Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on 1 Kings 11:40
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam, etc.] Which is another instance of his folly, to seek to detest the counsel of God, when he himself was assured by the Lord the kingdom should be rent, and given to his servant, (<111111>1 Kings 11:11) and especially if he was informed of what passed between Ahijah and Jeroboam, as it should seem by this he was; either through Ahijah’s making no secret of it, or through Jeroboam not being able to keep his own counsel, or through the report of the servants what they saw done, (<111129>1 Kings 11:29), which Solomon would easily understand: and Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt; the common sanctuary of persons in distress in those days: unto Shishak king of Egypt; either the father in law or the brother in law of Solomon, or one of another family, on whom the kingdom devolved; and who might not have any good respect for Solomon, and therefore Jeroboam thought himself safe with him: this is the only king of Egypt, in Scripture, that is called by his own name, and not Pharaoh; he is generally supposed to be the same with the Sesostris of Herodotus f295, and the Vexoris or Vexosis of Justin f296; and the rather he may be meant, since, according to Herodotus f297, he was the only king of Egypt that ruled over the Ethiopians: and Strabo says f298 he was the first that subdued Ethiopia and the country of the Troglodytes; also Diodorus Siculus affirms f299, that he fought with the Ethiopians dwelling to the south, and obliged them to pay tribute; out of which countries Shishak brought many with him in his expedition against Jerusalem, (<141202>2 Chronicles 12:2,3) and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon; not daring to return till that time, and then he did.
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