(E) 4As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods,(F) and his heart was not fully devoted(G) to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He even built altars to the foreign gods, encouraging idol worship of false deities. 28Now Jeroboam was a man of standing,(AF) and when Solomon saw how well(AG) the young man did his work, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the tribes of Joseph. Even though his own mother warned him of women who ruined kings, Solomon pursued a life with them anyway. 36I will allow Solomons son to continue to rule over one tribe so that there will always be a descendant of David, my servant, in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to be worshiped. In addition, rumors suggest that King Solomon married one of his daughters. Source: Dorotheum, via Wikimedia Commons. Since many of these women were foreign wives and were not godly women, there was no It seems to illustrate the prohibition in Deut 7:3 against marrying foreign women and also to echo the exclusion of Moab and Edom from the congregation of the Lord in Deut 23:49. WebHe had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 wives who were concubines. 25Rezon ruled Aram, and he hated Israel. 35I will take the kingdom from his sons hands and give you ten tribes. WebSolomon, third king of Israel (reigned c. 968928 B.C.E. Bathsheba, also spelled Bethsabee, in the Hebrew Bible (2 Samuel 11, 12; 1 Kings 1, 2), wife of Uriah the Hittite; she later became one of the wives of King David and the mother of King Solomon. 11So the Lord said to Solomon, Because you have chosen to break your agreement with me and have not obeyed my commands, I will tear your kingdom away from you and give it to one of your officers. Along with writing, shes pursuing her dreams of creating a community of brave young women, who she can encourage to live out their dreams amid challenges and imperfection. Which reverse polarity protection is better and why? Start for FREE. to these women in love. The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. History of Ancient Israel and Judah. Solomons rightful wife was Pharaohs daughter (1 Kings 3:1) although he became infatuated by many other foreign women (1 Kings 11:1) and took them as his own including Naamah. When she heard of King Solomons reputation as a wise man, she decided to travel to Jerusalem to present herself as a wife to him. 'king') and nab (, lit. Rehoboam, however, did not turn back to God. "Signpost" puzzle from Tatham's collection. 33I will do this because they have[b] forsaken me and worshiped(AL) Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molek the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked(AM) in obedience to me, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my decrees(AN) and laws as David, Solomons father, did. Although King Solomon was a polygamist, it is essential to note that polygamy did not become a common practice in the Middle East until several centuries after his death. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. Hes believed to have had as many as 700 wives and 300 concubines from different religions. Christians, Muslims, or even atheists who want to seek the truth. In the end his kingdom is divided and his legacy is the punch-line/by-word of the Deuteronomist's warning against kings. ESV I hope you find out the most unexpected thing about Solomon wives in this article. They not only gave him advice and counsel, but they also helped to shape his political decisions. His father, Solomon, had the 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3) [see How many wives did Solomon have? When Solomon was still living, a prophet named Ahijah had told Jeroboam he would become king of Israel. He was raised to be a good Jewish boy, and good Jewish boys don't marry shiksas, let alone 1000 of them. Solomons gold shields were taken along with everything else so Rehoboam had bronze shields made and remained at war with Jeroboam. While it is believed that Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, there is some debate about the exact number. April 30, 2023. The daughter of the king of Egypt was another famous wife of King Solomon. I will build you a dynasty(AU) as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. If we believe the sages of tradition, Solomon spent the rest of his life gathering wisdom and wine, whores and wives, vanities upon vanities. Jeroboam joined the people of Israel and asked Rehoboam to lighten the heavy labor load Solomon had placed on them promising to serve him in return. All rights reserved worldwide. Foreign women, in biblical literature, were always associated with seduction, prostitution, sexual disloyalty, and fertility cults, yet not all foreign women were viewed as evil. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth, and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. The Holy Bible, New Century Version. WebBut Solomon fell in love with these women. When does it all start to go wrong for Solomon? If Solomon also averaged the same ratio of children per spouse as his son Rehoboam then he would have A wise as King Solomon in the bible, why did he choose to have so many wives and concubine? 35But I will take the kingdom away from his son, and I will allow you to rule over the ten tribes. Where does the version of Hamapil that is different from the Gemara come from? Although, according to the book of Deuteronomy 7:3, marrying a woman was prohibited and also echoes the exclusion of Moab and Edom from the congregation of the Lord in Deuteronomy 23:4-9. However, the daughter of the king intervened and called off the attack. Is there a generic term for these trajectories? We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. According to the Bible, King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Q. Deuteronomy 17: 16 The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, You are not to go back that way again. 17 He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Queen Tahpenes brought him up in the royal palace with the kings own children. Weakened by sin, Jerusalem fell to Shishak king of Egypt in the fifth year of Rehoboams rule. 'Solomon, son of David') was, according to the Quran, a malik (, lit. How many wives did King David have? As in several (but not all) other Biblical stories, the foreign women in Solomons story represented the threat of foreign influence on Israelite society. You must obey all my commands. And his son Rehoboam became king in his place. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. When Joab, the commander of Davids army, went into Edom to bury the dead, he killed all the males. Solomon gained a chance to prepare a meal for the Ammonite king, which the king found so impressive that the previous cook was sacked and Solomon put in his place; the king's daughter, Naamah, subsequently fell in love with Solomon, but the family (thinking Solomon a commoner) disapproved, so the king decided to kill them both by sending them into the desert. The Ammonites werent highly regarded by the Israelites. Deuteronomy 17:14-20). Let us know. A 3He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines,(D) and his wives led him astray. 'pleasant; lovely') was one of the 700 wives and 300 concubines of King Solomon and mother of his heir, Rehoboam, according to both lsraelite Woman: Social Role and Literary Type in Biblical Narrative. Like Potiphars wife (Genesis 39), Samsons wife (Judges 1416), and the foreign woman of Proverbs 19, they remain loyal to their own personal or political interests and, as a result, disrupt law and order in their adoptive Israelite community. They were real people who may have had their hopes and dreams. After Solomon died and Rehoboam became king, Jeroboam remerged. One small indiscretion leads to another and another until the person wakes up in a pit so deep its hard to get out. The mention of Naamah in the Bible might be small, but her family left a great impression on Israel. As influential as the King of Israel is, hundreds of women had their eyes on the king. Oct 20, 2011 at 21:37. WebSolomon clung to these in love. The Bible Story of Elijah The Life of Ruth - 5 Essential Faith Lessons The Bible Story of Queen EstherThe Greatest Villain - King NebuchadnezzarThe Bible Story of Mary Magdalene. You will rule over all of Israel, 38and I will always be with you if you do what I say is right. In biblical literature, foreign women, seduction, prostitution, sexual disloyalty, and fertility cults were often linked together, yet not all foreign women were viewed as evil. His God loved him, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women. Rehoboam died after ruling for 17 years. Why did King Solomon have so many wives and concubines? Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. 4As Solomon grew old, his wives caused him to follow other gods. His wives were from Egypt, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and several other countries. Web3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. The key phrase here is According to the Bible. So, in the Bible, King Solomon had 300 wives and 700 concubines. Since the entire population of Jerusalem in the tenth century BCE was only 2000 men, women and children, that would have meant that every woman and even every young girl would have been in his harem. 2 Samuel 3:2-5 And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; . There is, in fact, no such prohibition in Scripture, EXCEPT for Church LEADERS! Access 50+ premium resources. The stories of King Solomon wives are essential because they help us learn more about the rulers life. and three hundred concubines and his wives turned his heart away. Rembrandt: Bathsheba at Her Bath Bathsheba was a daughter of Eliam and was probably of noble birth. 31Then he said to Jeroboam, Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: See, I am going to tear(AJ) the kingdom out of Solomons hand and give you ten tribes. ]: And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. 8He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods. 1 Kings 11:3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. King Solomon decided to attack Egypt and take back the treasure when he heard this. They encouraged him to follow through with the Israelites plea and ensure their future servitude. The two of them were alone out in the country, 30and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore(AI) it into twelve pieces. Also, you can contact us anytime on:office@doortoeden.com. The woman from Sidon was said to be a widow looking for a husband. 43Then he died and was buried in Jerusalem, the city of David, his father. 12But I will not take it away while you are alive because of my love for your father David. Its hard to define a moment where both Solomon andRehoboam turned away from God. After David moved his capital to Jerusalem, he married Bathsheba. While there has been much debate about the exact number of wives Solomon had, there is no doubt that these women influenced his life significantly. 9The Lord had appeared to Solomon twice, but the king turned away from following the Lord, the God of Israel. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Then they all went to Egypt to see the king, who gave Hadad a house, some food, and some land. 42Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. 3He had seven hundred wives who were from royal families and three hundred slave women who gave birth to his children. 12Nevertheless, for the sake of David(S) your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. yes you are right . soloman was a black man and son of david you can check that from the song of solomon to comfirm his identity but the issue of been an egptian king that it's foolproof am sorry . they are alots of acheological discoveries showing where he ruled and few things about him all you need is type discovery on king solomon and stop posting scrap The Bible does not provide a list of King Solomon wives, so the exact number is unknown. 29One day as Jeroboam was leaving Jerusalem, Ahijah, the prophet from Shiloh, who was wearing a new coat, met him on the road. Taking her cue from the story of Rebekah and Jacob screwing Esau out of his birthright, Bathsheba makes sure her little boy gets the crown by twisting the reality of a frail, old man who can't stay warm even with a beautiful young co-ed wrapped around his body. Anonymous Women and the Collapse of the Monarchy: A Study Solomon claimed 1,000 wives consisting of women with royal status and concubines. They left a disastrous legacy in their wake. We know that one of his wives was the daughter of Pharaoh (1 Kings 9:16; 2 Chronicles 8:11). So he was an enemy of Israel all the time Solomon was alive. Solomon built altars to foreign gods and then his son did as well. Did Solomon himself actually offer sacrifices to other gods? 38If you do whatever I command you and walk in obedience to me and do what is right(AS) in my eyes by obeying my decrees(AT) and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! We can infer from this that at least some, or perhaps many, of the marriages were likely marriage alliances (which is why 1 Kings 11:1 notes that many of them were foreign). Did they pass that tradition on to their children and their childrens children? Tagged: Family Drama, Solomon, Davidic monarchy, Bathsheba, a, King Solomon, 1 Kings, "Being long dead before the Lord answers your prayer" (Jeremiah 29:10-11), Jesus needing 2-3 people in order to show up (Matthew 18:20), "King Solomon needed so many women because he was over-compensating for _____. His son, Abijah, took the throne for a short three years after his fathers death. I have been having this concerns for a while so I thought I could ask to get some clarity on it. Well also explore these relationships impact on King Solomon wives andlegacy. Was Aristarchus the first to propose heliocentrism? Aah, ok. 8Solomon did the same thing for all his foreign wives so they could burn incense and offer sacrifices to their gods. May their lives and walks with God strengthen your faith and encourage your soul. He remained in the pit of sin, leaving a story of disaster for us to learn from today. Brenner, Athalya. The tradition in 1 Kgs 11:18 about Solomons marriage to foreign wives, whether based on historical records or not, employs the motif of the dangerous foreign woman to condemn Solomon for idolatry in his later years (see Neh 13:26). Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. In addition to these famous wives, King Solomon married the daughter of the king of Gaza. 1 Kings 11:3 states He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three 21While he was in Egypt, Hadad heard that David had died and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead also. They told him the opposite: to make the workload heavier. [2] She was also the only one of Solomon's wives to be mentioned, within the Hebrew Bible, as having borne a child. Photo credit: Getty Images/Monkey Business Images. Illustrated in 1668 by Giovanni Battista Venanzi. 26Also, Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled(AD) against the king. 3 He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? 4 As Solomon grew old, his And his wives turned away his heart. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. The Tribe of Simeon, The Tenth Tribe Of Israel. What do I do about calling a priest father at my Catholic University? If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. 3 He had seven hundred wives who were from royal families and three hundred slave women who gave birth to his children. The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. King Solomon reigned over the Kingdom of Israel and was known for his many wives, who were said to number in the hundreds. Both Rezon and Hadad made trouble for Israel. Naamah (Hebrew: , romanized:Nam, lit. Read through 1 Kings chapter 1. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans. Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. Were relational people. Unfortunately, Rehoboam followed the advice of his peers leading him to lose half of his kingdom. Solomon is recorded to have had 700 wives and 300 concubines, many of whom were non-Israelites. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. King Solomon was crowned as the third king of Israel. 4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. Lets take a closer look at these Biblical figures, and the legacy they left behind. Solomon and the king's daughter wandered the desert until they reached a coastal city, where they bought a fish to eat, which just happened to be the one which had swallowed the magic ring. And Solomon has been wise enough to use his power to ensure a peaceful reign in his kingdom. 7On a hill east(K) of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh(L) the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek(M) the detestable god of the Ammonites. This part of the "succession narrative" shows that David had no intention of making Solomon king until Bathsheba and Nathan got involved. Solomon, third king of Israel (reigned c. 968928 B.C.E. 15Earlier when David was fighting with Edom, Joab the commander of the army, who had gone up to bury the dead, had struck down all the men in Edom. NCV Mom's Bible: God's Wisdom for Mothers - eBook, St. Joseph New Catholic Version New Testament, Lucado Devotional Bible, NCV Experiencing The Heart of Jesus - eBook, Biblia Gracia para el Momento NBD, Enc. Sheffield, 40Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but he ran away to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, where he stayed until Solomon died. Simple deform modifier is deforming my object. The Bible also tells us that these wives turned Solomon away from God, leading to his downfall. 2The Lord had told the Israelites, You must not marry people of other nations. The Solomon wives and concubines had a significant influence on his life. I will do this because of David, my servant, and because of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen.. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005,2008) 159-166. Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. Naamah was a wife of Solomon and an Ammonite. Naamah is mentioned in Bava Kamma 38b wherein it states that Moses had previously been warned by God not to make war upon the Ammonites, Molech worshippers, for Naamah was to descend from them. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! [5] The element of a ring thrown into the sea and found back in a fish's belly also appeared in Herodotus' account of Polycrates, the tyrant of Samos (c. 538522 BCE). 5He followed Ashtoreth(H) the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek(I) the detestable god of the Ammonites. Asmodeus then swallowed the king, stood up fully with one wing touching heaven and the other earth, and spat out Solomon to a distance of 400 miles. 34But I will not take all the kingdom away from Solomon. When speaking of kings, Deuteronomy 17:17 says He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. Solomon wasnt the first king to break this rule. 1 Kings 4:26 Solomon had four thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses. One falters a little but then falls deeper and deeper into immoral behaviors. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Save 15% for life! 30Ahijah took his new coat and tore it into twelve pieces. Answer King David had many wives, according to the Bible, although only eight of them are named. How many wives and concubines did King Solomon had? It is thought that Solomon met the Pharaohs daughter while traveling to Jerusalem with a caravan that included the treasures he had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. 24After David defeated the army of Zobah, Rezon gathered some men and became the leader of a small army. Its important to mingle with unbelievers and advance the kingdom of God. Seriously. 27This is the story of how Jeroboam turned against the king. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. If they decided to continue practicing their customs and cult, they would influence these in their children and might sway their husbands to embrace some non-Israelite practices. According to the Bible, King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubine. This can be found in 1 King 11:3 where we read that Solomon had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. These wives and concubines were from heathen nations that opposed the the worship of the God of Israel. 17At that time Hadad was only a young boy, so he ran away to Egypt with some of his fathers officers. Meyers, Carol, General Editor. Does God Really Work All Things Together for Good? The foreign wives included women from the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. It only takes a minute to sign up. And we are told how many wives he had (1 Kings 11:1-10). Did God change his mind concerning the wealth of kings? Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. She recently signed a contract for her first young adult novel, A Big Hot Mess, with Elk Lake Publishing. Top of the day to everyone. Hi, we are David and Mirabela. 34But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomons hand; I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who obeyed my commands and decrees. 15Earlier, David had defeated Edom. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. If you will check our articles, you may find some relevant answers to your questions. WebKing Solomon with his wives. NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Interpreting non-statistically significant results: Do we have "no evidence" or "insufficient evidence" to reject the null? "Women of Solomon: Bible." Folder's list view has different sized fonts in different folders, A boy can regenerate, so demons eat him for years. Salem Media Group. Instead, he listened to the advice of his peers and lost half of his kingdom. He was an Ephraimite from the town of Zeredah, and he was the son of a widow named Zeruah. This article will look closely at King Solomon wives, how many he had, and the stories behind them. but having "many wives" like Solomon did was certainly forbidden. A close reading of the Hebrew indicates that this verse is merely recording the number of foreign wives and concubines, not the total number of his women, which means that he had many more wives than this. Could a subterranean river or aquifer generate enough continuous momentum to power a waterwheel for the purpose of producing electricity? 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 4365. Solomon began as a man dedicated to God but fell deeper and deeper into patterns of sin after he took 1,000 wives, including Naamah.