And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
The Lord was angry with Solomon. The divine appearance, first at Gibeon, and then at Jerusalem, after the dedication of the temple, with the warnings given him on both occasions, had left Solomon inexcusable; and it was proper and necessary that on one who had been so signally favoured with the gifts of heaven, but who had grossly abused them, a terrible judgment should fall. The divine sentence was announced to him probably by Ahijah; but there was mercy mingled with judgment, in the circumstance that it should not be inflicted on Solomon personally, and that a remnant of the kingdom should be spared-`for David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, which had been chosen' to put God's name there; not from a partial bias in favor of either, but that the divine promise might stand, (2 Samuel 7:1-29.)