The Bible In Paintings, #133: SOLOMON’S 700 WIVES, 300 CONCUBINES, AND UNCOUNTED HORDES OF SERVANTS, GROUPIES, NEIGHBORS, PASSERS-BY….

Bing Images ^ | c.2200 BC – c.95 AD | by the Father, Son & Holy Spirit

[Hebrews 11:6]

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SOLOMON’S 700 WIVES,
300 CONCUBINES, AND
UNCOUNTED HORDES OF
SERVANTS, GROUPIES,
NEIGHBORS, PASSERS-BY….

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1^st. K I N G S . 1 1
New International Version, emphases added
Abrdgd: the complete text is in your Bible
or Click:
TO READ 1^ST KINGS 11 IN FULL
TO HEAR MAX McLEAN READING IT
TO HEAR A DRAMATIZATION OF IT
TO WATCH A BRIEF ANIMATION OF 1^ST KINGS

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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. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

7 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. 8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

9 The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command. 11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. 12 Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”

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1 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
“Solomon Worshipping Idols”

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2mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by FRANS FRANCKEN II
“The Idolatry of Solomon”

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3 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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4mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JAMES TISSOT
“Solomon and His Harem”

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5 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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6 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by WILLEM DE POORTER
“The Idolatry of King Solomon ”
From the image’s source-page:
“Surrounded by women, King Solomon kneels
before a pedestal with statues of Venus and Cupid,
symbols of earthly love. To the left a man brings
firewood: perhaps an offering is about to take place.”

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7 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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8 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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9 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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10 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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11 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by GIOVANNI BATTISTA VENANZI
“King Solomon with His Wives”

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12 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JACOB WILLEMSZ. DE WET
“The Idolatry of Solomon ”

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13 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
byJACOPO AMIGONI
“The Idolatry of King Solomon”

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14 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by DOMENICO ANTONIO VACCARO
“Solomon Worshiping the Pagan Gods”

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15 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by SEBASTIANO CONCA
“The Idolatry of Solomon”

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16 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by SALOMON KONINCK
“The Idolatry of King Solomon”

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17 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by GERARD HOET
“The Idolatry of King Solomon”

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18 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by BARTOLOMEO BISCAINO
“Idolatry of Solomon”

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19 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
Fan, c.1730
“The idolatry of King Solomon”

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20 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by LUCAS VAN LEYDEN
“Solomon's Idolatery”

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21 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by BERRETTINI
“Salomone Adora L'Idolo”

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22 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JACQUES STELLA
“Salomon Sacrifiant aux Idoles”

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23mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by SEBASTIANO RICCI
“Solomon’s Idolatry”

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24 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by LUCAS VAN LEYDEN
“Solomon Worshiping an Idol”

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25 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by GEORG PENCZ
“Solomon Worshipping Idols”

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26 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by SÉBASTIEN BOURDON
“Solomon Sacrificing to the Idols”

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27 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by NICOLAS VLEUGHELS
“The Idolatry of Solomon”

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28 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by SÉBASTIEN BOURDON
“King Solomon Sacrificing to the Idols”

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29 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by LUCAS VAN LEYDEN
“The Idolatry of Solomon”

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30mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmm
by PIERRE REYMOND
“Solomon Turning to Idolatry”

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31 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
“Solomon's Idolatry”

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32 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by PIETRO DANDINI
“Solomon Worshiping Idols”

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33 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JAN ERASMUS QUELLINUS
“The Idolatry of Solomon”

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→ a n d…. f i n a l l y ←

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Solomon Sore Lips
by Calvin Miller

King Solomon of Israel
Had seven hundred wondrous wives,
And when he kissed them all good night
He puckered seven hundred times.

Although he kissed them at the rate
Of two-o-three-point-five per hour,
It still took three-point-four long hours—
Before his last wife was in bed,
And Solomon was nearly dead,
Overwhelmed by halitosis,
Lip-fatigued by puckerosis!

When Solomon first married them
He really didn’t have a clue
(Although it made an awful racket
When the great horde said, “I do!”)
All seven hundred nagging wives
Meant just as many pairs of jaws
And several million gripes and groans
And quite a lot of mom-in-laws!

At first he kissed frenetically,
But soon just alphabetically.
He’d kiss his way from Abigail
To Zelpha of Judea,
Taking two ten-minute breaks
At Bilpah and at Leah.

He mostly hated Thursdays,
For that was “concu-night.”
That night besides his hordes of brides
He had to kiss the concubines.
While “concues” were less favored,
He owned two hundred fifty-one,
So kissing them required an hour
If he kissed them on the run.

As Solomon grew very old,
He left his alphabet technique
And tried a different way to go
That he believed was quite unique.
And started with the ugliest
(To get the worst out of the way).
Then he kissed the sick ones
(Who had been in bed all day).
And then he kissed the ones with colds
And those with nasal hair,
Smooching rapidly along
Until he gladly reached the fair.

But kissing all the wives goodnight
Gave Solomon his greatest strain:
He kissed and kissed and kissed and kissed
Until his whole mouth felt the pain!

Each evening when his job was done,
Somewhere near three o’clock a.m.,
He always went straight to his bed,
Because he had to wake at five
To kiss them all good morn again.

I’ve heard that when he finally died
And went up to his home on high,
His welcome wasn’t quite divine;
It made a chill run down his spine
To see a thousand concubines,
Standing puckered in a line.
He cried, “I’m doomed, alas, poor me!
I wish I’d married sensibly!” https://dwellingintheword.wordpress.com/tag/1-kings/page/2/

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SNEAK PEEK: Next time,

SOLOMON DIES,
THEN ISRAEL DIVIDES

If you're sensing the Holy Spirit is suggesting
that you read ahead, we'll be in 1^ST KINGS 11-13

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R E S O U R C E S

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If you'd like to see for yourself the Bing page
which yielded most of the works above, here is the link:

Solomon’s Wives Turned His Heart

Image Sources are provided for most individual works.
Where no attribution appears below a work,
the source did not provide the artist's name.
Works are numbered to facilitate your commenting.

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Links to three masters who painted Biblical scenes prolifically:

REMBRANDT HARMENSZOON van RIJN

GUSTAV DORÉ
241 wood engravings for
La Grande Bible de Tours

JAMES TISSOT
180 watercolors depicting Bible scenes

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Links to two Bibles with comprehensive illustrations:

The Art Bible (1896)

The Maciejowski-Morgan Bible (c.1245)

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This series keeps moving from one Bible passage to another,
so here is a fascinating and enjoyable link to assist in following along:
BIBLE TIMELINE

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Here are links to the
PREVIOUS 132 POSTS IN THIS SERIES
with descriptive titles to assist you in finding those which interest you

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Finally, what God did to initiate The Bible In Paintings:
HOW GOD STARTED THIS SERIES
BY SHOWING ME JUST ONE PICTURE

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SPECIAL THANKS
to FReeper left that other site,
who allowed God to make her His conduit
for incomparable enthusiasm, encouragement,
education, advice and technical assistance!

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NOTES ON MY SELECTION CRITERIA

A r t Q u a l i t y

The Bible and its Author are my focus, not the art: this is The Bible in Paintings, not “Great Paintings” nor even “Good Paintings.” So, works need not be masterpieces to qualify for inclusion here—they don’t need to be housed at the Louvre nor auctioned by Sotheby’s. They only need to illustrate successfully some aspect of the Biblical text or, frankly, just tickle my fancy, which I'm always asking the Holy Spirit to guide.

Often, artists misrepresent the Scripture, but unless the error is material, licentious or heretical I usually include the artwork, trusting that the Spirit is perfectly capable of defending Himself. So, with such forgiving filters, it means that you're seeing practically everything I'm finding.

P a c i n g

The pace here may seem appallingly snail-like to those eager to see their favorite events illustrated. My commission is to search for art on each Bible passage in sequence: if I find enough, then it becomes the next installment, even if undramatic (but where there is little or no art, that Bible passage goes untold here). Then, there is the human element: this is not exactly a daily series, because I can only crank out five or six of these posts weekly.

The Bible is a thick book, as you know; but we'll get there eventually, Lord willing—this is His project, after all. Always remember:
love, joy, peace, patience kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control is a fruit of the Spirit!

T e x t S e q u e n c i n g

The Protestant Canon does not (for several reasons) follow a strictly chronological sequence. There are many examples where, for God's good purposes, stories are told out-of-order. Nevertheless, for the sake of simplicity, clarity, and my sanity, I have chosen to proceed linearly and methodically from Genesis onward, illustrating each Bible passage as we come to it. Where two passages cover the same incident I omit the second telling, excepting the four Gospels which I will treat synoptically. Now, onward!

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Art is merely the Toy Department of Bible study,
so I’m just having fun here—I hope you are, too!
Thank you for your understanding.

Hebrews 11:6
Dan Lewis
DodgerDan

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[unread]

Well hmmmm... My thinking is this..
Is not Israel suppose to be a Christian Nation.?? Of course it is.. That being the case then why wouldn't God expect the US to live under the same requirements God expects from Israel.?

We, like Israel of old, have turned from God and the Christ.. I don't mean just the individual, but the nation as a whole.. Our leaders.! They flout their decadence in God's face everyday. Obama even had the gall to fly the rainbow flag over our nations capital in direct defiance to God.!

My point being, If we, as a nation, don't turn to God, get back in our Churches and make the government behave in a manor reflective of a Christian nation then God will, beyond any shadow of a doubt, take a heavy hand to the good old USA...

Need some proof.? Just look who was just elected for President of the United States by hook or crook.. In what scenario could you possible imagine likes of kamala Harris being made President of our country.. She will be, Biden is running on empty.. God is VERY mad at the USA and our future does NOT look good at all.

But, his hand is still out.. Look to Isaiah 9:12

[Hebrews 11:6]

OK, thanks, just wanted to hear your argument, which boils down to--if I may:

If God judged Israel's infidelity, why should the US expect different treatment?

In several days we'll cover Elijah's Amazing Adventures, during which he felt like The Last of the Mohicans. But God assured him he was actually one of 7,000 still serving God in Israel. In a real sense true Christians in America today are feeling what that remnant must have felt.

[Forgiven_Sinner]

Solomon, a tragic story. Going from great wisdom to great foolishness in just 40 years of rule.

As your wonderful poem points out, 700 wives and 300 concubines were no picnic. If he saw two per day, it’d be almost two years before he saw them again.

It was a near certainty they’d fool around behind his back. Perhaps Solomon was the biggest cuckold of all time.

But forsaking God when he was so close to Him at one time was the greatest foolishness of all.

I can only hope Ecclesiastes was his work of repentance before his early death at 60.

On the art side, I like Tissot’s work the best. He really showed the multiple races that were likely in his harem.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Puckerosis drove the wedge between him and God. As I do for every human being, I wish for him eternal bliss serving God in heaven.