MPV Commentary

God Threatens Him.

The Lord was angry with Solomon because of his abuse of the divine favors bestowed upon him. Despite being warned on two occasions about the consequences of his actions (1Ki 3:11-14; 9:3-9), Solomon had ignored these warnings, making him inexcusable. A severe judgment was therefore necessary for one who had so grossly misused God's gifts.

The divine sentence was announced to Solomon, likely through Ahijah. However, there was a measure of mercy mixed with the judgment, as it would not be inflicted on Solomon personally. Instead, a remnant of the kingdom would be spared "for David's sake and for Jerusalem's sake," which had been chosen by God (2Sa 7:12-16). This decision was based on the divine promise to establish an eternal dynasty through David, rather than any personal bias towards either Solomon or Jerusalem.

I will give one tribe to your son. Rehoboam, Solomon's successor, would receive the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi (2Ch 11:12-13), as well as many Israelites who had settled within the territory of Judah after the kingdom split (1Ki 12:17). These groups are collectively considered a single tribe.