Bible Strands
1 Kings 11:9
Now the LORD grew angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records Yahweh’s response to Solomon after the king established high places for his foreign wives’ deities. This moment follows Solomon’s continued idolatry despite two direct theophanies.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַיִּתְאַנָּף (va.yit'annaf) literally means "he was angry" or "he grew angry," describing Yahweh's reaction. The phrase נָטָה לְבָבוֹ (na.tah le.vavo) translates to "his heart turned aside," indicating a deliberate shift of devotion.
The thread — The passage directly references Yahweh's prior appearances at Gibeon and the subsequent second visit (1 Kings 3:5; 1 Kings 9:2). The pattern of divine anger against covenant breach parallels earlier confrontations like the warning concerning Moses (Exodus 4:14).
Why it lands — The text states that repeated divine appearance does not prevent covenant violation. It requires readers to acknowledge that loyalty must be actively preserved rather than assumed from past grace.
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
King James Version
And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 3:5 One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”
- 1 Kings 9:2 the LORD appeared to him a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon.
- Exodus 4:14 Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well, and he is now on his way to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
- Numbers 12:9 So the anger of the LORD burned against them, and He departed.
- Deuteronomy 3:26 But the LORD was angry with me on account of you, and He would not listen to me. “That is enough,” the LORD said to me. “Do not speak to Me again about this matter.
- Deuteronomy 7:4 because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.
- Deuteronomy 9:8 At Horeb you provoked the LORD, and He was angry enough to destroy you.
- 2 Samuel 6:7 And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there beside the ark of God.
- Deuteronomy 9:20 The LORD was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him, but at that time I also prayed for Aaron.
- 2 Samuel 11:27 And when the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD.