God’s Word Translation
1 Kings 11:2
2They came from the nations about which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “Never intermarry with them. They will surely tempt you to follow their gods.” But Solomon was obsessed with their love.
1 Kings 11:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
- New International Version (NIV)They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.
- English Standard Version (ESV)from 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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.
Context of 1 Kings 11:2
1King Solomon loved many foreign women in addition to Pharaoh’s daughter. He loved Hittite women and women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon. They came from the nations about which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “Never intermarry with them. They will surely tempt you to follow their gods.” But Solomon was obsessed with their love. 3He had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 wives who were concubines. 4In his old age, his wives tempted him to follow other gods. He was no longer committed to the Lord his God as his father David had been.
Read all of 1 Kings 111 Kings 11:2 word by word
מִן־הַגּוֹיִ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽמַר־יְהוָה֩ אֶל־בְּנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל לֹֽא־תָבֹ֣אוּ בָהֶ֗ם וְהֵם֙ לֹא־יָבֹ֣אוּ בָכֶ֔ם אָכֵן֙ יַטּ֣וּ אֶת־לְבַבְכֶ֔ם אַחֲרֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם בָּהֶ֛ם דָּבַ֥ק שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לְאַהֲבָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Of the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- which the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- Ye shall not go inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): marryH935
- surelyאָכֵן'âkên · surelyH403
- they will turn awayנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
- your heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
- afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
- their godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- Solomonשְׁלֹמֹהshelômôh · SolomonH8010
- claveדָּבַקdâbaq · to cleaveH1692
- unto these in loveאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: loverH157
Cross-references for 1 Kings 11:2
- Exodus 23:32Never make a treaty with them and their gods.
- Exodus 34:16Then your sons will end up marrying their daughters. When their daughters chase after their gods as though they were prostitutes, they’ll lead your sons to do the same thing.
- Deuteronomy 7:3Never marry any of them. Never let your daughters marry their sons or your sons marry their daughters.
- Joshua 23:12“But if you turn away and go along with the other nations within your ⌞borders⌟, if you intermarry with them or associate with them,
- Ezra 9:12So never let your daughters marry their sons or your sons marry their daughters, and never seek peace or trade with them. Then you will be strong, be able to eat the good things the land produces, and be able to give this land as a long-lasting inheritance to your children.’
- Ezra 10:2Then Shecaniah, son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, interrupted by saying to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women who came from the people around us. However, there is still hope for Israel.
- Malachi 2:11Judah has been unfaithful! A disgusting thing has been done in Israel and Jerusalem. Judah has dishonored the holy place that the Lord loves and has married a woman who worships a foreign god.
- 1 Kings 16:31It wasn’t enough that he committed the same sins as Jeroboam (Nebat’s son). He also married Jezebel, daughter of King Ethbaal of Sidon. Ahab then served and worshiped Baal.
- Numbers 25:1While Israel was staying at Shittim, the men began to have sex with Moabite women
- Judges 3:6The Israelites allowed their sons and daughters to marry these people. Israel also served their gods.
- 2 Chronicles 21:6He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as Ahab’s family had done, because his wife was Ahab’s daughter. So he did what the Lord considered evil.
- 2 Corinthians 6:14Stop forming inappropriate relationships with unbelievers. Can right and wrong be partners? Can light have anything in common with darkness?
- Genesis 2:24That is why a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and they will become one flesh.
- Genesis 34:3He became very fond of Jacob’s daughter Dinah. He loved the girl and spoke tenderly to her.
- Judges 16:4After ⌞leaving Gaza⌟, he fell in love with a woman in the Sorek Valley. Her name was Delilah.
- 2 Chronicles 19:2Jehu, son of the seer Hanani, asked King Jehoshaphat, “Why do you help wicked people and love those who hate the Lord? The Lord’s anger is directed toward you because you have done this.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 11:2
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Ye shall not go in unto them - These words are not a quotation from the Pentateuch. They merely give the general meaning of the two passages prohibiting intermarriage with neighboring idolators (marginal references). Strictly speaking, the prohibition in the Law of intermarriage was confined to the Canaanite nations. But the principle of the prohibition applied equally to the Moabites, Ammonites, and Edomites who all bordered on the holy land; and was…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 11:2
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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