1 Kings 11:4 Meaning and Explanation
“For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →In his old age Solomon's heart turned to other gods and was no longer wholly devoted to the Lord, unlike his father David.
What Does 1 Kings 11:4 Mean?
The decline reaches its full measure when Solomon is old. The very years that should have brought ripened wisdom instead find his heart turned after other gods. The narrator measures him against David: David's heart, for all his failures, remained set upon the Lord, while Solomon's heart was not perfect, not whole, with his God.
A faithful beginning does not guarantee a faithful end; perseverance is its own grace, needed every day. The word translated "perfect" means whole or undivided, a heart that belongs entirely to God. This is the heart the Lord seeks and the heart Jesus would later name in the great commandment, to love God with all that we are. Solomon's tragedy is not that he failed to begin well but that he failed to finish so, a warning to guard devotion through every season of life.
1 Kings 11:4 in the Original Language
shalem (שָׁלֵם), 'perfect' -- whole, complete, undivided, describing a heart fully given to God.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Kings 11:4
What does 1 Kings 11:4 mean?
In his old age Solomon's heart turned to other gods and was no longer wholly devoted to the Lord, unlike his father David.