מלכים א, פרק י״א, פסוק י״ד

As long as Solomon remained devoted to God, he was surrounded by kindness and truth, enjoying a reign marked by profound peace and tranquility. However, as he grew older and his heart began to stray from God, his peaceful era fractured, and adversaries began to rise against him [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. The emergence of these new enemies operated on a principle of measure for measure. Because Solomon failed to protest or stop his wives when they sought out intermediary powers between themselves and God, God similarly chose not to hold back the enemies who rose against Solomon [אברבנאל].

Beyond simple punishment, these human adversaries served a deeper, corrective purpose, fulfilling a divine promise made earlier to King David. God had assured David that if Solomon were to sin, He would discipline him through the actions of other men, rather than stripping the kingship away from him entirely. The ultimate goal of this suffering was to correct Solomon, urging him to repent and change his ways. Through this careful balance of discipline and preservation, God ensured the eternal continuation of the Davidic dynasty [מלבי״ם].

To carry out this discipline, God raised up a specific adversary, an agitator who incited his followers to go to war [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This rival was Hadad, a direct descendant of the Edomite royal bloodline [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The roots of Hadad's deep hostility traced back to the days of King David. When David and his army commander Joab struck down Edom, Hadad was just a young boy. He managed to escape to Egypt alongside his father's servants. Along the journey, the young prince strategically gathered more followers to present himself as a figure of great importance upon his arrival. His plan succeeded, and Pharaoh welcomed him with great honor. Provided with a home, a steady supply of food, and his own territory to rule, Hadad established himself in Egypt, steadily growing into the formidable rival who would eventually challenge Solomon [אברבנאל].