1 Kings 11:23 kjv
And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah:
1 Kings 11:23 nkjv
And God raised up another adversary against him, Rezon the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his lord, Hadadezer king of Zobah.
1 Kings 11:23 niv
And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah.
1 Kings 11:23 esv
God also raised up as an adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master Hadadezer king of Zobah.
1 Kings 11:23 nlt
God also raised up Rezon son of Eliada as Solomon's adversary. Rezon had fled from his master, King Hadadezer of Zobah,
1 Kings 11 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divine Sovereignty and Raising Adversaries | |||||
| Isa 10:5 | "Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger..." | God uses foreign nations as instruments of judgment. | |||
| Jer 25:9 | "I will send for all the tribes... and for Nebuchadnezzar... my servant..." | God refers to pagan kings as His servants to execute judgment. | |||
| Hab 1:6 | "For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans..." | God explicitly states His active role in raising powerful nations. | |||
| Lam 3:37-38 | "Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and evil come?" | God's ultimate control over all events, including adversity. | |||
| Prov 21:1 | "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will." | God's sovereignty over the hearts and actions of kings. | |||
| Dan 2:21 | "He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings..." | God's authority over the rise and fall of earthly rulers. | Psa 75:6-7 | "For promotion cometh neither from the east... nor from the west. But God is the judge: he puts down one, and sets up another." | Divine appointment and removal of rulers. |
| 2 Chr 24:24 | "Though the army of the Arameans had come with a small body of men, the LORD delivered into their hand a very great army..." | God grants victory to smaller forces for His purposes. | Consequences of Disobedience and Sin | ||
| Deut 28:15 | "But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God... then all these curses shall come upon you..." | Fulfills the promised curses for disobeying the covenant. | |||
| Deut 28:48 | "Therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in complete lack of everything." | God uses enemies as instruments of punishment. | |||
| Prov 13:15 | "Good sense gains favor, but the way of the faithless is hard." | The difficulties and troubles that follow unfaithfulness. | |||
| Isa 59:2 | "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God..." | Sin disrupts the divine relationship and brings negative consequences. | |||
| Gal 6:7 | "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." | Principle of divine retribution; actions have consequences. | |||
| Rom 6:23 | "For the wages of sin is death..." | The ultimate outcome of sin is spiritual separation and its earthly manifestations. | God's Discipline and Covenant Faithfulness | ||
| 2 Sam 7:14-15 | "I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him..." | God's promise to David: His offspring will be disciplined but not rejected. | |||
| Psa 89:30-33 | "If his children forsake my law... then I will punish their transgression with the rod... But I will not remove my steadfast love from him..." | Echoes 2 Sam 7, showing divine chastening combined with covenant loyalty. | |||
| Heb 12:5-6 | "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord... For the Lord disciplines the one he loves..." | Adversity as a sign of God's loving discipline. | |||
| Rev 3:19 | "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline..." | Further New Testament affirmation of divine discipline. | Context of "Adversary" | ||
| Num 22:22 | "God's anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as an adversary against him..." | The concept of `śāṭān` (adversary) applied to a divine agent. | |||
| 1 Sam 29:4 | "the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him... lest he become an adversary to us..." | "Adversary" in the sense of an opponent in battle. | |||
| Job 1:6-12 | "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them." | Illustrates the use of "Satan" as a proper name, contrasted with the generic `śāṭān` here. | |||
| 1 Pet 5:8 | "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around..." | New Testament usage of "adversary" referring to Satan, highlighting the human `śāṭān` as a shadow. | |||
1 Kings 11 verses
1 Kings 11 23 Meaning
This verse states that God supernaturally appointed Rezon, the son of Eliada, as a human adversary against King Solomon. Rezon was a Syrian fugitive who harbored resentment against Israel, particularly from David's earlier victories over Hadadezer of Zobah. This divine intervention signifies God's direct judgment upon Solomon for his unfaithfulness and idolatry, as prophesied due to his disobedience to the Lord's commands. It highlights God's sovereignty over earthly powers, even to raise up opposition against His chosen king as a form of discipline.
1 Kings 11 23 Context
1 Kings chapter 11 records the tragic downfall of King Solomon, Israel's most prosperous and wise ruler. After experiencing immense blessings and constructing the magnificent Temple for the Lord, Solomon indulged in spiritual compromises. He multiplied foreign wives (verse 1-3), who in turn led his heart astray to serve other gods, building high places for idols like Ashtoreth, Milcom, Chemosh, and Molech (verse 4-8). This blatant idolatry was a direct violation of God's specific commands given to Israel's kings and was profoundly offensive to the Lord, who had appeared to Solomon twice (verse 9). As a consequence, God announced His judgment: He would tear the kingdom from Solomon's hand, leaving only one tribe for David's sake (verse 11-13). This specific verse, 1 Kings 11:23, introduces Rezon, the second of three significant adversaries whom God "raised up" against Solomon (the first being Hadad the Edomite in verses 14-22, and the third being Jeroboam the Israelite in verses 26-40), indicating the precise manner in which God began to execute His promised discipline. This reveals that even foreign powers and human rebellion are subject to God's overarching purpose and serve His judgment.
1 Kings 11 23 Word analysis
- And God: The Hebrew term is `וַיָּקֶם אֱלֹהִים` (va'yaqem Elohim), literally "and God raised up." The definite article and the name "God" (Elohim) here underscore the divine source of this action. This is not a random geopolitical event, but a direct, deliberate act of the Sovereign God. It emphasizes that historical developments, even those seemingly adverse, are under God's ultimate control, fulfilling His justice.
- raised up: The Hebrew verb is `יָקֶם` (yaqem), a Hiphil form of `קוּם` (qum), meaning to cause to arise, to establish, to appoint, or to bring to stand. In this context, it signifies divine enablement and active orchestration. God didn't merely allow Rezon to emerge; He intentionally brought him forth, equipping and positioning him as an instrument of His purpose. This echoes the concept seen throughout Judges, where God raises oppressors or deliverers.
- another: The Hebrew `עוֹד` (od) means "again" or "more." It connects this adversary, Rezon, to the previously mentioned Hadad (1 Ki 11:14-22), indicating a pattern of divine judgment against Solomon, suggesting multiple instruments of discipline.
- adversary: The Hebrew word is `שָׂטָן` (śāṭān), often transliterated as "satan." However, in its broader sense, `śāṭān` refers to an opponent, an accuser, or an adversary. Here, it refers to a human military and political antagonist raised by God to oppose Solomon. This is not "the Satan" as a proper name, but "an adversary." God Himself appointed this human foe as an agent of judgment, revealing His active participation in the consequences of sin. This underscores that earthly challenges can be divinely appointed.
- unto him: Refers directly to King Solomon. The divine adversary is specifically directed against the king who rebelled against God. It emphasizes the direct personal consequence of Solomon's unfaithfulness.
- Rezon: A proper noun. He was the son of Eliada. His name means "prince" or "officer." His re-emergence years after David's campaign against Zobah (2 Sam 8) demonstrates God's long memory and ability to utilize past grievances for His present judgment.
- the son of Eliada: A specific identifier for Rezon. This genealogical detail gives credibility and identifies him as a historical figure known to the original audience, rooting the divine action in concrete events.
- who had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah: Provides the background and grievance for Rezon. Zobah was an Aramean kingdom previously defeated by David. Rezon's loyalty was to Hadadezer, not Solomon. His fleeing (possibly as a mercenary or rebellious prince) shows his opposition to David's legacy and thus Solomon. God effectively turns Solomon's past military successes (inherited from David's defeat of Hadadezer) into a source of his current woes, by utilizing Hadadezer's defeated subordinates against Solomon.
- words-group: And God raised up: This phrase strongly emphasizes divine agency and sovereignty. It negates any idea of a purely human or accidental rise to power for Rezon. God is depicted as the active force behind the events, initiating Solomon's trouble, not merely allowing it. This aligns with a theology where God works even through antagonists to achieve His purposes, particularly discipline.
- another adversary unto him Rezon: The deliberate use of "another" alongside "adversary" shows a cumulative and persistent divine judgment. It’s not just one isolated incident, but a pattern of divinely orchestrated opposition specifically targeting Solomon, and the naming of Rezon personalizes this specific element of the divine discipline.
- the son of Eliada, who had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah: This provides crucial historical context and validates Rezon's legitimacy as an established enemy of the Davidic dynasty. His flight from Hadadezer indicates his previous opposition to the rising Israelite power under David, which Solomon inherited. God is thus activating existing historical tensions and figures, demonstrating His use of both established circumstances and individuals to bring about His will. This also shows that divine judgment can unfold using individuals with pre-existing motivations.
1 Kings 11 23 Bonus section
- Aramaic Context: Rezon's emergence from Zobah highlights the constant geopolitical tension between Israel and the Aramean city-states to its north. God often used these surrounding nations, sometimes to humble Israel when disobedient, other times to be subdued by them when they were righteous.
- Pre-existing Seeds of Rebellion: The fact that Rezon "fled" implies a long-standing personal grievance and anti-Israel sentiment, lying dormant. God, in His sovereignty, simply activated this existing "seed" of rebellion when the time for Solomon's judgment was due. It underscores how God can use dormant factors or existing resentments as tools for His plans.
- Three Adversaries, Multi-Front Judgment: Rezon is the second of three distinct adversaries God raises against Solomon (Hadad of Edom, Rezon of Damascus, and Jeroboam from within Israel). This multi-front assault illustrates the comprehensiveness of God's judgment, attacking Solomon's kingdom from different angles (southern border, northern border, and internal rebellion) as a full consequence of his widespread idolatry and broken covenant.
1 Kings 11 23 Commentary
1 Kings 11:23 highlights God's unwavering commitment to His covenant with Israel and His intolerance for disobedience, even in the lives of His anointed kings. Solomon's profound spiritual defection provoked divine wrath, not as an emotional outburst, but as a just consequence of broken covenant. The Lord, being sovereign over all of history and every nation, did not leave Solomon's sin unpunished. Instead, He actively "raised up" Rezon, a long-standing opponent of the Davidic dynasty, as a calculated instrument of judgment. This reveals that even what appears to be random geopolitical strife or personal vendetta is ultimately under God's command, used to fulfill His divine purposes, in this case, the discipline of a wayward king. The human śāṭān (adversary) like Rezon serves as a precursor or illustration of God allowing various forms of opposition in the lives of His people when they turn away. This is not an act of abandonment, but a manifestation of God's disciplinary love, designed to bring about repentance and to uphold the sanctity of His law and covenant. It confirms the promise in 2 Samuel 7 that though Solomon would be disciplined for his iniquity, God's love would not be utterly withdrawn.