1 Kings 11:1

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women,
• 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—

Context of 1 Kings 11:1

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. 2The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. 3He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.

1 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 11:8Solomon built such shrines for all his foreign wives to use for burning incense and sacrificing to their gods.
• Genesis 6:2The sons of God saw the beautiful women and took any they wanted as their wives.
• Deuteronomy 17:17The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.
• Nehemiah 13:23About the same time I realized that some of the men of Judah had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
• Proverbs 2:16Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman, from the seductive words of the promiscuous woman.
• Proverbs 5:8Stay away from her! Don’t go near the door of her house!
• Proverbs 6:24It will keep you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman.
• Proverbs 7:5Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman, from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.
• Proverbs 22:14The mouth of an immoral woman is a dangerous trap; those who make the Lord angry will fall into it.
• Proverbs 23:33You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things.
• 1 Kings 3:1Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and married one of his daughters. He brought her to live in the City of David until he could finish building his palace and the Temple of the Lord and the wall around the city.
• Leviticus 18:18“While your wife is living, do not marry her sister and have sexual relations with her, for they would be rivals.

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

• Ammonites
• Fellowship
• Hittites
• Instability
• Lasciviousness
• Moabites
• Molech
• Polygamy
• Rulers
• Sidon
• Solomon
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Pharaoh
• Solomon
• Clad
• Harlot
• Notwithstanding
• Rend
• Zidon
• Agriculture
• Gods
• Hittites

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