1 Kings 1:40

All the people followed him, playing flutes and rejoicing with such a great joy that the earth was split by the sound.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The narrator describes the crowd accompanying Solomon up to Gihon immediately after Zadok’s anointing. The people move behind him in a procession marked by instrumental music and public acclamation.

The words — The Hebrew מְחַלְלִים (mechalim) and בַּחֲלִלִים (bachalilim) denote playing and with flutes, specifying the instruments driving the celebration. וּשְׂמֵחִים (usmechim) literally means and joyful, recording the crowd’s emotional state.

The thread — This public musical acclamation parallels the confirmation of Saul in 1 Samuel 11:15 and the rejoicing of the people in 2 Kings 11:20. The ram’s horn sound that triggers the uproar also appears in 2 Kings 11:14.

Why it lands — The verse records a concrete historical moment of political transition marked by instrumental music and mass participation. It requires the reader to observe how public acclamation functions as a tangible marker of royal legitimacy in the narrative.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיַּעֲל֤וּva/i.ya.'a.Luand/ they went up כָל־khol-all הָעָם֙ha./'Amthe/ people אַֽחֲרָ֔יו'a.cha.Ra/vafter/ him וְהָעָם֙ve./ha./'Amand/ the/ people מְחַלְּלִ֣יםme.cha.le.Lim[were] playing [the] flute בַּחֲלִלִ֔יםba./cha.li.Limwith/ flutes וּשְׂמֵחִ֖יםu./se.me.Chimand/ joyful שִׂמְחָ֣הsim.Chahjoy גְדוֹלָ֑הge.do.Lahgreat וַתִּבָּקַ֥עva./ti.ba.Ka'and/ it was split open הָאָ֖רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ earth בְּקוֹלָֽם׃be./ko.La/mby/ noise/ their

King James Version

And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.

Cross-references

1 Samuel 11:15 So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king in the presence of the LORD. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly.
2 Kings 11:14 And she looked out and saw the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom. The officers and trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason! Treason!”
2 Kings 11:20 and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been put to the sword at the royal palace.
1 Chronicles 12:38 All these men of war, arrayed for battle, came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. And all the rest of the Israelites were of one mind to make David king.
Psalms 97:1 The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the distant shores be glad.
Daniel 3:5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Luke 19:37 And as He approached the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of disciples began to praise God joyfully in a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen:
Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”