· Translation: KJV

1 Kings 11:42The time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.

The setting

Jerusalem, Israel, ~930 BC. The chronicler summarizes four decades of Solomon's reign as it draws to a close...

The emotion here: solemn respect recording the end of an era

The original word

arbaim (אַרְבָּעִים) — forty, the biblical number of completion and testing

Why it matters

Solomon's forty-year reign matches his father David's exactly, suggesting divine completeness

Read with care

What most readers miss in 1 Kings 11:42

This verse ends the golden age of Israel — everything changes after this

Common misconceptionPeople see this as just a historical note, but it's the narrator's way of saying 'the golden age is over.' Everything after this verse is decline and division.

Bible Genome reading

1 Kings 11:42 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionresting
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power20%
Quotability30%
Memorability40%
Crisis relevance10%
Standalone40%
Themes:timereigncompletion

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 1 Kings 11

1 Kings 11:42 comes from the book of 1 Kings, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is resting, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include time, reign, completion. Notable phrases: forty years; reigned in Jerusalem.

Your reflection

What does 1 Kings 11:42 mean to you, today?

A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.

Speak your heart →

Get 3 verses for "resting"

Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.