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Kretzmann's Popular Commentary

1 Kings 11:3

And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, members of noble families, who added splendor to his court, and three hundred concubines, such an immense harem being considered an evidence of unlimited wealth among Oriental princes. And his wives turned away his heart, they influenced him in such a manner as to weaken his allegiance to the true God.

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See also 1 Kings 11:3 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 1 Kings 11:3. _HE HAD SEVEN HUNDRED WIVES, PRINCESSES_] How he could get so many of the blood royal from the different surrounding nations, is astonishing; but probably the daughters of _nobleme...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    These numbers seem excessive to many critics, and it must be admitted that history furnishes no parallel to them. In Song of Solomon 6:8 the number of Solomon’s legitimate wives is said to be sixty, a...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    7. SOLOMON'S FAILURE: JUDGMENT ANNOUNCED AND THE BEGINNING OF DISRUPTION CHAPTER 11 _ 1. Solomon's polygamy and departure from God (1 Kings 11:1)_ 2. Hadad the Edomite (1 Kings 11:14) 3. Rezon the...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    SIN OF SOLOMON, AND THE ADVERSARIES RAISED UP IN CONSEQUENCE. From various differences in the arrangement of the earlier verses in the LXX and Heb., it has been supposed that in its original form the...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    CHILDREN. sons....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _seven hundred wives, princesses_ The numbers in this verse are far in excess of those in the Song of Solomon, which makes mention (1 Kings 6:8) of threescore queens. But from the instances known of o...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    SEVEN HUNDRED WIVES, &C.— Without knowing the customs of the princes of the East, their pomp, and sumptuousness of living, one might be tempted to wonder of what possible use was this multitude of wiv...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    I. SOLOMON'S TRANSGRESSIONS 11:1-13 TRANSLATION (1) And King Solomon loved many strange women, even Pharaoh's daughter, Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian and Hittite women (2) from the nations of...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND HE HAD SEVEN HUNDRED WIVES, PRINCESSES, AND THREE HUNDRED CONCUBINES: AND HIS WIVES TURNED AWAY HIS HEART._ Wives, princesses. They were probably, according to an existing custom, the daughters...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    SEVEN HUNDRED WIVES] The Persian king Darius Codomannus is said to have had, besides his own wife, 329 concubines....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    SOLOMON'S ERRORS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES. HIS DEATH This chapter furnishes an account of Solomon's marriages with numerous foreign princesses, and traces the evil effect of such in the toleration of i...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S LESSONS FROM HISTORY 1 KINGS _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 11 SOLOMON *WORSHIPS FALSE GODS V1 Solomon, however, loved many foreign women. He married the daughter of the king of Egypt. He also mar...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    (1-8) The defection of Solomon is distinctly traced to his polygamy, contracting numerous marriages with “strange women.” Polygamy is also attributed to David (see 2 Samuel 3:2; 2 Samuel 15:16), marki...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    SEVEN HUNDRED WIVES AND THREE HUNDRED CONCUBINES. — The harem of an Eastern king is simply an adjunct of his magnificence, and the relation of the wives to him little more than nominal. (Comp. Esther...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יְהִי ־לֹ֣ו נָשִׁ֗ים שָׂרֹות֙ שְׁבַ֣ע מֵאֹ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE OLD AGE OF SOLOMON 1 Kings 11:1 "That uxorious king, whose heart, though large, Beguiled by fair idolatresses, fell To idols foul." - MILTON, Paradise Lost. "Did not Solomon, king of Israel, s...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    HOLLOW PROSPERITY 1 Kings 11:1 "Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity." - Ecclesiastes 1:2 "At every draught more large and large they grow, A bloated mass of ra...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    BREAKING THREE COMMANDMENTS 1 Kings 21:1; 1 Kings 1:1; 1 Kings 2:1; 1 Kings 3:1;...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    A HEART TURNED AWAY FROM GOD 1 Kings 11:1 The practice of mixed marriages was in direct violation of the divine Law, Deuteronomy 7:3, and it led to idolatry. All around the Holy City arose heathen te...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    At this point the story of Solomon suddenly changes. The glory passes away, and we observe his rapid degeneracy and doom. The nature of the man had ever a strong animal side. His commercial enterprise...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred (b) concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. (b) To whom belonged no dowry....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Concubines, or secondary wives. (Haydock) --- Those who have any sense of modesty, can hardly read this without blushing. (Salien) --- Solomon was guilty not only of intemperance, but also of a transg...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (2) 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 go...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    Solomon was now at the height of his glory, a vivid type of a greater than Solomon. And it is only when we see that he really does thus prefigure the Lord Jesus as King that we can understand the impo...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 11 AND 12. Till now we have had the beautiful picture of God's blessing resting upon the son of David, whose only desire it had been to possess wisdom from Go...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND HE HAD SEVEN HUNDRED WIVES, PRINCESSES, AND THREE HUNDRED CONCUBINES,.... In all 1000, a prodigious number; though these might not be all for use, but for state after the manner of the eastern mon...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. Ver. 3. _And he had seven hundred wives._] _Numerum effraenem._ Fewer they were by far a...

  • Jonathan Edwards' Notes On The Scriptures

    1 Kin. 11:3. "And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines." Solomon could not but know the law of Moses, in which it is prescribed concerning the king, Deuteronomy 17:16....

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines_ This was multiplying them prodigiously indeed, and pouring contempt on the divine prohibition in the most notorious manner. David...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Solomons wiues and concubines. 4 In his old age they draw him to idolatry. 9 God threatneth him. 14 Solomons aduersaries were Hadad, who was intertained in Egypt, 23 Rezon who reigned in Damascu...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    MANY MARRIAGES LEADING TO IDOLATRY (vs.1-13) Solomon also disobeyedDeuteronomy 17:17 in making many marriages with foreign women, from the Moabites, Alnmonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites (v.1)...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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 b...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    SEVEN HUNDRED WIVES, AND THREE HUNDRED CONCUBINES; partly for his lust, which being indulged, becomes infinite and unsatiable; and partly from his pride, accounting this a point of honour and magnific...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Kings 11:3 seven H7651 hundred H3967 wives H802 princesses H8282 three H7969 hundred H3967 concubines H6370 wives H802

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    SOLOMON THROWS HIMSELF WHOLEHEARTEDLY INTO IDOLATRY BECAUSE OF HIS WIVES (1 KINGS 11:1). Solomon's obsession with his own glory inevitably resulted in his beginning to feel that he was so great that h...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Solomon's heart turned. Chastened of God. Rise of Jeroboam. Death of Solomon. CHARACTERS: God, Solomon, Hadad, Pharaoh, Rezon, Jeroboam, Adoram, Ahijah. CONCLUSION: The way of sin is down h...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    1 Kings 11:1. _Solomon loved many strange women,_ of gentile nations, and was connected with them. To this day thousands of women in India are married to great men merely as a mark of honour, and they...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _But King Solomon loved many strange women._ SOLOMON’S SIN A few years ago two paintings were exhibited in this country, which attracted wide attention. One of them represented Rome in the height of...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1 KINGS 11:1 Throughout chs. 1 Kings 1:1 there have been hints that all is not well with Solomon’s heart. Now comes the inevitable conclusion: Solomon’s sins have led him to apostasy.

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    THE DECLINE OF THE HEBREW EMPIRE CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.— 1 Kings 11:1. BUT KING SOLOMON LOVED MANY STRANGE WOMEN—If importations of foreign luxuries and indulgences into his court (see previ...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION SOLOMON'S DEFECTION.—The observant reader will have already remarked in this history some intimations of Solomon's approaching fall. Among these are, first, the repeated warnings which are...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Chapter eleven. But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughters of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites (1 Kings 11:1); Now turn back fo...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    2 Chronicles 11:21; 2 Samuel 3:2; 2 Samuel 5:13; Ecclesiastes 7:28;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Seven hundred wives, &c. — God had particularly forbidden the kings to multiply either horses or wives, Deuteronomy 17:16, we saw 1 Kings 10:29, how he broke the former law, multiplying horses: and he...

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