What is the meaning of 1 Kings 11:27? The account of his rebellion against the king “ And this is the account of his rebellion against the king.” (1 Kings 11:27a) • The “he” is Jeroboam son of Nebat, introduced in the previous verse (1 Kings 11:26). • Scripture pictures his revolt as something traceable and deliberate rather than impulsive. 1 Kings 12:2–4 shows the underlying grievance: Solomon’s heavy yoke of labor on the people. • This echoes the earlier warning in 1 Samuel 8:11-18 that a king would conscript and tax for grand projects. Jeroboam’s uprising therefore fulfills a pattern God had already foretold. • God is not caught off guard; in 1 Kings 11:29-39 He even commissions Jeroboam through the prophet Ahijah. Solomon’s unchecked policies merely set the human stage for what the Lord had decreed. Solomon had built the supporting terraces “ Solomon had built the supporting terraces …” (1 Kings 11:27b) • The “supporting terraces” (called the Millo in many translations) refer to massive earthworks buttressing the slope of Jerusalem’s hill (see 2 Samuel 5:9, where David began the project). • 1 Kings 9:15-22 notes that Solomon drafted tens of thousands for forced labor to finish these and other works. • Jeroboam, a capable supervisor, was placed over “all the laborers of the house of Joseph” (1 Kings 11:28). Daily witnessing the burden on his own tribesmen from Ephraim and Manasseh likely fueled his discontent. • Solomon’s dazzling achievements—palace, temple, terraces—came at the cost of fracturing unity. Just as the Tower builders in Genesis 11 sought greatness apart from God’s priorities, Solomon’s grand scale hinted that his heart was drifting (1 Kings 11:4). Repaired the gap in the wall of the city of his father David “ … and repaired the gap in the wall of the city of his father David.” (1 Kings 11:27c) • Strengthening Jerusalem’s fortifications was prudent after past conflicts (2 Samuel 5:6-9; 1 Kings 14:25-26). Yet it also signaled increasing centralization of power. • A “gap” implies vulnerability; Solomon’s repair closed that breach—good for security, but also symbolic of closing ranks around the southern tribe of Judah. • Jeroboam, overseeing this construction, witnessed a king fortifying the capital even as the outer tribes bore the brunt of the labor. That contrast sharpened the north-south tension eventually seen in 1 Kings 12:16. • Later kings like Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 32:5) would repair walls in faith. Solomon’s repairs, however, stand beside his accumulation of wives and idols (1 Kings 11:1-8), underscoring that building projects alone cannot substitute for covenant faithfulness. summary 1 Kings 11:27 explains why Jeroboam rose against Solomon: the king’s grand construction—supporting terraces and wall repairs—required oppressive labor, confirming Samuel’s earlier warnings. While the works strengthened Jerusalem, they exposed Solomon’s drift from servant-leadership to self-exalting monarchy. The verse thus sets the backdrop for the impending division of Israel, showing how human ambition and God’s sovereign plan converge to fulfill His unfailing Word. |
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