set him as prince over all Israel, as he is now.
Metzudat Zion
Ashitanu. I will place him; like (Psalms 12:6) 'I will set [him] in safety' (ashit b'yesha):
Malbim
The questions: Is it not so that nothing at all was taken from Solomon's hand, and he was king all the days of his life? How then could it say, "I will not take the entire kingdom, for I will make him a prince"?
"And I will not take" means: even though I have torn the kingdom from his hand—meaning that I have decreed that it shall not remain in his hand—I will not actually take the entire kingdom from him. And "I will not take" also means not even a portion of the kingdom (as in the verse "You shall eat no fat, nor any blood"). Rather, the tearing away pertains to the fact that he shall not bequeath it to his sons, for I will appoint only a prince for all the days of his life, since a prince does not bequeath the principality to his sons. From this perspective, because he will not bequeath it to his son, he is no longer a king (for kingship is hereditary to his sons), but only a prince. And this is "for the sake of My servant David" (as stated above in verse 12).
but I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand, and will give it to you, even ten tribes.
verse value 3430
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 38 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (לְּךָ֔, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·take" (וְלָקַחְתִּ֥י, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·I·will·take" (וְלָקַחְתִּ֥י). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·kingdom" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "and·I·will·give·it" (root נתן, 113x in I Kings); "his·son" (root בן, 72x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·son', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words.
Malbim
"And I will take [it]" – but from the hand of his son I will actually take it, in practice.
And to his son will I give one tribe, that David My servant may have a lamp alway before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen Me to put My name there.
verse value 5305
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 75 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֔י, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·David·my·servant" (לְדָֽוִיד־עַ֠בְדִּ֠י, 9 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·to·his·son" (וְלִבְנ֖וֹ), "tribe·one" (שֵֽׁבֶט־אֶחָ֑ד), "being·a·lamp" (הֱיֽוֹת־נִ֣יר). The root שם appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "which" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "being·a·lamp" (root היה, 196x in I Kings); "I·will·give" (root נתן, 113x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'tribe·one', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 13 words.
Rashi
Nir. Government, and "nir" is a term of "yoke":
Radak
"For the sake of being a lamp for My servant David." "Nir" is written with a chirik, like [it would be] with a tzeirei, as it is stated, "I have prepared a lamp for My Anointed One." And Targum Yonatan renders it "malku" [dominion]. And Targum Onkelos [renders it] "niram" and "malko" [dominion/kingdom].
Metzudat David
A lamp. Meaning: a ruling king. And so he says (Psalms 132:17): 'I have ordained a lamp for My anointed.' And the king is called so, on account that he spreads and illuminates; and in his light light is seen.
To David My servant. To be from his seed a ruling king.
And I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your soul desires, and shall be king over Israel.
verse value 3609
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "I·take" (אֶקַּ֔ח, 3 letters) and the longest is "that·desires" (אֲשֶׁר־תְּאַוֶּ֖ה, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·you" (וְאֹתְךָ֣), "I·take" (אֶקַּ֔ח), "and·you·will·reign" (וּמָ֣לַכְתָּ֔). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·you·will·reign" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "and·you·shall·be" (root היה, 196x in I Kings); "over·Israel" (root על, 127x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·soul', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְאֹתְךָ֣ [and·you] (427) + אֶקַּ֔ח [I·take] (109) + וּמָ֣לַכְתָּ֔ [and·you·will·reign] (496) + בְּכֹ֥ל [in·them] (52) + אֲשֶׁר־תְּאַוֶּ֖ה [that·desires] (913) + נַפְשֶׁ֑ךָ [your·soul] (450) + וְהָיִ֥יתָ [and·you·shall·be] (431) + מֶּ֖לֶךְ [king] (90) + עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל [over·Israel] (641) = 3609.
Metzudat David
All that your soul desires. Meaning: to rule a great rule.
Malbim
The questions: From what that is written, “And you shall reign over all that your soul desires,” is it not the case that if he desires to reign also over the tribe of Judah, he will not reign according to the desires of his soul?
And it shall be that you shall reign over all that your soul desires: He said to him, this is a condition for kingship: before one reigns over the people, one must reign over oneself. If one reigns over the faculties of one’s soul and one’s desires, so that they are subdued under the discipline of the intellect, then one is fit to reign over the people. As it is stated in the Kuzari, and these are his words: “If you reign and have dominion over all that your soul desires, to subdue the desires of your soul, then you shall be king over Israel.”
And it shall be, if you will hearken to all that I command you, and will walk in My ways, and do that which is right in Mine eyes, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as David My servant did, that I will be with you, and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you.
verse value 11281
Insights
Verse structure: 27 words, 126 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·you" (לְךָ֤, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·that" (אֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 521: as, as. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "if·you·hearken" (אִם־תִּשְׁמַע֮), "all·that" (אֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר), "I·command·you" (אֲצַוֶּ֒ךָ֒). The root אשר appears 3 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "all·that" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 196x in I Kings); "house·sure" (root בית, 191x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·servant', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 11 words.
Radak
“Everything that I command you.” The letter kaph is lenis (soft), and similarly, “that which I command you” in the parashah of Va’etchanan.
Metzudat David
A sure house. A house of kingship that endures.
Metzudat Zion
Ne'aman. Established; like (II Samuel 7:16) 'your house shall be established' (u'ne'aman bitecha):
Malbim
And it shall be, if in addition to this you heed all that I command you, and you shall not be like Saul, who relied on his own wisdom to act according to his own understanding; rather, you shall keep to the commandments of the Lord through the prophet, and according to the statutes of the Torah and its commandments, as My servant David did, who was not drawn after his own understanding.
And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.’
verse value 1629
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "indeed" (אַ֖ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·the·days" (כׇל־הַיָּמִֽים, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·I·will·afflict" (וַאעַנֶּ֛ה), "the·seed" (אֶת־זֶ֥רַע). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "all·the·days" (root יום, 100x in I Kings); "not" (root לא, 90x in I Kings); "David" (root דוד, 69x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'this', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַאעַנֶּ֛ה [and·I·will·afflict] (132) + אֶת־זֶ֥רַע [the·seed] (678) + דָּוִ֖ד [David] (14) + לְמַ֣עַן [for·sake·of] (190) + זֹ֑את [this] (408) + אַ֖ךְ [indeed] (21) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + כׇל־הַיָּמִֽים [all·the·days] (155) = 1629.
Rashi
But not for all the days. For in the days of the Messiah, the kingship will return to him. And I found in Seder Olam: "And I will chastise the seed of David for this," corresponding to the thirty-six years during which Solomon was married to the daughter of Pharaoh, whom he took in the fourth year of his reign, and against this, the decree was issued that the kingdom of the House of David would be divided. The kingship was worthy to return in the days of Asa, in the sixteenth year of his reign, but he spoiled matters by sending bribes to the king of Aram and did not rely on the Holy One, Blessed be He. And this is what is stated in Chronicles (II 16:1): "In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha built Ramah." Yet this is impossible, for Asa buried Baasha in the twenty-sixth year of his reign. Rather, the sixteen years of his own reign, he calls thirty-six, which are the end of the thirty-six [years] from the division of the kingdom. And the verse informs that in that year Asa spoiled matters, but not for all the days, rather for thirty-six years.
Radak
"And I will afflict the seed of David." The letter aleph is quiescent, and the affliction refers to the fact that the kingdom will not return to them over Israel, and we cannot interpret "affliction" in any other way, for all the good kings from the seed of David were in goodness and tranquility.
"For this reason." [This refers to] what Solomon did. And in Seder Olam it states: "for this reason" means for the sake of the thirty-six years during which Solomon was married to Pharaoh's daughter, for he took her in the fourth year of his reign. The decree was issued against the kingdom of the House of David, that the kingdom of the House of David would be divided for thirty-six years, and at the end of thirty-six years the kingdom would return to its former state. Therefore, it says, "Yet not all the days." In the days of Asa, it was destined to return, but Asa acted improperly, as it is stated: "In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha went up..." But that was only in the sixteenth year of Asa; rather, the thirty-six years was counted from the reign of Solomon, when it was destined to return. However, because Asa acted improperly and relied on the king of Aram, it did not return.
But not for all days. It is destined to return in the days of the Messiah, in the days of King Messiah, as it is stated, “And they shall make one stick,” and it is stated, “And one king shall be king over them all,” and it is stated, “And My servant David shall be king over them.” From here is the answer to those who say, “In vain we wait for the days of King Messiah, for He will not come.” Behold, the Prophet says, “But not for all days.” And when the kingdom of the House of David was divided in the days of Rehoboam, it did not return again, for all those days the kingdom was divided into two kingdoms until the exile. And upon the return from the exile from Babylon, the tribes did not return, except for the Exile of Babylon, which was Judah and Benjamin.
Metzudat David
And I will afflict. In that I will take from their hand the ten tribes.
For this reason. On account that Solomon sinned.
But not all the days. For in the days of the Messiah all the kingship will return to the seed of David.
Metzudat Zion
U'anah. From the language of affliction and suffering:
Malbim
"And I will afflict the seed of David" — meaning, they will be afflicted, that is, humbled before you. And this will be because they did not keep the commandments of the Lord (as stated above, verse 33). However, not all days will be so, for there will be days when the kings of Judah will grow strong and will not be humbled before the kings of Israel. And it also alludes to the time that will come in the end of days, when the entire monarchy will return to the House of David.
Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam; but Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
verse value 5604
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 73 letters. The shortest word is "Solomon" (שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "king·of·Egypt" (מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 375: Solomon, Solomon. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·sought" (וַיְבַקֵּ֥שׁ), "Jeroboam" (אֶת־יָרׇבְעָ֑ם), "to·Shishak" (אֶל־שִׁישַׁ֣ק). The root שלמה appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·was" (root היה, 196x in I Kings); "Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings); "to·put·to·death" (root מות, 59x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Jeroboam', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 10 words. Full calculation: וַיְבַקֵּ֥שׁ [and·sought] (418) + שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה [Solomon] (375) + לְהָמִ֣ית [to·put·to·death] (485) + אֶת־יָרׇבְעָ֑ם [Jeroboam] (723) + וַיָּ֣קׇם [and·arose] (156) + יָרׇבְעָ֗ם [Jeroboam] (322) + וַיִּבְרַ֤ח [and·fled] (226) + מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ [Egypt] (380) + אֶל־שִׁישַׁ֣ק [to·Shishak] (741) + מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם [king·of·Egypt] (470) + וַיְהִ֥י [and·it·was] (31) + בְמִצְרַ֖יִם [in·Egypt] (382) + עַד־מ֥וֹת [until·death·of] (520) + שְׁלֹמֹֽה [Solomon] (375) = 5604.
Radak
“Shishak, king of Egypt.” Pharaoh, Solomon’s father-in-law, died, and another king arose, whose name was Shishak. He did not love Solomon; therefore, Jeroboam fled to him.
Ralbag
He further related that because of what Jeroboam said against Solomon, Solomon sought to kill him, and he was forced to flee to Egypt until the death of Solomon. Now, this is the explanation of the words requiring elucidation, which we have explained in this place. However, the benefits derived from it are as follows:
The first benefit is to inform us that the intention behind the sacrifices of slaughter and incense is not merely the act itself, but rather that they serve as testimony to the secrets of existence, which those specialized in this service, who contemplate it over a long period, will stand upon. Therefore, no benefit is derived from this unless it is performed by the priests. However, the Torah permitted every man to do what was right in his own eyes, to sacrifice and offer incense on high places, until they came to rest and inheritance, as mentioned in the Torah. This was so that they might be straightened for the service of God, because of what was ingrained in them from the services performed to other gods; they considered that God would not be a god unless they served Him in this manner. And since this service performed on the high places is not intended in itself from any particular aspect, you will find that in this place, regarding Solomon, it is mentioned that there was an altar and he offered incense on the high places. From this description, it appears that this action of his was not praiseworthy. This will become clear from His statement: "And Solomon loved the Lord, to walk in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and offered incense on the high places." This is as if to say that in this matter, he did what was not fitting to do.
The second benefit is to inform us that there is in the offering of burnt offerings a means to attain prophecy, and all the more so when they were multiplied greatly. Therefore, you will find that it is recorded that at Gibeon, where the great high place was, and where the bronze altar made by Moses was, Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings. And immediately thereafter, it is recorded that at Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon. This has also been clarified from the matter of Balaam, as we mentioned there, in how he strove to attain prophecy by building seven altars and offering a bull and a ram on each altar. We have explained the reason for this in the portion of Noah. Perhaps Solomon, because of the distance of his level from prophecy, for he was a youth at that time, required this great number of burnt offerings.
The third benefit is in matters of belief, and it is to inform us that the Lord grants wisdom through the path of divine emanation, without its causes. Therefore, you will find that Solomon asked God to give him an understanding heart, and God gave him wisdom and knowledge, as mentioned in the Book of Chronicles and in this book. This is a sign that God will bestow wisdom upon a person when He wills, without the person needing to strive to investigate each matter individually, and without prior sensory experience of what he needs to inquire about. From this place, it is clarified that it is possible for contemplative knowledge to be bestowed upon a person in a dream or in prophecy. And this commentator has distanced himself from the words of the philosopher in the Book of Sense and the Sensible, and there we explained the belief in this root, for it is one of the great roots of the Torah, according to my view.
The fourth benefit is to inform us that the perfect person does not seek life and wealth except for the sake of attaining human perfection. Therefore, he does not worry about death except because of the deprivation from him of attaining the perfection that he could attain if he lived longer. For this reason, you will find that Solomon did not ask God for anything when He asked him what He should give him, except for the attainment of perfection in contemplation. He did not ask for long life or wealth, because they are not desired except for this ultimate end. And after he has this ultimate end, he will not desire them greatly.
The fifth benefit, which is in matters of character traits, is to inform us that when one's Master wishes to give him what he asks for, it is not fitting for him to be heavy-handed in his request, but rather he should ask for little, whereby he can attain his desire. For in this way, the Master will be pleased to give him his request. Therefore, you will find that it is recorded that it was good in the eyes of God that Solomon did not ask for wealth, honor, and long life, nor for the life of his enemies, but asked for wisdom and understanding to discern justice.
The sixth benefit, which is in matters of character traits, is to inform us that since it was permitted for him to ask and it was given to him, and this was due to his modesty in asking only for a small thing, it is fitting for the Giver, because of this, not to withhold giving him much. For it is not fitting that one whose disposition is good should be prevented from receiving good; rather, it is fitting that He should add goodness to him. Therefore, it is recorded that because it was good in the eyes of God that he asked only for an understanding heart to execute justice, and did not ask for other things, He gave him what he asked for in its most complete form, until he was wiser than all men. And He gave him with this what he did not ask for: wealth, honor, and long life, if he would walk in the ways of the Lord, blessed be He.
The seventh benefit is to inform us that it is fitting to rejoice in the good that God has destined, for He does not speak without fulfilling it. Therefore, it is fitting to give thanks to God, blessed be He, for the destiny before the good arrives. Therefore, it is recorded that after the prophetic dream, Solomon came to Jerusalem before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and made a feast for all his servants and officials.
The eighth benefit, which is in matters of character traits, is to inform us that it is fitting for a judge to be wise in devising strategies to ascertain the truth of matters in which there is a dispute between a man and his neighbor. Matters are distant from being ascertained otherwise than by causing the litigants to feel that their words will lead to the ascertainment of the truth. As you will see in what is mentioned regarding the two harlots who came before the king, one saying, "This is my living son and your son is dead," and the other saying, "No, your son is the dead one and my son is the living one." The king said, "Cut the living child in two." From this matter, he ascertained the truth, for she who is not the mother would not spare him if he were cut in two. This is among the good strategies that upright judges should employ according to their wisdom, for it is not sufficient for them to act according to what is said before them. Rather, they should delve deeply to ascertain the truth, so that they may judge according to the truth, not merely according to what is said before them. For if Solomon had judged from this aspect, it would have been fitting for him to say that the living child should remain with the woman who clung to him, and not leave her hand, due to this abstract claim devoid of evidence. And from this, further benefit will be derived in civil matters, for when the multitude of the people see the greatness of the judge's strategies in ascertaining the truth of matters, they will fear to do anything unfitting, seeing that nothing will be hidden from him. And this will be a cause for justice and righteousness to be established in the state.
The ninth benefit is to inform us that the High Priest who served in the high priesthood, his greatness does not depart from him all his days. That is to say, he is all his days at the level of High Priest, even though there is another High Priest. Therefore, it says, "Zadok and Abiathar were priests," even though Abiathar was expelled from being a priest to the Lord, as previously stated.
The tenth benefit is to inform us that it is fitting for the king to levy taxes on his people to sustain him and his household. Therefore, it is recorded that Solomon had twelve officials over all Israel. Under the appointment of each of them was a portion of Israel, and each of them sustained the king and his household for one month, so that nothing needed would be lacking. Also, the barley and straw were brought for the horses and the steeds, along with the multitude and the needs of the king's household to sustain it. And from this narrative, we learn that it is fitting for the king to take from Israel people by way of tax for the needs of building the House of God and his own house. Therefore, it is recorded that Solomon levied a tax from Israel of thirty thousand men and sent them to Lebanon. And this has also been clarified from the words of Samuel in informing us of the law of kingship.
The eleventh benefit is to publicize that God has fulfilled what He destined to leave Israel from all their enemies. Therefore, it is recorded that Judah and Israel dwelt securely, everyone under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon. For this reason, Solomon blessed God, who had given rest to His people Israel, as He had spoken.
The twelfth benefit is to publicize the greatness of the honor, wealth, and wisdom that Solomon had, as God had destined for him, until he ruled over all kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. All of them served Solomon and brought him tribute all the days of his life, until the weight of the gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents, besides the traders and the merchants, and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land. And all the earth sought the face of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. And they brought each his offering, vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and other goods, year by year, along with the export of horses that Solomon had from Egypt, and also from all the kings of the Hittites and all the kings of Aram. And his wealth was so great that silver was not accounted as anything in the days of Solomon. And it reached from the greatness of his wisdom that he was wiser than all men, and he spoke a natural utterance concerning all kinds of plants, from the great to the small in their gradations, and concerning all kinds of animals in their gradations as well. This is a wonderful wisdom, that is to say, to ascertain this gradation and to ascertain the causes of each kind of them and their attainments.
The thirteenth benefit is in matters of character traits, and it is to inform us that it is fitting for one who strives in a matter not to be lax in that striving, but to come to it through the most fitting causes, and all the more so when the striving is to do something for the honor of God, blessed be He. Therefore, you will find that when Solomon wished to build the Temple, and it was necessary for that building to have large cedar trees, and Lebanon, which was more fitting for this, was in the kingdom of Hiram, king of Tyre, and the Sidonians, over whom Hiram ruled, were the most skilled in cutting these trees, then after informing Hiram that the house he was building was for the name of the Lord, who rules over all and humbles and subdues all his enemies, as mentioned in the Book of Chronicles, and in order that Hiram might be more pleased with this building to help him, Solomon sent to him to command that cedars be cut for him from Lebanon, which was in his kingdom. He did not wish to explain to him that he would derive benefit from this, for it would not be honorable for Hiram, king of Tyre. Rather, he asked that Hiram's servants be there to cut the cedars with his own servants, and he would give him the wages of his servants in whatever he would say. As if he hinted by this that the wages of his servants were more to him than what he would wish to derive from the benefit of commanding the cutting of the cedars that were his to bring to Solomon. And he did not ask from him more than this, for it was not fitting to be heavy-handed in asking from him more. And he also informed him that David had been stirred to build this building, so that Hiram might be more pleased to help Solomon in what he asked of him, for Hiram loved David. For this reason, you will find that Hiram agreed to do his request and took a path that would be in his possession with honor, and that is that he would do all his desire in cedar trees and fir trees, and his servants would bring them down from Lebanon to the sea, and Hiram would make them into rafts on the sea to the place where Solomon would wish to have them brought, and there they would be broken up so that they would be ready for Solomon to carry them. And for what Hiram did of this, Solomon would give him bread for his household. Now, by this, Hiram received implicitly wages for taking the cedars and firs from his forest, which he would not attain in exchange for taking wages from Solomon for bringing the cedars to the sea and leading them to the place where Solomon would wish. And it is clarified in the Book of Chronicles that besides this wage mentioned in this place, Solomon would also give wages to Hiram's servants.
The fourteenth benefit is to inform us that it is fitting for the king to employ the nations, those residents, to do the work of the House of God and his work, as mentioned in the Torah, "And they shall be your tribute and they shall serve you." Therefore, it is recorded in this place, along with what completed the narrative in the Book of Chronicles, that Solomon had from the resident aliens seventy thousand burden-bearers and eighty thousand hewers in the mountain.
The fifteenth benefit is to inform us that it is fitting in every matter in which there are officials and many people, that they strive so that the repair in it does not lack. Therefore, you will find that Solomon appointed many officials ruling over the people doing the work. And he was forced to appoint those officials as aliens, because the work had preceded, for it would be very heavy upon the Israelites if they did so. Therefore, you will find among the Israelites that Solomon levied a tax and sent to Lebanon, that he arranged the matter in a way that it would not be very heavy upon them, and that is that they would be one month in Lebanon and two months at home. And thus you will find that he arranged throughout his household and all that was needed for him, twelve governors who would sustain it, each one month, from what he collected from the tax from the portion of Israel that fell to his lot. For if this appointment were to one man, it would be very heavy upon him, and the repair in what he would do would lack because of this.
The sixteenth benefit is to inform us that the building of the Temple is fitting to be for the name of the Lord. And this is His statement in the Torah, "And let them make Me a sanctuary," that is to say, in its making, they should make it for His name, blessed be He. Therefore, you will find that this matter was repeated many times in this narrative. He said, "I could not build a house for the name of the Lord," and "I say to build a house for the name of the Lord," and "I will build the house for the name of the Lord," and "which King Solomon built for the Lord," and "with the heart of David to build a house for the name of the Lord," and "the house which I have built for Your name." And this was so to straighten men towards the holiness of this house and the fear of it, because of its being holy from the beginning of its matter. And although this will stir and straighten to stand upon the secrets of its buildings when they contemplate all its parts and understand from this what straightness there is in them to attain God, yet if its building were not in this manner, these wonderful benefits would depart. For it would not be possible for the question to arise: Why was this building made to be arranged thus? And what straightness is there in it to attain the secret of God and the secrets of existence? Because its making was not for God. If the matter were left thus, there is no matter of its holiness except like the consecration of silver and gold, the field, and the house to the Lord, in which the question does not arise: Why were they in such a description? From the fact that they are holy.
The seventeenth benefit is what he informed us from afar regarding the time of the beginning of the building of the Temple from the time of the Exodus from Egypt. And we have stood from this on the time from the period of Jephthah until this time, and it is one hundred and eighty years. And Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon the Zebulunite, and Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel for thirty-one years. And if we count after this forty years of servitude by the hand of the Philistines, and twenty years that Samson judged Israel, and forty years of Eli, and forty years of David, and three years that had passed for the kingship of Solomon, there remain only six years for the kingship of Saul and the days of Samuel's judgment over all Israel. And it has been likened that the rule of Samuel and Saul was at least thirteen years, for twenty years the Ark stood in Kiriath-jearim at the least. And seven years and six months had passed for the kingship of David, and seven months the Ark of the Lord was in the field of the Philistines. And there remain more than thirteen years from the death of Eli until the kingship of David. And although it is possible that the Ark was in Kiriath-jearim more than twenty years, yet after twenty years had passed, all Israel inclined after the Lord. And for this reason, it is likened according to what I think, that most of the years of servitude are included in the years of Samson and Eli, for in the days of Samson the Philistines ruled over Israel, as mentioned there. And it appears that from the building of this house, that is to say, from the beginning of its building until the beginning of the building of the Second Temple, there were also four hundred and eighty years.
The eighteenth benefit is what he informed us about the form of the house that he built for the name of the Lord, for from it we will stand upon wonderful secrets from the wisdom of existents. And the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place with it were sixty cubits in length and twenty cubits in width. And the length and width were double what was in the length and width in what Moses made in the wilderness. However, the height did not keep this ratio, for it was thirty cubits, and there it was ten cubits. But for this reason, they made a ceiling in the Holy of Holies at a height of twenty cubits, so that the length, width, and height would be equal in the Holy of Holies in the Temple, as they were equal in the Tabernacle that Moses made. And in this manner also, the lower ceiling in the Holy Place was placed at a height of twenty cubits. And in this, the matter of the form of the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies in the Temple resembled the matter of its form in the Tabernacle, that is to say, that each of these distances was in the Temple double its measure in the Tabernacle. And it is fitting that you know that the building of the house was of whole stones, and there was no flaw or lack in them, to stir towards the perfection of God, blessed and exalted be He, for whom this house was built. And for this reason also, the stones there were whole, until no sound of hammer, axe, or any iron tool was heard in the house, to indicate that what is made for Him lacks no acquisition of perfection.
And the Holy of Holies was equal in all its distances, to stir towards the fact that the ultimate perfection that it testifies to is attained in equality of thoughts and traits. And there was a porch before the face of the Holy Place of the house, to add to the dignity of the house and its beauty in the eyes of men. And although it was fitting that it be a middle between the Court of the Priests and the Holy Place, for it is fitting that it be like a middle between the lower and upper levels of it, even though it is not a middle in the true sense, therefore there was no partition separating it from the Court of the Priests.
And he made for the house, and it is the Holy Place, latticed windows, opaque, to stir towards the fact that the place of contemplation is opaque from the beginning of the matter, until a person straightens himself to take the premises and beginnings, and from them he will be straightened to the opening of the windows to see the bright light, which is the light of intellect. However, the galleries that he built around the house were three, one above the other, for such is the matter of attainments, and the upper one is wider than that beneath it, for the upper attainment is wider and greater than that beneath it, when we examine the parts of the lower, middle, and upper worlds. And they ascended from the lower to the middle, and from the middle to the upper, for such is the way of these attainments. And whoever takes them otherwise than in their order will necessarily attain confusion. And the upper ones were not in steps that one would leap and jump from level to level, but they were in a way of winding, whereby a person would ascend in it without steps, to stir in that his intellect rises little by little in gradation. And for this reason, there were no steps in the ramp of the altar.
And he carved on the walls of the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, and it is what was on the lower ceiling, carvings of cherubim and palm trees, and they are like the knobs of the lampstand and the cups of flowers, and they are in the likeness of the almond-shaped bowls and the flower that is in the lampstand. And the cherubim are a parable for the material intellect, and the palm trees and cups of flowers are the lilies in which he grazes, as we explained in our commentary on the Song of Songs and in the matter of the lampstand. And he made this for the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, for both testify to this perfection, but the first testifies to the preparation, and the second, which is the Holy of Holies, testifies to the preparation coming into action. However, on the walls of the Holy Place beneath the lower ceiling, he carved carvings of buds and cups of flowers, and they are in the likeness of knobs and almond-shaped bowls and flowers, surrounding the eye, which were these carvings in the lampstand. But above the lower ceiling, there were with this cherubim, to testify to the intellect that takes from the sensibles the beginnings, as we explained in the words of the Torah. Indeed, beneath the ceiling, he did not carve at first except what stirs towards sensible attainments. And it is likened that the height between the lower and upper ceiling was ten cubits, to stir towards the number of the separate intellects, which are ten, and the tenth is holy. And we have stood upon their existence because of this intellect found in us, for which reason cherubim were carved on the walls.
And he overlaid with gold the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies for a specific reason, for which reason all the vessels that were there were all of gold or overlaid with gold. And we have explained the reason for this in the work of the Tabernacle in our commentary on the words of the Torah. And it was overlaid with cedar wood first, and afterwards with gold, for it is not possible to overlay stones with gold. And although the images that were carved there were more fitting to be carved in cedar wood than to be carved in stones, and the carving in them was more durable, not breaking when overlaid with gold. And he made in the Holy of Holies two great cherubim, their faces not one towards the other, and they were overshadowing with their wings the Ark and the cherubim that were on the mercy seat, whose faces were one towards the other, to stir towards the fact that at the end of the matter, their faces will not be one towards the other, but the one will cleave to the other with a great cleaving, and it is the cleaving of the tip of this wing to the tip of that wing. And it is fitting that you know that after death, the material intellect will not receive emanation from the Active Intellect, but it will stand on what it attained, and with it it will cleave with a great cleaving to the Active Intellect, as we explained in the first book of the Wars of the Lord. And it is not fitting that you think from this that these cherubim are in one level because of their being in one form and their wings spread in another manner, just as it is not considered that the form of the cherubim whose faces were one towards the other in one manner means that they are both in one level. Rather, we said this because we have explained in the first book of the Wars of the Lord that it is impossible for the acquired intellect to sit in the level of the Active Intellect. And there we explained that the acquired intellect remains after death, and it is eternal, contrary to what the philosophers said in this matter. And in this place, he stirred a clear hint that the acquired intellect is eternal. And the height of these cherubim was ten cubits, to stir towards ten levels of the separate intellects, the tenth of which is holy, and it is God.
And there were at the entrance of the Holy of Holies doors of olive wood, according to what I think at that time, to stir towards the fact that there the light, and it is the light of intellect, is. And for this reason, he made them of olive wood, which is prepared for the light to spread in it with wonderful ease. And for this reason, he did not do so for the doors of the Holy Place. And he carved on the doors of the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies cherubim, palm trees, and cups of flowers, for they are the entrances to all these attainments. And the sensible attainments are also directed to this specific reason. And for this reason, the cherubim were also on the doors of the Holy Place.
And he built the inner court, and it is the Court of the Priests, around with three rows of hewn stone and a row of cut cedars upon them. Now, the three lower rows indicated the existence of the inanimate form, and the row of cedars indicated the vegetative form, which is not stripped of the inanimate form. And the rows were four, to stir towards their being from the four elements and the nearness of their level to them. And on the bronze altar that was there, the burnt offering was upon the wood, to indicate also the vital soul, and that it is not stripped of the vegetative, as we mentioned in the portion of Leviticus. And all that was of metal in the Court of the Priests was of bronze, for a specific reason, for which reason it was so in the Tabernacle.
And he made ten tables and ten lampstands, for the number ten indicates in itself the existence of God, as we mentioned in many places of our commentary on the words of the Torah. As if he stirred by this that these forms, which the table and the lampstand stir towards, are all emanating from God through the mediation of the other separate intellects. And he called the fifth door the door of the Holy of Holies, and the fourth the door of the Holy Place, for the Court of the Priests stirred towards three forms, and they are the inanimate, the vegetative, and the vital. And the door of the Holy Place was upon the fourth, and it is the speaking [soul]. And the door of the Holy of Holies stirred towards a fifth form in some manner, and it is the acquired intellect.
And he made in the porch two bronze pillars, and he called the right pillar Jachin, and the left Boaz. He stirred by this that the two forms, which are the inanimate and the vegetative, or the vegetative and the vital, the one prepares to receive the other form, and it is called Jachin, and the other is the ruling one, and to it belongs strength and power, and from it the actions of that existent are arranged. And although these existents are forms, that is to say, the vegetative and the vital, they will receive a stronger impression from the revolutions of the sun than what is found in man. And for this reason, you will find in plants that when the sun is in the eastern quarter, they do not perform their actions, but they acquire from this preparation to bear fruit when the sun is in the northern quarter, and then their strength of actions will be found. And thus you will find in animals that they will be impregnated mostly when the sun is in the northern quarter, but when it is in the southern quarter, some preparation will be renewed for them. And this is not the place for the explanation of these matters.
And the width of the pillars was four cubits, to indicate the nearness of these natures to the four elements. And for this reason also, they were four fingers thick. And for this reason also, there was on the capitals work of lilies in the porch, four cubits. And the height of the capitals was five cubits for a specific reason, for which reason the number five was in the court of the Tabernacle, as we explained there. And the height of the pillars with the capitals was approximately like the height of the bronze altar with the height of the grate upon which the pieces of the burnt offering were placed, for their height was, according to what we explained, like twenty-one cubits, and the height of the bronze altar was twenty cubits, as mentioned in the Book of Chronicles.
And there were in each capital two globes, to stir towards the fact that these existents receive the upper form through their receiving the lower from it. And there were on the two globes of the capital seven wreaths, for although they indicate the level of the forms in general, which are seven, and the seventh is holy, now in this there is also a hint to the number four, for in each globe there were three wreaths, and one in the place where the upper globe was attached to the lower. And the lily-work that was on the upper globe, and the pomegranates that were on the lower, now this all indicates the existence of the vegetative soul, for the bringing forth of the lily and the fruits cannot possibly be renewed from heat alone, as the philosopher explained. And the pomegranates were in two rows, and thus is the matter in the festivals, for in this he indicated two kinds of the vegetative soul, the one in plants and the other in animals, connected with the sensitive. And in general, this was to stir towards the form that prepares and the form that is perfection for it. And there were a hundred pomegranates in one row of them, to stir towards the multitude of kinds of plants and animals and their alternation, which is necessary from the side of the form.
And the sea was in this measure so that it would be fitting for washing, and the rest of what was in it, it is likened that it was said that it was made for ornament alone. And it is possible to say that because it was made for purification there, in its measure, what stirs towards the existence of the tenth, which is holy, for to it alone belongs perfect purification. And for this reason, it was ten cubits in width, and the buds beneath its rim were ten to the cubit as well, for this same reason. And its height was five cubits for the reason that the number five was in these matters that were in the Court of the Priests. And it was square below and round above, for impurities will be from the side of matter, whose elements are four, and purity will be from the side of form and contemplation in it, as we explained in the Book of Leviticus. And the form binds the elements of matter and surrounds them, and for this reason, the round stirred towards it. And there were in it two rows of buds, to stir towards the form that prepares and the form in which the existent will be what it is, and it is that which perfects it. And in the buds was the form of oxen, as we mentioned, to stir towards the existence of the vital soul, for what was in the Court of the Priests stirred towards the inanimate form, the vegetative, and the vital, as we mentioned. And there were twelve oxen, as if bearing the sea, to stir towards the fact that the forces emanating from the superiors in the twelve signs of the zodiac guide the elements and bind them. And he made them in the likeness of oxen, in the likeness of what Ezekiel said, "face of an ox," in the matter of the living creatures, with which he had already stirred towards the vital form. And its thickness was four fingers, like the matter in the pillars, to stir towards what the number four stirs towards, which is the cause of impurity, and it is matter. And with the buds on its rim was the carving of a lily flower, to stir with this towards the vegetative soul. And the number four was in the bases in their length and width and height, and there were four wheels beneath them, to stir towards the existence of the elements, which are the cause of impurity. And for this reason, there were four sides attached to them of the plates of the bases. And on the frames that were between the bars were forms of lions, and the form of oxen, and the form of cherubim, to indicate that these forms are effected from the forms of the living creatures whose faces were the face of a lion, and the face of an ox, and the face of a cherub, as Ezekiel mentioned. As if he stirred by this that in the intellectual soul, these forms will be found in the most noble of their existence. And this is because the lion is the ruler among beasts and the noblest of them, and the ox among cattle. And we have explained the truth of this in the first and fifth books of the Wars of the Lord. And its mouth was round for a specific reason, for which reason the mouth of the sea was round, for the basins were also for purification. And the whole was connected and adhered to itself, not by workmanship, to stir towards the adhesion that is from the side of the form, for it stirs towards the existence of the form and the perfecter. For if you cut a limb from an animal and adhere it by workmanship, the action of the form will be lacking from it. And this is evidence that this unification will not be except from the side of the form. And the height of the wheels was one and a half cubits, and from above the base, the height was one and a half cubits, and with the height of the base, they will be seven cubits. And in this, the number seven will be completed, which stirs in itself towards the existence of all the forms. And for this reason, the number of the bases was ten, and thus is the matter in the number of the basins. And there were five on the right and five on the left, for the reason that the number five was found in what was in the court of the Tabernacle. And although the number five stirs towards the ultimate that matter has risen to from the forms, for the fifth is the acquired intellect, as previously stated. And the number four was for the basin for the reason that we mentioned in all the number four that was found in this place. And because the basin was more noble than them, whether from the side of what was carved in it, or from the side that it does not come to impurity, like the matter in the sea, the sea was placed on the side that is more inferior, and it is the southeastern side.
And the king did not wish that Hiram make anything of the matters that were in the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, even though he was skilled in the work of gold, as mentioned in the Book of Chronicles, because of the extreme holiness of what was in the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, for Hiram was not an Israelite, but was a Tyrian. And for this reason, Hiram made only the bronze vessels, and did not make the gold vessels.
The nineteenth benefit is to inform us that it is fitting for a person to do the work of God and His desire with wonderful swiftness, more than his swiftness for his own desires. Do you not see that King Solomon made the House of God in seven years, and his house he made in thirteen years?
The twentieth benefit is to inform us that it is fitting for every person to strive to merit that he will make from his possessions what is for the honor of God. Do you not see that Solomon, even though he had many consecrated funds available to build the House, chose that it be built from his own wealth, and that the consecrated funds should remain for the Lord? For this same reason, he also provided from his own house all the service of the Temple — the daily offerings, the additional offerings, the communal sacrifices, the incense of spices, the oil for lighting, and the other things needed for the service of the House.
The twenty-first benefit is to inform us of the greatness of God's wonders and the greatness of the manifestation of His Divine Presence in the Temple, to the point that it is recorded that when the priests came out of the sanctuary, the cloud filled the House of the Lord.
The twenty-second benefit is to inform us that one who blesses should have his face toward those being blessed. Therefore it says, "And the king turned his face around and blessed the whole congregation of Israel." For this reason, in the priestly blessing, the priests' faces must be toward the people.
The twenty-third benefit is to inform us that it is fitting to bless God for the good and to give Him thanks for all that He has bestowed of good, for although this is fitting in itself, there is a further benefit in it, to direct a person toward [the recognition] that all good things are caused by God. Therefore it is recorded that Solomon blessed the Lord for having fulfilled the good promise He had made to David his father concerning the kingship for his son and the building of the House by his hand.
The twenty-fourth benefit is to inform us that prayer ought to be conducted in a manner that perfects the worshiper's attachment to God, for then the prayer will be heard more readily. Therefore you find that Solomon prayed in the place where attachment to God would be most complete, namely before the altar of the Lord, which was the place chosen for the divine influence to attach itself — so much so that Jacob said of it, "How awesome is this place; this is none other than the house of God," as we mentioned at the end of the Book of Samuel; and for this reason Abraham called the name of that place "The Lord will see." For this same reason, Solomon also opened with praise of God before his prayer, for by this his attachment to Him would be more complete. Therefore it is recorded that he knelt on his knees before the altar of the Lord and spread out his palms to heaven, and began by saying, "O Lord, God of Israel, there is none like You," etc., praising God first. This principle is repeated many times in this prayer of his, as we explained in our commentary to this portion.
The twenty-fifth benefit concerns matters of belief, and it is to inform us that God is one, and He governs the heavens and the earth — not as those who believe in a duality of powers claim. For they hold that things which differ ought to have differing first causes, and since the lower things are subject to corruption while the heavens are not subject to corruption, there ought to be one first cause for the heavens and another for the earth. But Solomon already indicated that this is not so, in saying, "There is none like You, God, in the heavens above or on the earth below" — he clarified thereby that He is God in the heavens above and on the earth below. And in this he made, as it were, the beginning of a demonstrative proof of his premise: that whoever is God in the heavens is God over the earth, for we observe powers flowing from the heavens to the earth, and this is a sign that those same movers also govern these lower things; and this is among the things that are clearly evident — that there are powers flowing here from the spheres to these lower things. From this it will be clarified that these differing things have a single numerical cause.
The twenty-sixth benefit is to inform us that God watches over His servants who cling to Him with individual providence, and through this providence He bestows good upon them even when it is not arranged for them by the higher causes. Therefore Solomon said, "There is none like You, God, in the heavens above or on the earth below, who keeps the covenant and the kindness for Your servants who walk before You with all their heart." He thereby clarified that the movers arranged by Him, who govern in the heavens and on earth, have no power to do this, for they do not deviate from their assigned function; rather, God alone has dominion to do this.
The twenty-seventh benefit is to inform us that things which God promises, which cannot come about except through individual providence, will necessarily carry a condition, namely, that the recipient be worthy. Therefore you find that in what God, blessed be He, promised to David — that a man would never be cut off from him from upon the throne of Israel — there was a condition, namely, that his sons keep their way, to walk before God as David walked before Him.
The twenty-eighth benefit is to inform us that prayer for all needs, whether communal or individual, ought to be offered in the Temple or facing the Temple, for then it will be heard more readily. This is evident from the words of Solomon's prayer and from God's response to him concerning it. For this reason we find that Daniel would always pray facing Jerusalem, and from this the halakhic ruling was established, to always pray facing the Temple.
The twenty-ninth benefit is to inform us that prayer will not avail for things that come about because of sin unless it is preceded by repentance with all one's heart and all one's soul. Therefore it says, "who sin against You and return to You and confess Your name and pray and make supplication" — prayer and supplication. It has already been clarified that this repentance must be with all their heart, for without this it is not called repentance. And it also says, "and You shall render to each man according to all his ways, whose heart You know," and it also says, "and You shall do justice for them" — meaning that He will give them what is fitting for them according to what they are.
The thirtieth benefit is to inform us that one who is of higher station ought to be more lowly in his own eyes before God. Therefore you find it recorded that Solomon knelt on his knees before God continuously until he finished his prayer. From this it was derived that when the king prays, once he kneels he does not rise again until he completes his prayer.
The thirty-first benefit is that one who owes thanks to God both for a good that came to him alone and for a good that came to him together with others, should thank Him first for the good that came to him alone. Therefore you find that Solomon first thanked God for the good that came to him alone — the kingship and the building of the Temple — and only afterward thanked Him for the good that came to him and to Israel, namely his statement, "Blessed is the Lord who has given rest to His people Israel." He then continued with a prayer that God would guide them to keep His commandments so that this good would continue for them, just as he had followed his thanksgiving for the good that came to him alone with a prayer for the continuation of that good.
The thirty-second benefit is to inform us of the time of the dedication of the House and the number of days of its dedication. It took place after seven days had encircled the festival of the seventh month, so that it was completed in some respect together with the festival of the seventh month. The days of the festival were seven, to indicate the significance of the number seven, and the first of them was holy; and the number of days of the dedication of the House was likewise seven, for this same significance, adjoining the seven days of the festival of Sukkot, so that there would be seven and seven — for the same reason we explained in the portion of Pinchas, that the sacrifices there were seven and seven. This occurred at a time that indicates the attainment of perfection in the most complete manner, as we explained in the portion of Pinchas, so as to indicate the perfection of this House and the wondrous significances contained in it and in its vessels.
The thirty-third benefit is to inform us of the greatness of God's providence over Israel. Therefore you find that, because divine wisdom foresaw that Solomon would sin against God, and his descendants after him, and that this would become a cause for the destruction of the Temple and the exile of Israel from their land, He went to great lengths to warn him of this when He appeared to him the second time — so that he would be careful for the Lord's sake and command his sons and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord. For this reason He informed him of the matter of Israel's exile from the land and the destruction of the Temple, should he and his sons fail to keep the way of the Lord. Indeed, the word of the Lord had already come to Solomon at the time he was building the Temple, to warn him to keep all of God's commandments. For this same reason, even at the time he sinned against the Lord, God informed him of the punishment that would come upon his descendants because of this sin, so that they might repent and correct the wrong. Yet he was not humbled by this to rebuke his wives, nor did he command his sons after him to keep the way of the Lord, and this became a cause for the exile of Israel from the land and the destruction of the Temple.
The thirty-fourth benefit is to inform us that it is not fitting for a king to diminish the Land of Israel, but rather to expand it; and when necessity compels him to give part of it away, it is fitting that he give what is of least value. Therefore it is recorded that the twenty towns that Solomon gave to Hiram were in the land of Cabul, even though Hiram had already given him other towns, as mentioned in the Book of Chronicles.
The thirty-fifth benefit is to inform us that everything Solomon did and arranged, in the building and in the other matters recorded there, was all done with wisdom, as is indicated in the account of what the Queen of Sheba said. And I think that the king's throne had six steps to indicate that his attainment and wisdom extended to everything beneath the seventh level of the forms, which is God — for He cannot be attained, because of the greatness of His level. Rather, a person attains some part of the order of existing things, their arrangement and their rectitude, and by this he shares with the separate intellects that are beneath God, for they too attain some part of Him, except that man likewise cannot reach the level of their attainment, as we explained in the fifth book of the Wars of the Lord. Lions were made visible on the steps of the throne and on its arms so that people would fear it the more, for this is necessary for a king; and by this, benefit reaches the people under him, keeping them from harming one another out of fear of the king.
The thirty-sixth benefit is to inform us of the greatness of divine wisdom in warning the king not to multiply horses for himself and not to multiply wives for himself; for Solomon, though the wisest of men, stumbled in this. Because of his desire to multiply horses, the king's traders would come there to buy horses for him; and I think this was also a cause of his marrying Pharaoh's daughter, in addition to his being drawn to multiply wives. This was a cause of his heart being turned aside, so that he shut his eyes to them and allowed them to worship other gods; and this was a cause of the kingdom of the House of David being divided, and this in turn was a cause of the making of the golden calves — all of which, in the end, was a cause of Israel being cut off from its land and of the destruction of the Temple.
The thirty-seventh benefit is to inform us that as soon as Solomon sinned against the Lord, He rebuked him with the rod of men and with the plagues of the children of men, just as one disciplines his son, as He had promised David in the Book of Samuel. Therefore it is recorded that immediately thereafter the Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon: Hadad the Edomite and Rezon the son of Eliada.
The thirty-eighth benefit is to inform us that it is not fitting for a person to grow arrogant because of his closeness to the kingship, so as to speak brazenly against the king. Do you not see that, because of the word Jeroboam spoke against Solomon, he lived in terror of death until the day Solomon died, and the authority the king had granted him was of no avail to him in this matter? And because of the word of destiny that the prophet had promised him — that he would rule over the ten tribes — he ought not to have grown arrogant against the king, lest his own folly cost him that good. Do you not see that David, even though Samuel had already promised him that he would be made king over Israel, did not grow arrogant against Saul, and even when Saul fell into his hand while pursuing him, he accorded him honor in his words and did not allow any of his servants to harm him?
The thirty-ninth benefit is to inform us that it is fitting for a person to conduct his affairs wisely, as far as possible, and not to be lax in this merely because he is a messenger of God, blessed be He; rather, he should always seek out the most fitting means available in a given matter. Therefore you find that Samuel was afraid and said, "How can I go? Saul will hear and kill me." And likewise you find that Ahijah waited for Jeroboam to leave Jerusalem before telling him the destiny of the kingship, so that no one would hear their words; and for this same reason he waited to speak with him in the field, so that they could see whether anyone was able to overhear their words. Only when he saw that there was no one did he then tell him — for had he told him this in a place where people could see them, the matter would have reached the king, and the prophet and Jeroboam would thereby have been placed in danger, and this would have become a means by which the prophecy would fail to be fulfilled; for the king, had he known of it, would have striven with all his might to kill Jeroboam, and fleeing to the king of Egypt would not have helped him, for the king had the power to give a large bribe to the king of Egypt to have him killed. And Jeroboam was not of a stature to which individual providence would attach itself in order to save him.
The fortieth benefit is to inform us that the kingship, in its entirety, will one day return to the seed of David. We have already learned this from His statement, "and I will afflict the seed of David because of this — but not for all time." And since this restoration never occurred at all, neither in the First Temple period nor in the Second Temple period — for only Judah and Benjamin returned there — we know that a king of David's line is yet to reign over all Israel, and that his kingship will never depart, as has been clarified from the words of Daniel.
Metzudat David
To kill , etc. On account that he lifted his hand against him. And from the beginning he saw to mention the reason on account of which Jeroboam became proud to lift his hand against the king.
To Shishak. Not the same one whose daughter Solomon married.
Malbim
"And [Solomon] sought [to kill him]" — after this matter, [in which] Jeroboam had raised a hand against the king, Solomon sought to kill him, and he fled to Shishak; for the Pharaoh who had intermarried with Solomon had already died, and this [new] king [Shishak] was hostile to the House of Solomon; therefore he rose up against Rehoboam.
Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?
verse value 4209
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "did" (עָשָׂ֖ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·all·that" (וְכׇל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 375: Solomon, did, garment. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·his·wisdom" (וְחׇכְמָת֑וֹ), "written" (כְּתֻבִ֔ים). The root דבר appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·all·that" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "words·of" (root דבר, 191x in I Kings); "Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·his·wisdom', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְיֶ֨תֶר [and·remainder·of] (616) + דִּבְרֵ֧י [words·of] (216) + שְׁלֹמֹ֛ה [Solomon] (375) + וְכׇל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר [and·all·that] (557) + עָשָׂ֖ה [did] (375) + וְחׇכְמָת֑וֹ [and·his·wisdom] (480) + הֲלוֹא־הֵ֣ם [are·they·not] (87) + כְּתֻבִ֔ים [written] (472) + עַל־סֵ֖פֶר [in·the·book] (440) + דִּבְרֵ֥י [speech] (216) + שְׁלֹמֹֽה [garment] (375) = 4209.
Radak
Regarding the Book of the Sayings of Solomon. The books that he composed with his wisdom are not found among us today, and even among the three that are extant among us—Proverbs, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes—he said "on the Book" and did not say "on the Books," because for each matter he composed a separate book in its own right. And from our Sages of blessed memory, who said that Solomon wrote three books: Song of Songs in his youth, Proverbs in his prime, and Ecclesiastes in his old age; and some of them said that when he was near death, the Divine Spirit rested upon him and he composed these three books.
Metzudat David
And all that he did. Besides his deeds mentioned here.
In the book , etc. A special book was theirs, in which all the matters of Solomon were told.
Malbim
And the rest of the words of Solomon—see what I wrote in my commentary on Chronicles (Divrei HaYamim):
And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.
verse value 3034
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁר֩, 3 letters) and the longest is "over·all·Israel" (עַל־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל, 9 letters). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "he·reigned" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings). Full calculation: וְהַיָּמִ֗ים [and·the·days] (111) + אֲשֶׁר֩ [that] (501) + מָלַ֨ךְ [he·reigned] (90) + שְׁלֹמֹ֤ה [Solomon] (375) + בִירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ [in·Jerusalem] (588) + עַל־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל [over·all·Israel] (691) + אַרְבָּעִ֖ים [forty] (323) + שָׁנָֽה [year] (355) = 3034.
Malbim
The questions: What he stated, “The king in Jerusalem,” is superfluous; who is there that does not know that he was in Jerusalem?
“And the days that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem” – this is stated to distinguish him from his father David, who also reigned for forty years. However, David did not reign for all forty years in Jerusalem, nor over all Israel; rather, he reigned for seven years in Hebron, and only over Judah. But Solomon reigned for all forty years in Jerusalem, and over all Israel.
And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father; and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.
verse value 3183
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 50 letters. The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִ֣ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "with·his·fathers" (עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו, 7 letters). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·he·reigned" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings); "with·his·fathers" (root עם, 95x in I Kings). First appearance of the root רחבעם ("Rehoboam") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·father', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁכַּ֤ב [and·he·slept] (338) + שְׁלֹמֹה֙ [Solomon] (375) + עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו [with·his·fathers] (529) + וַיִּ֨קָּבֵ֔ר [and·he·was·buried] (318) + בְּעִ֖יר [in·city·of] (282) + דָּוִ֣ד [David] (14) + אָבִ֑יו [his·father] (19) + וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ [and·he·reigned] (106) + רְחַבְעָ֥ם [Rehoboam] (320) + בְּנ֖וֹ [his·son] (58) + תַּחְתָּֽיו [in·his·stead] (824) = 3183.
Rashi
Radak
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Malbim