1 Kings 11:33 Meaning and Explanation
“Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The reason for the division is that the people forsook the Lord to worship foreign gods and did not walk in His ways as David had.
What Does 1 Kings 11:33 Mean?
The reason for the judgment is stated fully. They have forsaken the Lord and worshipped the gods of the surrounding nations, Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Milcom, and have not walked in His ways or kept His statutes as David did. The plural "they" widens the charge beyond Solomon to a people who followed his lead into idolatry.
Idolatry is named here as forsaking the Lord, the abandonment of the one true God for substitutes that cannot save. The standard remains David, whose heart, for all his failings, was set to do what was right in God's eyes. The verse teaches that worship is the hinge of a nation's life and a soul's; what we worship shapes how we walk. To forsake the living God is the root from which every other failure grows, and faithfulness begins with giving Him alone our worship.
1 Kings 11:33 in the Original Language
azab (עָזַב), 'forsaken' -- to abandon or leave behind, the language of deserting a covenant Lord.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Kings 11:33
What does 1 Kings 11:33 mean?
The reason for the division is that the people forsook the Lord to worship foreign gods and did not walk in His ways as David had.