Feminist Companion to Samuel and Kings, edited by Athalya Brenner, As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God as the heart of David his father had been (1 Kings 11:4). The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 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 foreign wives included women from the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. He was raised to be a good Jewish boy, and good Jewish boys don't marry shiksas, let alone 1000 of them. I will do this for the sake of my servant David and for Jerusalem, the city I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel. "Women of Solomon: Bible." Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Our two cents: Solomon had mommy and daddy issues. When Joab, the commander of Davids army, went into Edom to bury the dead, he killed all the males. While King Solomons relationships with his wives and concubines have affected his legacy, it is essential to remember that he should be remembered for more than just his wives. Edelman, Diana. Could a subterranean river or aquifer generate enough continuous momentum to power a waterwheel for the purpose of producing electricity? Rehoboam made many poor decisions, but one, in particular, was when he refused the counsel of the elders to provide the request of the Israelites. Together with the Moabites, they hired Balaamto curse Israel. Naamahs family story may be tragic, but ours doesnt have to be. Copyright 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. Is a downhill scooter lighter than a downhill MTB with same performance? 27This is the story of how Jeroboam turned against the king. King Solomon reigned over the Kingdom of Israel and was known for his many wives, who were said to number in the hundreds. One legend concerning Asmodeus (see: The Story of King Solomon and Ashmedai) goes on to state that Solomon one day asked Asmodeus what could make demons powerful over man, and Asmodeus asked to be freed and given the ring so that he could demonstrate; Solomon agreed but Asmodeus threw the ring into the sea and it was swallowed by a fish. The attackers seized treasures from the Lords temple as well as the palace. A close reading of the Hebrew indicates that this verse is merely recording The Holy Bible, New Century Version. Are there any canonical examples of the Prime Directive being broken that aren't shown on screen? 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). King Solomon is one of the most famous and mysterious rulers in history. The stories of King Solomon wives are essential because they help us learn more about the rulers life. 11King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women(A) besides Pharaohs daughterMoabites, Ammonites,(B) Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. A 5 When King Charles III is crowned on Saturday, he will undergo a ritual so rare in modern British history that it last occurred 70 Was the sex that good? New International Version (NIV). Continue with Recommended Cookies. 35I will take the kingdom from his sons hands and give you ten tribes. 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. The daughter of the Pharaoh was believed to be either the daughter of the Pharaoh Shishak or the Pharaoh Sheshonq I. There is, in fact, no such prohibition in Scripture, EXCEPT for Church LEADERS! Since many of these women were foreign wives and were not godly women, there was no 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. They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. Other wives, such as Naamah the Ammonite, were married to the king out of love for him. 4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted 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. 19Pharaoh was so pleased with Hadad that he gave him a sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes, in marriage. 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. 31 December 1999. 5Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the people of Sidon, and Molech, the hated god of the Ammonites. 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. Even though his own mother warned him of women who ruined kings, Solomon pursued a life with them anyway. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. England: 1985. At the age of 41, he became king after his father died. 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. The story of his life and relationships with his wives and concubines is fascinating, and exploring it can help us learn more about this mysterious ruler. Loyalty to and identity with Israelite tradition would be threatened. Because Solomon's kingdom begins with barely concealed deceit, there were immediate repercussions in the kingdom: an eminent civil war between those who have aligned themselves behind the rightful king (Adonijah, the eldest brother). Christians, Muslims, or even atheists who want to seek the truth. 25Rezon ruled Aram, and he hated Israel. Tamar(Genesis 38),Ruth(Book of Ruth),Rahab(Joshua 2), andJael(Judges 45) provide positive images of foreign women; each demonstrates through her behavior her adoption of Israelite or Judahite society and religion and gains acceptance in her new community. Something to keep him warm at night. If you do, they will cause you to follow their gods. But Solomon fell in love with these women. in Narrative Technique. In A Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! Oct 20, 2011 at 21:37. Weakened by sin, Jerusalem fell to Shishak king of Egypt in the fifth year of Rehoboams rule. ]: And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. This part of the "succession narrative" shows that David had no intention of making Solomon king until Bathsheba and Nathan got involved. Perhaps this is part of the reason the book of Ecclesiastes is attributed to him: a book of wisdom and regret after a life ill-spent. This relationship is said to have led to the majority of Israel turning away from the worship of God and falling into idolatry. 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. You will not find the names of all of Solomons wives. It is important to remember that these wives were not just figures in King Solomons story. We tend to follow in the footsteps of our parents as was the case with Rehoboam. Reporting from London. April 30, 2023. 21While he was in Egypt, Hadad heard that David rested with his ancestors and that Joab the commander of the army was also dead. Top of the day to everyone. The hundreds of women said to have married King Solomon or reside in his harem described in the Book of Kings included the daughter of Pharaoh and women of Moabite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite origins. 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. I hope you find out the most unexpected thing about Solomon wives in this article. WebNaamah ( Hebrew: , romanized : Nam, lit. Meyers, Carol, General Editor. Rehoboam consulted the elders about the peoples request. When does it all start to go wrong for Solomon? Have an update or correction? Photo credit: Getty Images/Monkey Business Images. It can be debated that their son, Rehoboam, faired even worse, growing up in a home undedicated to God and continuing the pagan traditions of his father. Start for FREE. If you obey my laws and commands as David did, I will be with you. 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. Instead, he listened to the advice of his peers and lost half of his kingdom. This site is owned and operated by CAPILNA MIRABELA - DENISA PFA, and is a participant in The Ezoic Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising for Ezoic.com. Tamar, faithful and obedient to the promise of the Lord (Genesis 38); Ruth, a widowed woman who has been faithful to her mother-in-law (Book of Ruth); Rahab, a prostitute who helped the Israelites spy to escape from Jericho (Joshua 2); and Jael, courageous and faithful to the Lord (Judges 4-5); these women provide a constructive view of foreign women, each demonstrates through he behavior her adoption of Israelite of Judahite society, religious beliefs, and practices, and gains acceptance in her new community. had told the Israelites, You must not intermarry with them, for By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. 33I will do this because Solomon has stopped following me and has worshiped the Sidonian god Ashtoreth, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite god Molech. During Rehoboam's reign, 1 Kings 14:22 says Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Each of his first six wives bore David a son, while Bathsheba bore him four sons. The Story. 1 Kings 10 show his later extensive foreign involvements. 24After David defeated the army of Zobah, Rezon gathered some men and became the leader of a small army. 1 Kings 4:26 Solomon had four thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses. Throughout human history, marriage alliance has been the most common way for rulers to attempt to secure peaceful relationships with potential enemies. Of these wives, at least 300 were foreign princesses. ", Being afraid to have sex in your tent, for fear of Phineas breaking in and stabbing you in the back with his spear (Numbers 25:6-8), The Angel of Death (Hezekiah 3:18): A Misunderstood and Theologically Vital Non-Entity, Zombies!! But because of a belief that foreign women were viewed as a potential source of issues, they might have problems adapting to the culture and values of their husbands and their new place of residence. Why the obscure but specific description of Jane Doe II in the original complaint for Westenbroek v. Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity? 6So Solomon did evil(J) in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done. Rehoboam died after ruling for 17 years. Hes believed to have had as many as 700 wives and 300 concubines from different religions. They left a disastrous legacy in their wake. So we created doortoeden.com becausea city set on a hill cannot be hidden. It only takes a minute to sign up. and three hundred concubines and his wives turned his heart away. How old was Moses when God called him. In the end his kingdom is divided and his legacy is the punch-line/by-word of the Deuteronomist's warning against kings. HAD MARY OTHER CHILDREN BESIDES JESUS?WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS, Simeon. A wise as King Solomon in the bible, why did he choose to have so many wives and concubine? [2] She was also the only one of Solomon's wives to be mentioned, within the Hebrew Bible, as having borne a child. Solomon claimed 1,000 wives consisting of women with royal status and concubines. 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. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. 1 Kings 11:3 states He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three WebSolomon clung to these in love. But how many wives did he really have? (Y) Then taking people from Paran with them, they went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food. And while Solomon built one Temple to YHWH, he built countless more altars to "Astarte the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites, and "built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites did the same for all his foreign wives, who offered incense and sacrificed to their gods." You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. WebNevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. Lets take a closer look at these Biblical figures, and the legacy they left behind. The Lord, the God of Israel, says: I will tear the kingdom away from Solomon and give you ten tribes. Then they all went to Egypt to see the king, who gave Hadad a house, some food, and some land. 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. He would also often build these women shrines and temples of their ), is said to have had a harem that included 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kgs 11:3). Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. 40Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled(AV) to Egypt, to Shishak(AW) the king, and stayed there until Solomons death. And we are told how many wives he had (1 Kings 11:1-10). We dont live in isolation and neither do our actions and sins. Originally Answered: Why did Solomon have 700 wives? For diplomacy but this was against Torah he fell away from YHWH doing this and sought pagan gods he had also three hundred concubines but it doesnt say they drove his heart from Elohim/gods it was his wives the 700 who brought the gods of Canaan and the surrounding countries 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). Proud member He was one of Solomons officials, an Ephraimite from Zeredah, and his mother was a widow named Zeruah. [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). Their descendants were not allowed to enter the assembly of the Lord through the 10th generation. Illustrated in 1668 by Giovanni Battista Venanzi. Like Samsons wife (Judges 14-16), Potiphars wife (Genesis 39), and the foreign woman of Proverbs 1-9, they stay loyal to their own personal or political agenda and, as a result, disrupt law and order in their adoptive Israelite community. One falters a little but then falls deeper and deeper into immoral behaviors. He had seven princesses from foreign countries who were his wives and a harem of women who were not princesses. According to 1 Kings book, King Solomon has had a harem that includes 700 wives and 300 concubines. If they chose to continue to practice their native customs and cults, they would pass these on to their children and might also influence their husbands to adopt some non-Israelite practices as well. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! His father, David, also took many wives. Proverbs 13:20 says Walk with the wise and become wise,or a companion of fools suffers harm. Perhaps Rehoboam would have left a different type of legacy if he had listened to the elders instead of his peers. Narnian. His wives were from Egypt, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and several other countries. 11King Solomon loved many women who were not from Israel. Among them were the daughter of the Pharaoh, who Solomon married in order to cement his political ties with Egypt. David was married to Ahinoam, Abigail, Maacha, Haggith, Abital, and Eglah during the 7-1/2 years he reigned in Hebron as king of Judah. 12But I will not take it away while you are alive because of my love for your father David. 1 Kings 11:3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. A Have a good day and may God be with you! An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 28Jeroboam was a capable man, and Solomon saw that this young man was a good worker. However, it was believed that some of the more famous women in his harem were the daughter of the Pharaoh, a woman from Sidon, and the daughter of the king of Gaza. 1) Despite what many claim, this is not a prohibition against polygamy.
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