1 Kings 11:14–25

Adversaries of Solomon

¹⁴Now the Lord ^uraised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was a descendant of the king in Edom. ^15vFor it happened, when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury the slain, ^wafter he had killed every male in Edom ¹⁶(because for six months Joab remained there with all Israel, until he had cut down every male in Edom), ¹⁷that Hadad fled to go to Egypt, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him. Hadad was still a little child. ¹⁸Then they arose from Midian and came to Paran; and they took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, apportioned food for him, and gave him land. ¹⁹And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him as wife the sister of his own wife, that is, the sister of Queen Tahpenes. ²⁰Then the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house. And Genubath was in Pharaoh’s household among the sons of Pharaoh.

^21xSo when Hadad heard in Egypt that David ⁴rested with his fathers, and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, ⁵“Let me depart, that I may go to my own country.”

²²Then Pharaoh said to him, “But what have you lacked with me, that suddenly you seek to go to your own country?”

So he answered, “Nothing, but do let me go anyway.”

²³And God raised up another adversary against him, Rezon the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his lord, ^yHadadezer king of Zobah. ²⁴So he gathered men to him and became captain over a band of raiders, ^zwhen David killed those of Zobah. And they went to Damascus and dwelt there, and reigned in Damascus. ²⁵He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon (besides the trouble that Hadad caused); and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.