1 Kings 11:25

And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon,.... Not all the days of his life, see 1 Kings 5:4, but all his days, from his first going into idolatry, to the end of his life: beside the

And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus. No JFB commentary on these verses.

He was a secret enemy, watching all occasions to do them mischief cunningly and privately all that time; and when Solomon had forsaken God, and was forsaken by God, he showed himself more openly and maliciously. Beside the mischief that Hadad did; so the sense is, this infelicity was added to the former concerning Hadad, mentioned above, , &c. Whilst Hadad molested him in the south, Rezon threatened him in the north. But some understand this of Hadadezer, who is here called Hadad, by way of abbreviation, (which is not unusual in proper Hebrew names, as is well known,) and that for, or because of, (for the Hebrew particle eth is sometimes put for el, which oft signifies for, or because of, as Hebricians know,) the evil which befell Hadad, or Hadadezer, i.e. he bore a grudge against the Israelites from and ever since the slaughter that Joab made in Hadadezer’ s army, whereof he was a member, although he also took that occasion of making a defection from his master. Reigned over Syria; over all that part of Syria, enlarging his empire more and more, and thereby laying a foundation for much misery to Solomon’ s house and kingdom.

1 Kings 11:25 And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad [did]: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.Ver. 25. All the days of Solomon.] But stirred not much till he saw Solomon effeminate, infatuated and become contemptible. See Hosea 13:1, Beside the mischief that Hadad did, see the like in Isaiah 9:12-13, - "The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind, and both devouring Israel with open mouth: for all this God’ s anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." And why all this? "For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of hosts."

(25) Beside the mischief that Hadad did.—The expression, as it stands, is curiously abrupt in its recurrence to Hadad. But the text is doubtful. (See Note on 1 Kings 11:21-22.) If the general reading of the LXX. be taken, the substitution of Edom for Syria (Aram) (it involves but slight change in the Hebrew) must be accepted; if the explanation of Josephus is correct, then the reading of the text must stand.

25. all the days of Solomon] Probably Rezon was able to establish himself in Damascus even before the death of David. For some time he would be obliged to collect his strength to be ready for future attacks on Israel, but he may well have been a source of anxiety to Solomon from the first. Damascus was near enough, and a band of men such as those who supported Rezon would make a constant thorn for Solomon’s side, even though they attempted no regular warfare. beside the mischief that Hadad did] This sentence can only be thus translated. There is a similar rendering of the like Hebrew εΰϊ in 1 Kings 11:1 ‘together with’ the daughter of Pharaoh (marg. R.V. ‘besides’). But it is very questionable whether this can be so rendered. The LXX. (Vat.) which omits 23, 24, and great part of the present verse renders as if, for εΰϊ, they had read ζΰϊ = this. See the LXX. variations above, in note on 1 Kings 11:22. These make the whole passage refer not to Rezon but to Hadad, and in consequence the word Syria, ΰψν, i.e. Aram, is changed into ΰγν, Edom, and it is certain that we do expect to hear more of the mischief which Hadad wrought. All we are told is that he got permission to come back to Edom. But we hear no word of any armament or invasion by him. and he abhorred Israel] Though he had deserted Hadadezer this was no reason why he should side with the Israelitish invaders. They had driven him and his troop into the wilderness and no harm which he could work upon them would be left undone. This is just the sort of opponent who might worry Solomon for a long time without being deemed serious, but who might before the end of Solomon’s reign, in the period of that king’s unwise yielding to his wives, become really a dangerous adversary. With Hadad in the south and Rezon on the north, each growing daily stronger, the crippling of Solomon’s power was effectually begun.

25. All the days of Solomon — Whence it appears that he must have established himself at Damascus before, or soon after, the death of David.