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Solomon Turns from Yahweh

11 Now (A)King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which Yahweh had said to the sons of Israel, “(B)You shall not [a]go along with them, nor shall they [b]go along with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. (C)And he had 700 wives—princesses—and 300 concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. Now it happened at the time that Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and (D)his heart was not [c]wholly devoted to Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his father had been. For Solomon went after (E)Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after [d](F)Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites. And Solomon did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and did not follow Yahweh fully, as David his father had done. Then Solomon built a high place for (G)Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is [e]east of Jerusalem, and for (H)Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 11:2 Lit go among
  2. 1 Kings 11:2 Lit go among
  3. 1 Kings 11:4 Lit complete with
  4. 1 Kings 11:5 In Jer 49:1, 3, Malcam
  5. 1 Kings 11:7 Lit before

Solomon’s Errors

11 King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women,(A) from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the Israelites, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for they will surely incline your heart to follow their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.(B) Among his wives were seven hundred princesses and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned away his heart. For when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.(C) For Solomon followed Astarte the goddess of the Sidonians and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.(D) So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not completely follow the Lord, as his father David had done. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites on the mountain east of Jerusalem.(E) He did the same for all his foreign wives who offered incense and sacrificed to their gods.

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