1 Kings

1 Kings 11:1–5

¹King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh — women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. ²These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love. ³He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines — and his wives turned his heart away.

⁴For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been. ⁵Solomon followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and Milcom^a the abomination of the Ammonites.

Footnotes

a 11:5 Milcom is a variant of Molech; also in verse 33; see verse 7 and Leviticus 18:21|LEV 18:21.

Read all of 1 Kings 11

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Kings 11:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
King	וְהַמֶּ֣לֶךְ	wə·ham·me·leḵ	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
Solomon	שְׁלֹמֹ֗ה	šə·lō·mōh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H8010 Solomon
however	שְׁלֹמֹ֗ה	šə·lō·mōh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H8010 Solomon
loved	אָהַ֞ב	’ā·haḇ	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H157 love
many	רַבּ֖וֹת	rab·bō·wṯ	Adjective - feminine plural	H7227 much, many, great
foreign	נָכְרִיּ֛וֹת	nā·ḵə·rî·yō·wṯ	Adjective - feminine plural	H5237 foreign, alien
women	נָשִׁ֧ים	nā·šîm	Noun - feminine plural	H802 woman, wife, female
along with the daughter	בַּת־	baṯ-	Noun - feminine singular construct	H1323 daughter
of Pharaoh	פַּרְעֹ֑ה	par·‘ōh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6547 Pharaoh
women of Moab	מוֹאֲבִיּ֤וֹת	mō·w·’ă·ḇî·yō·wṯ	Noun - proper - feminine plural	H4125 Moabitish
Ammon	עַמֳּנִיּוֹת֙	‘am·mo·nî·yō·wṯ	Noun - proper - feminine plural	H5984 Ammonite
Edom	אֲדֹ֣מִיֹּ֔ת	’ă·ḏō·mî·yōṯ	Noun - proper - feminine plural	H130 Edomite
and Sidon	צֵדְנִיֹּ֖ת	ṣê·ḏə·nî·yōṯ	Noun - proper - feminine plural	H6722 Tsidonian
as well as Hittite women	חִתִּיֹּֽת׃	ḥit·tî·yōṯ	Noun - proper - feminine plural	H2850 Hittite(s)

1 Kings 11:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
from	מִן־	min-	Preposition	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
the nations	הַגּוֹיִ֗ם	hag·gō·w·yim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H1471 nation, people
about which	אֲשֶׁ֣ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
the LORD	יְהוָה֩	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
had told	אָֽמַר־	’ā·mar-	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
the Israelites	בְּנֵ֨י	bə·nê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
You must not	לֹֽא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
intermarry	תָבֹ֣אוּ	ṯā·ḇō·’ū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
with them	בָהֶ֗ם	ḇā·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural
for surely	אָכֵן֙	’ā·ḵên	Adverb	H403 surely, truly
they will turn	יַטּ֣וּ	yaṭ·ṭū	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
your hearts	לְבַבְכֶ֔ם	lə·ḇaḇ·ḵem	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine plural	H3824 inner man, mind, will, heart
after	אַחֲרֵ֖י	’a·ḥă·rê	Preposition	H310 behind
their gods	אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם	’ĕ·lō·hê·hem	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H430 God
Yet Solomon	שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה	šə·lō·mōh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H8010 Solomon
clung	דָּבַ֥ק	dā·ḇaq	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1692 cling, cleave, keep close
to these	בָּהֶ֛ם	bā·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural
in love	לְאַהֲבָֽה׃	lə·’a·hă·ḇāh	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person feminine singular	H160 love

1 Kings 11:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
He had	וַיְהִי־	way·hî-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
seven	שְׁבַ֣ע	šə·ḇa‘	Number - feminine singular construct	H7651 seven
hundred	מֵא֔וֹת	mê·’ō·wṯ	Number - feminine plural	H3967 hundred
wives	נָשִׁ֗ים	nā·šîm	Noun - feminine plural	H802 woman, wife, female
of royal birth	שָׂרוֹת֙	śā·rō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H8282 princess, noble lady
and three	שְׁלֹ֣שׁ	šə·lōš	Number - feminine singular construct	H7969 a three, triad
hundred	מֵא֑וֹת	mê·’ō·wṯ	Number - feminine plural	H3967 hundred
concubines	וּפִֽלַגְשִׁ֖ים	ū·p̄i·laḡ·šîm	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine plural	H6370 concubine
and his wives	נָשָׁ֖יו	nā·šāw	Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
turned his heart	לִבּֽוֹ׃	lib·bōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
away	וַיַּטּ֥וּ	way·yaṭ·ṭū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

1 Kings 11:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For when	לְעֵת֙	lə·‘êṯ	Preposition-l; Noun - common singular construct	H6256 time
Solomon	שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה	šə·lō·mōh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H8010 Solomon
grew	וַיְהִ֗י	way·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
old	זִקְנַ֣ת	ziq·naṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H2209 old age
his wives	נָשָׁיו֙	nā·šāw	Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
turned	הִטּ֣וּ	hiṭ·ṭū	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
his heart	לְבָב֔וֹ	lə·ḇā·ḇōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3824 inner man, mind, will, heart
after	אַחֲרֵ֖י	’a·ḥă·rê	Preposition	H310 behind
other	אֲחֵרִ֑ים	’ă·ḥê·rîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H312 another
gods	אֱלֹהִ֣ים	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
and he was	הָיָ֨ה	hā·yāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
not	וְלֹא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
wholeheartedly	לְבָב֤וֹ	lə·ḇā·ḇōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3824 inner man, mind, will, heart
devoted	שָׁלֵם֙	šā·lêm	Adjective - masculine singular	H8003 complete, safe, at peace
to	עִם־	‘im-	Preposition	H5973 with
the LORD	יְהוָ֣ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
his God	אֱלֹהָ֔יו	’ĕ·lō·hāw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H430 God
as his father	אָבִֽיו׃	’ā·ḇîw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1 father
David had been	דָּוִ֥יד	dā·wîḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David

1 Kings 11:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Solomon	שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה	šə·lō·mōh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H8010 Solomon
followed	וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ	way·yê·leḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
Ashtoreth	עַשְׁתֹּ֔רֶת	‘aš·tō·reṯ	Noun - proper - feminine plural	H6253 ±Aštœreth, < ±Ašt¹rt, ±Aštéreth
the goddess	אֱלֹהֵ֖י	’ĕ·lō·hê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H430 God
of the Sidonians	צִדֹנִ֑ים	ṣi·ḏō·nîm	Noun - proper - masculine plural	H6722 Tsidonian
and Milcom	מִלְכֹּ֔ם	mil·kōm	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4445 Milcom
the abomination	שִׁקֻּ֖ץ	šiq·quṣ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H8251 detested thing
of the Ammonites	עַמֹּנִֽים׃	‘am·mō·nîm	Noun - proper - masculine plural	H5984 Ammonite