1 Kings 11:1 kjv
But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:
1 Kings 11:1 nkjv
But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites?
1 Kings 11:1 niv
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter?Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.
1 Kings 11:1 esv
Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women,
1 Kings 11:1 nlt
Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh's daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites.
1 Kings 11 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 7:3-4 | "You shall not intermarry with them... For they would turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods..." | Explicit prohibition of intermarriage and its reason |
| Exod 34:15-16 | "...you might serve their gods... and you might take of their daughters for your sons..." | Command against alliances through marriage leading to idolatry |
| Neh 13:26-27 | "Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? ...yet even he was led astray by foreign women." | Nehemiah recalls Solomon's sin concerning foreign women |
| Deut 17:17 | "Nor shall he acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away..." | A king's specific prohibition against multiplying wives |
| 1 Kgs 3:1 | "Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married Pharaoh’s daughter." | Earlier, significant compromise by Solomon |
| 1 Kgs 9:6-9 | "But if you turn aside from following me... I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them..." | God's prior warning to Solomon regarding obedience |
| 1 Kgs 11:2 | "Of the nations concerning which the Lord had said... 'You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you..." | Confirms God's explicit prohibition mentioned by Moses |
| 1 Kgs 11:4 | "For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods..." | Direct consequence: wives turned his heart from God |
| 1 Kgs 11:5 | "...Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites." | Specific idols mentioned from nations listed in 1Kgs 11:1 |
| 1 Kgs 11:9-10 | "And the Lord was angry with Solomon... because his heart had turned away..." | God's anger and judgment against Solomon's apostasy |
| Judg 2:11-13 | "...they served the Baals... they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers..." | Pattern of turning away from God to serve idols |
| Jer 2:13 | "for they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves..." | Analogy for forsaking God for futile alternatives |
| Matt 22:37-38 | "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart...'" | The Great Commandment—Solomon failed this central law |
| 2 Cor 6:14 | "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers..." | New Testament principle of spiritual separation |
| Jas 1:14-15 | "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin..." | Illustrates the process of temptation leading to sin |
| Prov 7:26 | "Many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng." | Warning about seductive influence leading to ruin (metaphorical of temptation) |
| Rom 1:21-22 | "...they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened." | The consequence of turning away from God to idolatry |
| 1 Jn 2:15-16 | "Do not love the world or the things in the world... the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes..." | Warning against love for the world, applicable to Solomon's choices |
| Josh 23:12-13 | "For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations... they shall be a snare and a trap for you..." | Prior warning about the danger of cohabiting with pagan nations |
| 1 Kgs 11:3 | "He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines..." | The astonishing number of women Solomon accumulated |
| Rom 6:16 | "Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey..." | Becoming enslaved to what one yields to, applicable to Solomon's sin |
| Prov 23:27 | "For a prostitute is a deep ditch; a foreign woman is a narrow well." | Figurative warning against seductive foreign women |
1 Kings 11 verses
1 Kings 11 1 Meaning
1 Kings 11:1 marks a tragic turning point in the reign of King Solomon, indicating his profound spiritual deviation from God's covenant. Despite being renowned for wisdom and blessed with peace, Solomon actively engaged in what was explicitly forbidden by divine law: he "loved many foreign women." This "love" signifies a deep commitment and attachment that superseded his devotion to Yahweh. These women, described as coming from nations like Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and the Hittites, were not merely a collection of wives for political alliances, but represented idolatrous cultures specifically prohibited by God for intermarriage with Israelites. The verse highlights his accumulation of these women in addition to his earlier, already problematic marriage to the daughter of Pharaoh, underscoring the escalating nature of his disobedience and the grave spiritual compromise that would lead to his heart turning away from the Lord.
1 Kings 11 1 Context
Chapter 11 marks a crucial downturn in the narrative of King Solomon, moving from his unparalleled wisdom, immense wealth, and the successful construction of the Temple (Chapters 3-10) to his ultimate failure and the consequent judgment of God. This verse immediately follows a period of immense international recognition and prosperity for Solomon, which paradoxically became a breeding ground for his downfall. God had twice appeared to Solomon, offering warnings and conditions for continued blessings (1 Kgs 6:11-13; 9:1-9). The marriage to Pharaoh's daughter (1 Kgs 3:1) was an early indication of compromise. Verse 1 of chapter 11 clearly sets the stage for the rest of the chapter, detailing Solomon's profound spiritual decline and eventual apostasy driven by these foreign marriages. This betrayal of God's covenant led directly to the division of the kingdom after his death. The verse operates within the larger biblical historical context of the Deuteronomic covenant, where obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings curses.
1 Kings 11 1 Word analysis
- But: The Hebrew conjunction וְ (wə), typically meaning "and," here functions adversatively, meaning "but" or "however." It powerfully contrasts Solomon's previous splendor and wisdom with his spiritual fall, signaling a drastic and tragic shift in the narrative.
- King Solomon: Refers to the wisest and most glorious king of Israel, who had already received divine warnings. His identity as "King" highlights the great responsibility and the profound influence of his actions, setting a detrimental example for the entire nation.
- loved (אָהַב, ’āhab): This word signifies more than mere affection; it implies deep attachment, devotion, and sometimes covetousness. In the context of "foreign women" and "other gods" (1 Kgs 11:4), it represents an affection or commitment that rivals and eventually supersedes his covenantal love for God (Deut 6:5).
- many foreign women: This phrase is the core of the transgression.
- many: Emphasizes the sheer quantity, implying multiplication beyond practical need, especially for a king (Deut 17:17). Solomon famously accumulated 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kgs 11:3).
- foreign women (נָשִׁים נָכְרִיּוֹת, nāšîm naḵrîyôṯ): This is a crucial term. Nokriyya refers not merely to women from another country, but specifically to non-Israelite women who often worshiped foreign gods and held different cultural/religious practices, implying potential spiritual contamination. Such unions were strictly forbidden in the Law (Deut 7:3-4) because they inevitably led to idolatry.
- besides the daughter of Pharaoh: This clause highlights that his first major foreign marriage (1 Kgs 3:1) was in addition to these many subsequent illicit unions, not in isolation. It underscores a pattern of disregard for divine commands, escalating from an initial compromise.
- women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and the Hittites: These nations are explicitly named, emphasizing their specific nature as sources of idolatry and practices that were an abomination to Yahweh (Deut 7:1-4). They were enemies or historically problematic peoples to Israel. Marriages with them guaranteed the introduction of their gods into Israelite life, directly leading to Solomon's later apostasy (1 Kgs 11:5).
Words-group Analysis
- "But King Solomon loved many foreign women": This phrase encapsulates the central failure. The "but" underscores the tragic irony: the wisest man chose spiritual folly. "Loved" signifies a profound affection that misplaced allegiance, while "many foreign women" details the specific transgression and its magnitude. This accumulation of women for political or personal gain demonstrated a profound distrust in God's ability to secure his kingdom, opting for worldly strategies instead of divine faithfulness.
- "besides the daughter of Pharaoh": This clarifies the chronology and depth of Solomon's compromises. His marriage to Pharaoh's daughter was an early step outside God's perfect will. This new, expansive list of foreign women represents a multiplication of the initial error, revealing a progressive hardening of heart and escalating disobedience to the Law. It's a statement about continued and worsening spiritual declination.
- "women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and the Hittites": This listing is not arbitrary. These specific nations represent the direct violation of the Deuteronomic law against intermarriage (Deut 7:3-4). Their inclusion specifically highlights that Solomon's actions were a deliberate affront to God's clear commands, as these nations were notorious for their idolatrous practices (e.g., Milcom for Ammonites, Ashtoreth for Sidonians), which Solomon eventually embraced.
1 Kings 11 1 Bonus section
The seemingly innocent "love" mentioned in the verse became a potent force that overshadowed Solomon's unparalleled wisdom. His deviation stemmed not from a lack of knowledge but from a wilful decision, driven perhaps by political expediency or personal desire, to disregard specific divine injunctions. The irony lies in the fact that Solomon, who requested and received divine wisdom, ultimately displayed profound folly by compromising the very foundation of Israel's relationship with God. This serves as a powerful biblical lesson that mere intellectual wisdom or outward accomplishments are insufficient if not coupled with unwavering covenant faithfulness and absolute love for God. The accumulating of women from these forbidden nations wasn't just a political miscalculation; it was a religious one that sowed seeds of apostasy that would ripen in his old age, directly contravening the king's unique responsibility to lead by example in adherence to God's law.
1 Kings 11 1 Commentary
1 Kings 11:1 marks the solemn beginning of Solomon's fall, shattering the idyllic narrative of wisdom and divine favor. The seemingly innocuous act of "loving many foreign women" was a direct violation of God's covenant instructions, specifically concerning intermarriage with pagan nations. This was not a minor infraction but a deep spiritual betrayal rooted in misdirected affection and reliance on human political strategies rather than exclusive devotion to God. Solomon's pursuit of such alliances, a common practice in the ancient Near East to secure power and peace, showcased a profound distrust in God's promises to bless and protect him. His "love" for these women led directly to the eventual "love" for their gods, pulling his heart away from the Lord. This verse acts as a pivotal moment, shifting the focus from Solomon's glory to the tragic consequences of disobedience, ultimately leading to the fracturing of his kingdom and a stark reminder that even the wisest can fall if their hearts are not wholly dedicated to God alone. It serves as a potent warning against spiritual compromise and the dangers of allowing worldly wisdom or desires to eclipse divine commands.