1 Kings 11:19

1 Kings 11:19 Meaning and Explanation

And Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.

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Hadad found great favor with Pharaoh, who gave him the queen's sister as his wife.

What Does 1 Kings 11:19 Mean?

Hadad's standing rises further. He finds great favor with Pharaoh, who honors him by giving him the sister of Queen Tahpenes as his wife, drawing the exile into the royal family itself. The fugitive prince is now bound by marriage to the throne of Egypt.

Favor can lift a person from obscurity to honor in ways they could never engineer. Hadad did nothing recorded to earn this; it was given. The verse quietly shows how God can grant favor in the eyes of the powerful, a grace seen again in Joseph and Daniel and others who rose in foreign courts. Yet favor is a stewardship, and what becomes of it depends on the heart. Hadad's later return as Solomon's adversary shows that being lifted up is not the same as being made faithful.

1 Kings 11:19 in the Original Language

chen (חֵן), 'favour' -- grace or kindly regard granted in another's eyes.

Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Kings 11:19

What does 1 Kings 11:19 mean?

Hadad found great favor with Pharaoh, who gave him the queen's sister as his wife.

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