1 Kings 11:18

1Ki 11:18 And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran: and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt; which gave him an house, and appointed him victuals, and gave him land.

Ver. 18. Who gave him a house, &c.] As not knowing but that himself might one day have as much need to borrow mercy, as now he had to lend it.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ki 11:18. They arose out of Midian — They first went into Midian and stayed there a while, probably that they might send from thence to know whether Pharaoh would give them entertainment and protection. And came to Paran — Another country in the road from Edom to Egypt, where he hired men to attend him, probably either as guides, or that, making his entrance into Egypt in some degree like a prince, he might find more favour from the king and people. Which gave him a house, &c. — According to the manner of generous princes, who pity noble persons that are in distress, Pharaoh not only assigned him a house, and kept a table for him, that he might want nothing, but also gave him land, that out of the revenues of it he might provide himself an equipage suitable to his quality.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 18. These arose out of Midian] They at first retired to Midian, which lay to the southwest of the Dead Sea. Not supposing themselves in safety there, they went afterwards to Paran in the south of Idumea, and getting a number of persons to join them in Paran, they went straight to Egypt, where we find Hadad became a favourite with Pharaoh, who gave him his sister-in-law to wife; and incorporated him and his family with his own.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(18) They arose out of Midian.—The expression is a curious one; for we should have expected the starting-point of the flight to have been described in Edom itself. If the reading of the text is correct, the reference must be either to some branch of the Midianitish tribes settled between Edom and the desert of Paran, or to a city Midian, not far from the Gulf of Elath, of which some ancient authorities speak, and to which the LXX. expressly refers here.

Paran (see Gen_21:21; Num_10:12; Num_12:16; Num_13:3; Num_13:26 : 1Sa_25:1) is part of the Sinaitic region, adjacent to the wilderness of Zin, and north of the range now called the El-Tîh mountains. It lies to the west of the Edomite territory, and was then evidently inhabited by an independent race, from which the fugitive companions of Hadad enlisted support.

Pharaoh king of Egypt.—The dynasty then reigning in Lower Egypt is that called the twenty-first, or Tanite, dynasty. Chronological considerations, and perhaps internal probabilities, suggest that this Pharaoh was not the same as the king who became father-in-law to Solomon. But the same policy of alliance with the occupants of Palestine and the neighbourhood is equally exemplified in both cases, though by different methods; and accords well with the apparent decadence of Egyptian power at this time, of which very little record is preserved in the monuments. Jealousy of the growing power of Israel under David and Solomon might prompt this favourable reception of Hadad, as afterwards of Jeroboam. The marriage of Solomon with the daughter of Pharaoh, and the active co-operation of Pharaoh against Gezer (1Ki_9:16), indicate an intervening variation of policy, without, however, any change in the general design of securing Egypt by alliances on the north-east. In this case the intermarriage of Hadad with the royal house, and the inclusion of his son Genubath among the children of Pharaoh, argue an unusual distinction, which could only have been due to a high estimate of the importance of influence over the strong country of Edom, and of the future chances of Hadad’s recovery of the throne.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18. And they arose out of Midian] It is not easy to decide what place or district is meant by Midian. The country so called in the time of Moses (Exo_2:15; Exo_3:1) could not have been far away from Mt. Sinai, and the fugitives from Edom would hardly have made their way to such a distance before setting out on their journey to Egypt. If the Midianites wandered about in the desert it may be that there was some more northern district nearer to the south-west of Edom which was called after them. Of this however we have no information.

The LXX. here reads ἐκ τῆς πόλεως Μαδιάμ, thus explaining the word as the name of a city. There is however a difference of reading in Jdg_10:12 which may help us. There we read ‘The Zidonians and Amalek and Maon did oppress you … and I delivered you out of their hand.’ Now instead of Maon the LXX. in that passage gives Madiam. The two words appear in Hebrew as מצון and מדין respectively, very closely resembling each other. But in the book of Judges ‘Maon’ is not mentioned among the enemies of Israel, but the Midianites play a conspicuous part. It seems likely therefore that the LXX. is correct and that in Jdg_10:12 ‘Midian’ should be read instead of ‘Maon’.

In the present verse it would almost seem as if the contrary change should be made. We read of Maon among the cities on the south of Judah, and not far from Paran, in the story of Nabal (1Sa_25:2). There we read that David could send men from the wilderness of Paran up to Maon, and when they came back rudely repulsed could set forth himself to chastise Nabal. If we suppose these fugitive Edomites to have taken refuge for a brief time in the mountainous district of south Judah, where Maon was, the rest of their proceedings becomes explicable. They came from Maon to the wilderness of Paran, found some men there, either fellow fugitives or others, whom they took as guides and a convoy and thus made their way to Egypt.

Paran] By this name seems to be meant that wilderness which beginning on the south of Judah and south-west of Edom is now known as El-Tih, and which was the scene of the wanderings of the Israelites.

unto Pharaoh king of Egypt] This king may have been the immediate predecessor of the monarch whose daughter Solomon married. There need not have been more than 30 years, if so much, between these events in David’s life, and the marriage of Solomon.

victuals] Heb. ‘bread,’ i.e. a regular sustenance for himself and those he had brought with him. In the same way ‘land’ implies a place in which they all might settle and live during their stay.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh,.... Perhaps for his comely personage, princely qualities, and good behaviour, as he grew up:

so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen; it seems the kings of Egypt used to marry their favourites to great personages; see Gen 41:45.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Midian - A town in the south of Judah. Paran is the desert tract immediately to the south of Judaea, the modern desert of et-Tih.

Pharaoh - King of the twenty-first (Tanite) dynasty; probably he was Psusennes I, Manetho’s second king. It appears to have been the policy of the Pharaohs about this time to make friends and contract alliances with their eastern neighbors.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Land, to maintain him (Josephus) out of the royal domains, (Calmet) of which the kings were possessed. (Didor. i. p. 46.) --- He appointed him governor of some part of the country. (Vatable)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

They arose out of Midian; he fled at first with an intent to go into Egypt, as is said, 1Ki 11:17, but took Midian, a neighbouring country, in his way, and staid there a while, possibly till he had by some of his servants tried Pharaoh’s mind, and prepared the way for his reception.

Paran; another country in the road from Edom to Egypt, where he hired men to attend him, that making his entrance there something like a prince, he might find more favour and respect from that king and people.

Appointed him victuals, and gave him land, to support himself and his train out of the profits of it.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18. They arose out of Midian, and came to Paran — They first fled from Edom to Midian, and then, probably supposing themselves still insecure, they arose and went toward Egypt as far as some settlement in the desert of Paran, where they seem to have stayed awhile before proceeding to Egypt. The Midian here referred to was probably the same as that to which Moses fled from Pharaoh, (Exo_2:15,) and lay in the Sinaitic peninsula south of Edom and around the mountains connected with Horeb. Paran was the vast wilderness north of Sinai and west of Edom, corresponding substantially with the modern desert et Tih. See on Gen_21:21, and Num_10:12.

Took men with them — Probably as guides through the wilderness.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And they arose out of Midian a name of wide and somewhat varied significance. Midian embraces the eastern portion of the peninsula of Sinai, (Exo_2:15, 21 3:1) and stretches along the eastern border of Palestine. The term has been compared with our "Arabia." And the indefiniteness arises in both instances from the same cause, viz., that the country was almost entirely desert. Midian would thus extend along the back or east of Edom. There is no need, consequently (with Thenius), to read wOm; i.e., their dwelling. It is noticeable, however, that the LXX reads ejk thv polewv Madmim, and some of the geographers do mention a city of that name on the eastern shore of the Elanitic gulf, and came to Paran Elsewhere Mount Paran, Habakkuk Deu_33:2; a desert and mountainous tract lying between Arabia Petraea, Palestine, and Idumaea (see Num_10:12 Num_13:3, Num_13:27; 1Sa_25:1; Deu_1:1) and comprehending the desert of Et Tih. It is difficult to identify it with greater precision, but it has been connected with the beautiful Wady Feiran, near Mount Serbal, in the Sinaitic range, which would agree fairly well with our narrative: and they took men with them out of Pavan as guides through the desert, and possibly as a protection also, and came to Egypt The direct route from Edom to Egypt would be across the desert of Et Tih practically the route of the caravan of pilgrims from Mecca. But this does not settle the position of Paran, as the text seems to hint that the fugitives did not proceed direct from Edom. They may have taken refuge in the first instance amongst the tribes of Midian; or they may have diverged from the straight course through fear, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt This cannot have been the Pharaoh who was Solomon"s father-in-law, for in the first place, the flight was in the time of David, and secondly, a prince who had aided and abetted these fugitives would hardly be likely to form an alliance with their great enemy. It may have been Psusennes II; which gave him a house, and appointed him victuals i.e., certain cities or officers were charged with his maintenance, though, as his relations with the royal family were so extremely intimate (vers. 19-22), he may have been fed from the royal table, and gave him land.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Midian - He fled at first with an intent to go into Egypt, but took Midian, a neighbouring country, in his way, and staid there a while, possibly 'till he had by some of his servants tried Pharaoh's mind, and prepared the way for his reception. Paran - Another country in the road from Edom to Egypt, where he hired men to attend him, that making his entrance there something like a prince, he might find more favour from that king and people. Land - To support himself and his followers out of the profits of it.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

This section continues the background information that began in 1 Kings 11:15.

They left Midian

Here the word "They" refers to Hadad and the other Edomites mentioned in 1 Kings 11:17.

Midian ... Paran ... Egypt

These are the names of places. (See: How to Translate Names)

Tahpenes

This is the name of a woman. (See: How to Translate Names)

translationWords

Midian

Paran

Pharaoh

favor

queen

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

And ordered that he be provided with food. He said to his servants, “So much and so much bread should you give him daily.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.