Melachim Alef 11:5

5 For Sh’lomo went after Ashtoret elohei Tzidonim, and after Milcom shikkutz (the abomination of) Ammonim.

Melachim Alef 11:5 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 11:5

And Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians,
&c.] Enticed by the Zidonian women, or woman, he had, ( 1 Kings 11:1 ) . According to the Phoenician histories ^F9, Solomon married a daughter of Hiram, king of Tyre and Zidon; so Clemens of Alexandria says ^F11, that Hiram gave his daughter to Solomon; Ashtoreth is Astarte, the same with the Venus of the Greeks, so Suidas ^F12; and Lucian ^F13 expressly says, the Sidonians had a temple, said by them to belong to Astarte, which he takes to be the moon; and both Venus and Juno signify the same planet; (See Gill on Judges 2:13)

and after Milcom the abomination of the Amnonites;
the same with Molech, ( 1 Kings 11:7 ) . (See Gill on Leviticus 18:21). (See Gill on Amos 1:13). After this he was drawn by his Ammonitish wife, or wives, ( 1 Kings 11:1 ) , though the Jewish writers think he did not worship these idols, but suffered his wives to do it, and connived at it, which was his sin; so Ben Gersom and Abarbinel.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 Apud Tatian. contr. Graecos, p. 171.
F11 Stromat. l. 1. p. 325.
F12 In voce (Astarth) .
F13 De Dea Syria.

Melachim Alef 11:5 In-Context

3 And he had nashim sarot sheva me’ot (seven hundred royal wives), and three hundred pilagshim; and his nashim inclined libo (his heart).

4 For it came to pass, when Sh’lomo was old, that his nashim inclined libo (his heart) after elohim acherim and levavo (his heart) was not shalem (undivided, fully devoted, complete) with Hashem Elohav, as was the levav Dovid Aviv.

5 For Sh’lomo went after Ashtoret elohei Tzidonim, and after Milcom shikkutz (the abomination of) Ammonim.

6 And Sh’lomo did the rah in the sight of Hashem, and went not fully after Hashem, as did Dovid Aviv.

7 Then did Sh’lomo build a high place for Kemosh, the shikkutz (abomination of) Moav, on the har (hill, i.e., Mount of Olives) that is facing Yerushalayim, and for Molech, the shikkutz (abomination of) the Bnei Ammon.