1 Kings 11:3

3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.

1 Kings 11:3 in Other Translations

3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

3 He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart.

3 He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the LORD .

3 He had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines - a thousand women in all! And they did seduce him away from God.

3 He had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 concubines, and they turned his heart away [from the Lord].

1 Kings 11:3 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 11:3

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 monarchs; these were a far greater number than are alluded to in ( Song of Solomon 6:8 ) , unless the virgins without number there, were such of these as were not defiled by him; but the number here seems plainly referred to in ( Ecclesiastes 7:28 ) ,

and his wives turned away his heart;
both from his duty to his God, and from attendance to his business as a king, especially the former, as follows.

1 Kings 11:3 In-Context

1 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.

2 They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.

3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.

4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites.

Cross References

• 1. S Genesis 22:24; S Esther 2:14
• 2. ver 1; Deuteronomy 17:17; Nehemiah 13:26; Proverbs 31:3