Commentary on 1 Kings 11:9–10 (Summary)

1 Kings 11:9 presents the Lord’s response to Solomon’s apostasy. We are told God was angry with Solomon. Though the English word angry is an adjective, the Hebrew root is a verb, to be or become angry. The background of the word has to do with the face, even the nostrils; anger sometimes causes the facial distortion of the one who is angered. Since, however, the Lord does not possess a physical body, the use of the word in regard to him is anthropomorphic, the giving of human characteristics to a non-human being.

Such use of language suggests a high degree of God’s displeasure with the behaviour of Solomon. The use of the language implies that, were a human being to experience a similar anger, it would cause a distortion of the face. The root of the Hebrew verb is anaph, and its use in the Old Testament is in a manner curious, when we consider its connection to human facial expressions. Thirteen out of the fourteen occurrences of the word in the Old Testament, if not all fourteen, refer to divine anger, while the related noun (anger) refers to God’s anger 177 times out of 222 uses. The anger of God is not an insignificant matter.

1 Kings 11:9–10 continue with another matter that causes the thoughtful reader to take special notice. The writer reminds us that the God of Israel had appeared to Solomon twice. Solomon, therefore, had been given the privilege of a vision of the invisible God, who spoke to him on two occasions. There should have been no doubt in Solomon’s mind as to which being was the living and true God. Chemosh and Molech were vanities; they did not exist. Yahweh had spoken to Solomon, yet Solomon turned away from the One who revealed himself to him.

Not only so, but in his appearances to the king, the Lord specifically warned Solomon to be careful to avoid the worship of other gods. Thus, Solomon’s apostasy was a sin against a certain knowledge that the worship of foreign gods was a direct violation of God’s will. The sin on the background of ignorance and darkness is one thing, though still worthy of judgment, but the sin that is in the face of light and knowledge increases the guilt.