1 Kings 11:3

1 Kings 11:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
• New International Version (NIV)He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.

Context of 1 Kings 11:3

1King Solomon loved many foreign women in addition to Pharaoh’s daughter: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women 2from the nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, and they must not intermarry with you, because they will turn your heart away to follow their gods.” To these women Solomon was deeply attached in love. He had seven hundred wives who were princesses and three hundred who were concubines, and they turned his heart away. 4When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away to follow other gods. He was not wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God, as his father David had been. 5Solomon followed Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom, the abhorrent idol of the Ammonites.

1 Kings 11:3 word by word

וַיְהִי־ל֣וֹ נָשִׁ֗ים שָׂרוֹת֙ שְׁבַ֣ע מֵא֔וֹת וּפִֽלַגְשִׁ֖ים שְׁלֹ֣שׁ מֵא֑וֹת וַיַּטּ֥וּ נָשָׁ֖יו אֶת־לִבּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he had sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
• wivesאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• princessesשָׂרָהώârâh · princessH8282
• and threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• concubinesפִּלֶ֫גֶשׁpîylegesh pilegesh · concubineH6370
• turned awayנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
• his heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820

Cross-references for 1 Kings 11:3

• Judges 8:30Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, since he had many wives.
• Judges 9:5He went to his father’s house in Ophrah and killed his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, on top of a large stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid.
• 2 Samuel 3:2Sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite;
• 2 Samuel 5:13After he arrived from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.
• 2 Chronicles 11:21Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. He acquired eighteen wives and sixty concubines and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
• Ecclesiastes 7:28which my soul continually searches for but does not find: I found one person in a thousand, but none of those was a woman.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 11:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3He had seven hundred wives, princesses - How he could get so many of the blood royal from the different surrounding nations, is astonishing; but probably the daughters of noblemen, generals, etc., may be included. And three hundred concubines - These were wives of the second rank, who were taken according to the usages of those times; but their offspring could not inherit. Sarah was to Abraham what these seven hundred princesses were to Solomon; and the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3These numbers seem excessive to many critics, and it must be admitted that history furnishes no parallel to them. In Song of Song of Solomon 6:8 the number of Solomon‘s legitimate wives is said to be sixty, and that of his concubines eighty. It is, perhaps probable, that the text has in this place suffered corruption. For “700” we should perhaps read “70.”Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-3Despite his wisdom from God, Solomon disobeyed the law of Moses by amassing wealth and marrying many wives (see Exodus 34:12–17; Deuteronomy 7:3–4; 17:17). He married to form alliances with other nations, which weakened his spiritual dedication and led him away from God. This had severe spiritual and political effects on his people (see 1 Kings 11:4–13; 12:4, 16; 2 Kings 17:5–23; 25:1–23).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. he had seven hundred wives, princesses--They were, probably, according to an existing custom, the daughters of tributary chiefs, given as hostages for good conduct of their fathers. concubines--were legitimate, but lower or secondary wives. These the chief or first wife regards without the smallest jealousy or regret, as they look up to her with feelings of respectful submission. Solomon's wives became numerous, not all at once, but gradually. Even at…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 11:3

• Concubinage
• Fellowship
• Influence
• Instability
• Lasciviousness
• Molech
• Polygamy
• Rulers
• Solomon
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Clad
• Notwithstanding
• Rend
• Solomon
• Agriculture
• Deuteronomy
• Jeroboam
• Kings, Books of
• Princess
• Temple

Commentaries on 1 Kings 11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings