English Standard Version
1 Kings 11:1
1Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women,
1 Kings 11:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
- New International Version (NIV)King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites—
- New Living Translation (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.
Context of 1 Kings 11:1
Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, "You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love. 3He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart.
Read all of 1 Kings 111 Kings 11:1 word by word
וְהַמֶּ֣לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֗ה אָהַ֞ב נָשִׁ֧ים נָכְרִיּ֛וֹת רַבּ֖וֹת וְאֶת־בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֑ה מוֹאֲבִיּ֤וֹת עַמֳּנִיּוֹת֙ אֲדֹ֣מִיֹּ֔ת צֵדְנִיֹּ֖ת חִתִּיֹּֽת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- Solomonשְׁלֹמֹהshelômôh · SolomonH8010
- lovedאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: loverH157
- manyרַבrab · manyH7227
- strangeנׇכְרִיnokrîy · foreignH5237
- womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- together with the daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- of Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
- women of the Moabitesמוֹאָבִיmô'âbîy mô'âbîyâh mô'âbîyth · MoabiteH4125
- Ammonitesעַמּוֹנִי‛ammônîy · AmmonH5984
- Edomitesאֲדֹמִי'ĕdômîy · EdomiteH130
- Zidoniansצִידֹנִיtsîydônîy tsidônîy · SidonianH6722
- Hittitesחִתִּיchittîy · HittiteH2850
Cross-references for 1 Kings 11:1
- 1 Kings 11:8And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods.
- Genesis 6:2the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.
- Deuteronomy 17:17And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.
- Nehemiah 13:23In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
- Proverbs 2:16So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words,
- Proverbs 5:8Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house,
- Proverbs 6:24to preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.
- Proverbs 7:5to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words.
- Proverbs 22:14The mouth of forbidden women is a deep pit; he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.
- Proverbs 23:33Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.
- 1 Kings 3:1Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem.
- Leviticus 18:18And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 11:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Many strange women - That is, idolaters; together with the daughter of Pharaoh: she was also one of those strange women and an idolater. But many think she became a proselyte to the Jewish religion; of this there is no evidence.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1In noticing successively Solomon‘s excessive accumulation of silver and gold 1 Kings 10:14-25, his multiplication of horses 1 Kings 10:26-29, and his multiplication of wives, the writer has in mind the warning of Moses against these three forms of princely ostentation, all alike forbidden to an Israelite monarch (marginal reference). Zidonians - i. e., Phoenician women. A tradition states that Solomon married a daughter of Hiram, king of Tyre.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Solomon's wives and concubines, His idolatry. (1-8) God's anger. (9-13) Solomon's adversaries. (14-25) Jeroboam's promotion. (26-40) The death of Solomon. (41-43) Verses 1-8 There is not a more melancholy and astonishing instance of human depravity in the sacred Scriptures, than that here recorded. Solomon became a public worshipper of abominable idols! Probably he by degrees gave way to pride and luxury, and thus lost his relish for true wisdom. Nothing…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. 1-81Ki 11:1-8. Solomon's Wives and Concubines in His Old Age. 1-2. But King Solomon loved many strange women--Solomon's extraordinary gift of wisdom was not sufficient to preserve him from falling into grievous and fatal errors. A fairer promise of true greatness, a more beautiful picture of juvenile piety, never was seen than that which he exhibited at the commencement of his reign. No sadder, more humiliating, or awful spectacle can be imagined than the…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 11:1
In the dictionaries
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
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Commentaries