Who Was Naamah, Wife of Solomon, Mother of Rehoboam?

The mention of Naamah in the Bible might be small, but her family left a great impression on Israel. What do we know about Naamah and her family? How did her marriage to Solomon affect future generations? Let’s take a closer look at these Biblical figures, and the legacy they left behind.

Who Was Naamah in the Bible and What Do We Know about Her?

Naamah was a wife of Solomon and an Ammonite. The Ammonites weren’t highly regarded by the Israelites. Together with the Moabites, they hired Balaam to curse Israel. Their descendants were not allowed to enter the assembly of the Lord through the 10th generation. After the Israelites sinned against God by worshiping other idols, he allowed Elgon king of Moab to have power over Israel. Along with the Ammonites and Amalekites, Elgon attacked the people and took over their city, the City of Palms.

The meaning of Naamah’s name is “the beautiful.” Matthew Henry notes “It was strange that David would marry his son Solomon to an Ammonites (for it was done while he lived), but it is probable that Solomon was in love with her.” The marriage had a negative effect not only on Solomon but future generations. Naamah’s father was probably Shobi who had brought David’s people bedding and food when they traveled through the wilderness. It’s possible David wanted to return his kindness by marrying his daughter into their family, but in doing us Solomon and Naamah became unequally yoked.

How Many Wives Did Solomon Have?

Solomon’s rightful wife was Pharaoh’s daughter (1 Kings 3:1) although he became infatuated by many other foreign women (1 Kings 11:1) and took them as his own including Naamah. Solomon claimed 1,000 wives consisting of women with royal status and concubines. 1 Kings 11:3 states “He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.”

Even though his own mother warned him of women who ruined kings, Solomon pursued a life with them anyway. The foreign wives included women from the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. These people had foreign gods and sadly Solomon turned from sole worship of the One True God to participating in pagan traditions. He even built altars to the foreign gods, encouraging idol worship of false deities.

When speaking of kings, Deuteronomy 17:17 says “He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray.” Solomon wasn’t the first king to break this rule. His father, David, also took many wives. It can be argued this made marrying multiple women permissible to his son. He probably didn’t intend to claim more women than his father, but sin is a slippery slope. One falters a little but then falls deeper and deeper into immoral behaviors.

What Happened to Naamah's Son, Rehoboam?

We tend to follow in the footsteps of our parents as was the case with Rehoboam. Born to his parents a year before Solomon reigned as king of Judah and Israel, he wasn’t raised with the virtues of God. At the age of 41, he became king after his father died.

During the time of his inauguration another central figure, Jeroboam returned from exile. When Solomon was still living, a prophet named Ahijah had told Jeroboam he would become king of Israel. Unhappy with the prophecy, Solomon tried to assassinate Jeroboam, sending him into hiding. After Solomon died and Rehoboam became king, Jeroboam remerged. Due to the indiscretions of Solomon, the united kingdom of Judah and Israel had begun to falter. Jeroboam ruled Judah which was the smaller southern region, and Rehoboam led Israel, the larger, northern part.

Jeroboam joined the people of Israel and asked Rehoboam to lighten the heavy labor load Solomon had placed on them promising to serve him in return. Rehoboam consulted the elders about the people’s request. They encouraged him to follow through with the Israelites plea and ensure their future servitude. Then the king asked for advice from his peers. They told him the opposite: to make the workload heavier. Unfortunately, Rehoboam followed the advice of his peers leading him to lose half of his kingdom.

During Rehoboam's reign, 1 Kings 14:22 says “Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than those who were before them had done.” They set up shrines and worshipped idols, all going against God’s command to not have any other gods beside him.

Weakened by sin, Jerusalem fell to Shishak king of Egypt in the fifth year of Rehoboam’s rule. The attackers seized treasures from the Lord’s temple as well as the palace. Solomon’s gold shields were taken along with everything else so Rehoboam had bronze shields made and remained at war with Jeroboam. Rehoboam died after ruling for 17 years. His son, Abijah, took the throne for a short three years after his father’s death. They left a disastrous legacy in their wake.

What Lessons Can We Learn from Naamah's Family?

Sin is a slippery slope.

It’s hard to define a moment where both Solomon and Rehoboam turned away from God. Did Solomon falter when he ignored biblical wisdom and took many wives? Was it a more defining moment when he built altars to false gods? It’s often this way with sin. One small indiscretion leads to another and another until the person wakes up in a pit so deep it’s hard to get out. God can renew our hearts no matter how deep we find ourselves as he did with David. Rehoboam, however, did not turn back to God. He remained in the pit of sin, leaving a story of disaster for us to learn from today.

Our actions affect future generations.

Some decisions don’t limit themselves to our lifetimes. When Solomon married Naamah as well as the other foreign women, he brought the traditions of their pagan gods into the lives of his family. Solomon built altars to foreign gods and then his son did as well. How many people in the kingdom were affected by the actions of these two kings? Did the people of the time walk by the shrines day after day until they too began worshipping them? Did they pass that tradition on to their children and their children’s children? We’re relational people. We don’t live in isolation and neither do our actions and sins. They have lasting effects. 

The company we keep matters.

Rehoboam made many poor decisions, but one, in particular, was when he refused the counsel of the elders to provide the request of the Israelites. Instead, he listened to the advice of his peers and lost half of his kingdom. The people we surround ourselves with matter. It’s important to mingle with unbelievers and advance the kingdom of God. However, we should be careful with who we seek counsel from and let leave impressions upon us. Proverbs 13:20 says “Walk with the wise and become wise, or a companion of fools suffers harm.” Perhaps Rehoboam would have left a different type of legacy if he had listened to the elders instead of his peers.

Naamah’s family story is a sad one but provides us with valuable lessons. Solomon began as a man dedicated to God but fell deeper and deeper into patterns of sin after he took 1,000 wives, including Naamah. It can be debated that their son, Rehoboam, faired even worse, growing up in a home undedicated to God and continuing the pagan traditions of his father.

Naamah’s family story may be tragic, but ours doesn’t have to be. No matter where we may find ourselves or our family, God is the God of Restoration. In The Message translation of 2 Samuel 22:25, David states “God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.” If we turn toward God, he can turn tragic stories into legacies of beauty and grace.

Additional Sources:

The Story. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005,2008) 159-166.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Monkey Business Images

Jenna Brooke Carlson is an elementary dual language teacher in the Chicago suburbs. As a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Word Weavers, she enjoys spending time with other writers and perfecting her craft. Her debut novel, Falling Flat, spreads the message that healing can occur, even after tragedy. Along with writing, she’s pursuing her dreams of creating a community of brave young women, who she can encourage to live out their dreams amid challenges and imperfection. Her days are busy, but she’s determined she can conquer anything with a fuzzy blanket and a hot cup of tea. To find out more about Jenna, visit her website at jennabrookecarlson.com.

This article is part of our People from the Bible Series featuring the most well-known historical names and figures from Scripture. We have compiled these articles to help you study those whom God chose to set before us as examples in His Word. May their lives and walks with God strengthen your faith and encourage your soul.

The Bible Story of Elijah
The Life of Ruth - 5 Essential Faith Lessons
The Bible Story of Queen Esther
The Greatest Villain - King Nebuchadnezzar
The Bible Story of Mary Magdalene