He was raised to be a good Jewish boy, and good Jewish boys don't marry shiksas, let alone 1000 of them. Even though his own mother warned him of women who ruined kings, Solomon pursued a life with them anyway. May their lives and walks with God strengthen your faith and encourage your soul. She explained that she wished to be married to King Solomon instead. Despite this, King Solomon went down in history as one of the wisest and wealthiest men. (X) 16Joab and all the Israelites stayed there for six months, until they had destroyed all the men in Edom. 6So Solomon did what the Lord said was wrong and did not follow the Lord completely as his father David had done. At the age of 41, he became king after his father died. Read the latest from JWA from your inbox. Solomon, third king of Israel (reigned c. 968928 B.C.E. He loved the daughter of the king of Egypt, as well as women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. He also rips off an arm to use as a sword. Save 15% for life! 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.. 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth 17But Hadad, still only a boy, fled to Egypt with some Edomite officials who had served his father. Unfortunately, Rehoboam followed the advice of his peers leading him to lose half of his kingdom. [3], She was said to be the daughter of Hanun, king of the Ammonites in Greek biblical texts and rabbinical literature.[4]. According to the biblical account, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. They went to Damascus and settled there, and Rezon became king of Damascus. Instead, he listened to the advice of his peers and lost half of his kingdom. You will rule over all of Israel, 38and I will always be with you if you do what I say is right. 8Solomon did the same thing for all his foreign wives so they could burn incense and offer sacrifices to their gods. I hope you will enjoy these articles and you will learn something by reading them. So he was an enemy of Israel all the time Solomon was alive. And Solomon has been wise enough to use his power to ensure a peaceful reign in his kingdom. No matter where we may find ourselves or our family, God is the God of Restoration. The latter group is usually understood to represent wives who were added to the harem as a means of sealing treaty agreements with these five foreign powers. King Solomon decided to attack Egypt and take back the treasure when he heard this. They encouraged him to follow through with the Israelites plea and ensure their future servitude. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. In addition to these famous wives, King Solomon married the daughter of the king of Gaza. 20They had a son named Genubath. 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. Have an update or correction? 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.