Melakhim I Chapters 11–12 | The Fall of Shlomo’s Kingdom and the Division of the Monarchy

Chapter 11 opens with a sharp description of Shlomo’s sins. The chapters detailing the power and utopia of Shlomo’s grand kingdom take a harsh and surprising turn in our chapter. A quick glance at Chapter 3 reveals striking contrasts between Chapter 3 and Chapter 11 (whom Shlomo loved, his alignment with David’s path, what the number 1,000 is used for, and more.) These contrasts highlight the transition from the rise and establishment of Shlomo’s kingdom to its downfall.

Our chapters are packed with literary content, parallels to other stories, and significant theological questions. We will touch on some of them.

1. The Division of the Kingdom: God promised David that his dynasty would be eternal, and even if his descendants sinned, God would correct them and bring them suffering but would not remove them from the throne. Now, with Shlomo’s sins, the question arises: What will God’s response be? To our great surprise, we see that God decides to tear the kingdom away from Shlomo, echoing what was said to Sha’ul: “I will surely tear the kingdom away from you, and I will give it to your servant” (11:11). This raises another question: Wasn’t it promised to David that his dynasty would endure forever? The answer comes later: “I will not tear away the entire kingdom; I will grant a single tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen” (11:13). Here, we discover how God’s promise to David is fulfilled: David’s kingdom will endure, but it will be reduced to rule over Yehuda alone, centered in Jerusalem. Thus, the idea of the division of the kingdom emerges, a split with dramatic consequences for the rest of Israel’s history during the First Temple period and beyond. In his prophecy to Yerovam, Achiya qualifies this division of the kingdom: “I will humble David’s descendants for this purpose, but not forever” — the division is meant to be temporary. As you continue studying the Book of Melakhim, keep in mind the costs and benefits of the kingdom’s division and whether opportunities for reunification arise.

(Note: In our chapter, you can also find significant parallels between the Sha’ul-David story and the Shlomo-Yerovam story. Feel free to delve into this on your own.)

2. Shlomo’s Enemies and the Dual Causality of the Kingdom’s Division: The story of Shlomo’s adversaries is presented in our chapter as one of the punishments God brought upon Shlomo for his sins. However, their introduction is unusual. The verses provide a lengthy and cumbersome account of Hadad the Edomite’s history and his escape to Egypt from David but fail to describe the difficulties he actually caused Shlomo. A close reading of Hadad’s story reveals surprising parallels to Moshe’s story in Egypt: Hadad flees from a king who wants to kill him. He arrives at Pharaoh’s palace, has a child born there, and eventually expresses a desire to return to his land, saying to Pharaoh, “Give me leave, and I will go to my own land.”

This phenomenon is particularly fascinating in light of the parallels we’ve previously discussed — between Shlomo’s kingdom and the Egyptian empire. Shlomo’s mighty kingdom transforms into an oppressive empire, with slaves who escape their masters (like Hadad and Retzon son of Elyada) and attempt to rebel. The situation reaches a critical point when Yerovam, also one of Shlomo’s servants, tries to rebel against the king. Ironically, Yerovam himself is forced to flee to Egypt. After Shlomo’s death, Israel, led by Yerovam, asks Rechavam, Shlomo’s son, to lighten their heavy tax burden. From their words, we understand that life under Shlomo’s reign was harsh: “Relieve the heavy workload and the harsh yoke your father placed upon us” (12:4). Rechavam refuses their request, leading to a rebellion where the people crown Yerovam as king.

This raises the question: Why did the kingdom split? Was it due to God’s prophecy and punishment for Shlomo’s sins, or the people’s rebellion against the heavy taxes? The classic answer is both — there is a dual causality. But it seems there’s more to this: Considering what we’ve discussed, it seems that the two dimensions — the divine and the human — merge here into a single idea: God’s critique is directed at Shlomo's return to Egypt (through his marriage to Pharaoh’s daughter, reliance on Egypt for horses, and the idol worship that entered the kingdom as a result). Similarly, the people’s rebellion stemmed from the same issue: They resented the harsh enslavement imposed to sustain the great empire.

There’s also some irony in Yerovam’s failure. He fails to fulfill God’s command and sets up golden calves in Beit El and Dan, declaring, “Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt” (12:28).

For a deeper exploration of Shlomo’s adversaries, listen to Dr. Yoshi Fargeon’s lecture here. 

Finally, toward the end of Chapter 12, Rechavam prepares for civil war in an attempt to prevent the kingdom’s division. However, God warns him through Shemaya the prophet to desist, and Rechavam listens to God’s word: “They heeded the word of the Lord and turned back, following the Lord’s word.” Thus, a great civil war is avoided (Rechavam had mobilized 180,000 warriors!). In contrast to other instances in the Tanakh where civil wars occur, here the story of the kingdom’s division ends on a somewhat positive note: Rechavam heeds God’s word, preventing civil war and further tragedy.

Professor Amos Frisch (see excerpt here) addresses the character of Rechavam. Contrary to the common perception that the story of the split depicts Rechavam as a foolish individual whose arrogant and thoughtless behavior caused the division of the kingdom, Professor Frisch seeks to present a more balanced portrayal of his character. In the summary of his book, הקריעה הגדולה, he examines Rechavam’s role in the story and highlights certain elements that reflect his wisdom and sound judgment. Placing all the blame for the split on Rechavam’s shoulders does not align with the context (the prophecy to Shlomo and Achiya’s prophecy to Yerovam in Chapter 11) nor with how this context is referenced in the narrative (verses 15 and 22–24), which present the division during Rechavam’s reign as a punishment for the sin of his father, Shlomo. However, in his view, the story does not absolve Rechavam of all guilt. Rather, within the framework of "dual causality," characteristic of biblical writing, Rechavam’s error becomes part of the divine plan.