how many wives did king solomon have
3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. Solomon, third king of Israel (reigned c. 968928B.C.E. 11King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women(A) besides Pharaohs daughterMoabites, Ammonites,(B) Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon, king of Israel, sinned? 19Pharaoh was so pleased with Hadad that he gave him a sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes, in marriage. This article will look closely at King Solomon wives, how many he had, and the stories behind them. 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." Its possible David wanted to return his kindness by marrying his daughter into their family, but in doing us Solomon and Naamah became unequally yoked. 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. I guess that wasn't clear. Solomon amassed wealth while enslaving his own people, creating Egyptian-like conditions in Israel. When do you use in the accusative case? Does the Bible Condemn Using Tarot Cards? Article. Loyalty to and identity with Israelite tradition would be threatened. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite number, Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular, Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular, The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural, To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend, Solomon's adversaries were Hadad, who was entertained in Egypt, Solomon's acts, reign, and death. had told the Israelites, You must not intermarry with them, for The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. How many wives and concubines did King Solomon had? 14The Lord caused Hadad the Edomite, a member of the family of the king of Edom, to become Solomons enemy. 32But for the sake(AK) of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe. If they were recorded, it would be a book in and of itself. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Their descendants were not allowed to enter the assembly of the Lord through the 10th generation. Weakened by sin, Jerusalem fell to Shishak king of Egypt in the fifth year of Rehoboams rule. The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. In The Message translation of 2 Samuel 22:25, David states God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes. If we turn toward God, he can turn tragic stories into legacies of beauty and grace. Born to his parentsa year before Solomon reigned as king of Judah and Israel, he wasnt raised with the virtues of God. And Solomon has been wise enough to use his power to ensure a peaceful reign in his kingdom. Jeroboam turned against the king. 1 Kings 11:3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. Meyers, Carol, General Editor. What is this brick with a round back and a stud on the side used for? ]: And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. One falters a little but then falls deeper and deeper into immoral behaviors. The Rabbis claim this was a divine punishment for Solomon's having failed to follow three divine commands, and Solomon was forced to wander from city to city, until he eventually arrived in an Ammonite city where he was forced to work in the king's kitchens. New York: 2000. His wives This fact makes King Solomon the only man with more wives than any other human being. 34But I will not take all the kingdom away from Solomon. 40Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but he ran away to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, where he stayed until Solomon died. Saul had no choice but to give Michal to David as his wife ( 1 Samuel 18:20-27 ). You will rule over all of Israel, 38and I will always be with you if you do what I say is right. 41Everything else King Solomon did, and the wisdom he showed, is written in the book of the history of Solomon. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Rstica (NBD Grace for the Moment Bible, Softcover) - Slightly Imperfect. A King Solomon was pleased with the womans decision and married her. Enter code SPRINGSTUDY15 and have answers to your Bible questions at your fingertips. But how many wives did he really have? In the end his kingdom is divided and his legacy is the punch-line/by-word of the Deuteronomist's warning against kings. Some decisions dont limit themselves to our lifetimes. What havent I given you here?, Nothing, Hadad answered, but please, let me go.. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. God can renew our hearts no matter how deep we find ourselves as he did with David. He was raised to be a good Jewish boy, and good Jewish boys don't marry shiksas, let alone 1000 of them. 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. Despite this, King Solomon went down in history as one of the wisest and wealthiest men. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? 15Earlier when David was fighting with Edom, Joab the commander of the army, who had gone up to bury the dead, had struck down all the men in Edom. 37However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule(AQ) over all that your heart desires;(AR) you will be king over Israel. And Rehoboam(AY) his son succeeded him as king. Episode 91: Israel at 75: Voices of Protest. The enslaved people of Israel. Did they pass that tradition on to their children and their childrens children? It can be argued this made marrying multiple women permissible to his son. 25Rezon ruled Aram, and he hated Israel. Proud member Jeroboamruled Judah which was the smaller southern region, and Rehoboam led Israel, the larger, northern part. I will let him rule all his life because of my servant David, whom I chose, who obeyed all my commands and laws. His wives caused him to turn away from God. 24After David defeated the army of Zobah, Rezon gathered some men and became the leader of a small army. The mention of Naamah in the Bible might be small, but her family left a great impression on Israel. She recently signed a contract for her first young adult novel, A Big Hot Mess, with Elk Lake Publishing. 4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. and three hundred concubines and his wives turned his heart away. 6So Solomon did what the Lord said was wrong and did not follow the Lord completely as his father David had done. Access 50+ premium resources. The key phrase here is According to the Bible. So, in the Bible, King Solomon had 300 wives and 700 concubines. Since the entire population of Jerusalem in the tenth century BCE was only 2000 men, women and children, that would have meant that every woman and even every young girl would have been in his harem. 22What have you lacked here that you want to go back to your own country? Pharaoh asked. 27Here is the account of how he rebelled against the king: Solomon had built the terraces[a](AE) and had filled in the gap in the wall of the city of David his father. to these women in love. To understand the stories behind King Solomon wives is essential to know a little about them. He was an Ephraimite from the town of Zeredah, and he was the son of a widow named Zeruah. Something to keep him warm at night. The two men were alone out in the country. At the age of 41, he became king after his father died. In 1 Kings 11:43 and 1 Kings 12:1 why was Rehoboam the only one listed as a son of Solomon? While it is believed that Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, there is some debate about the exact number. Why did King Solomon have so many wives and concubines? Where does the version of Hamapil that is different from the Gemara come from? 39I will punish Davids children because of this, but I will not punish them forever.. King Solomon accepted her offer and married her. Was it a more defining moment when he built altars to false gods? Her days are busy, but shes determined she can conquer anything with a fuzzy blanket and a hot cup of tea. He was one of Solomons officials, an Ephraimite from Zeredah, and his mother was a widow named Zeruah. I hope you find out the most unexpected thing about Solomon wives in this article. They encouraged him to follow through with the Israelites plea and ensure their future servitude. During Rehoboam's reign, 1 Kings 14:22 says Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 8Solomon did the same thing for all his foreign wives so they could burn incense and offer sacrifices to their gods. I will do this because of David, my servant, and because of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen.. 15Earlier, David had defeated Edom. They told him the opposite: to make the workload heavier. 5 Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Rehoboam died after ruling for 17 years. but having "many wives" like Solomon did was certainly forbidden. 4365. In addition to these famous wives, King Solomon married the daughter of the king of Gaza. Sheffield, England: 1994. The attackers seized treasures from the Lords temple as well as the palace. They were real people who may have had their hopes and dreams. You will not find the names of all of Solomons wives. Unhappy with the prophecy, Solomon tried to assassinate Jeroboam, sending him into hiding. May their lives and walks with God strengthen your faith and encourage your soul. 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. 25Rezon was Israels adversary as long as Solomon lived, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. A wise as King Solomon in the bible, why did he choose to have so many wives and concubine? 36I will allow Solomons son to continue to rule over one tribe so that there will always be a descendant of David, my servant, in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to be worshiped. A 18They set out from Midian and went to Paran. The woman from Sidon was said to be a widow looking for a husband. Asmodeus then swallowed the king, stood up fully with one wing touching heaven and the other earth, and spat out Solomon to a distance of 400 miles. 11So the Lord said to Solomon, Because you have chosen to break your agreement with me and have not obeyed my commands, I will tear your kingdom away from you and give it to one of your officers. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? The people we surround ourselves with matter. New International Version (NIV). Have an update or correction? Philadelphia: 1986. 20They had a son named Genubath. Solomon built altars to foreign gods and then his son did as well. 'pleasant; lovely') was one of the 700 wives and 300 concubines of King Solomon and mother of his heir, Rehoboam, according to both 34But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomons hand; I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who obeyed my commands and decrees. Solomons foreign wives, by contrast, depict the negative side of foreign women. 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.