The Bible In Paintings >>> Women in the Bible Series ✝️ FOOLISH SOLOMON ALLOWS HIS 700 FOREIGN WIVES TO CORRUPT HIM ✝️

[Hebrews 11:6]

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WOMEN IN THE BIBLE
SOLOMON’S 700
FOREIGN WIVES

1st KINGS 11

King Solomon loved many foreign women—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 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. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 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. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.

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

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. Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command. 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. 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. 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.”

1
JAMES TISSOT
"Solomon and His Harem"

2
Source

3
Source

4
Source

5
Source

6
WILLEM DE POORTER
"The Idolatry of King Solomon"

7
"Solomon and His Wives Worship Foreign Gods"

8
Source

9
GIOVANNI BATTISTA VENANZI
"King Solomon with His Wives"

10
JACOB WILLEMSZ. DE WET I
"The Idolatry of Solomon"

11
JACOPO AMIGONI
"The Idolatry of King Solomon"

12
DOMENICO ANTONIO VACCARO
"Solomon Worshiping the Pagan Gods"

13
SEBASTIANO CONCA
"The Idolatry of Solomon"

14
Detail
Source

15
SALOMON KONINCK
"The Idolatry of King Solomon"

16
LUCAS VAN LEYDEN
"Solomon's Idolatry"

17
LUCAS VAN LEYDEN
"Solomon's Idolatry"

18
LUCAS VAN LEYDEN
"Solomon's Idolatry"

19
LUCAS VAN LEYDEN
"Solomon Worshiping an Idol"Solomon

20
BERRETTINI
"Salomone Adora l'Idolo"

21
JACQUES STELLA
"Solomon Worshipping Idols"

22
SEBASTIANO RICCI
"Solomon’s Idolatry"

23
GEORG PENCZ
"Solomon Worshipping Idols"

24
SÉBASTIEN BOURDON
"Solomon Sacrificing to the Idols"

25
SÉBASTIEN BOURDON
"King Solomon Sacrificing to the Idols"

26
PIETRO DANDINI
"Solomon Worshiping Idols"

27
JAN ERASMUS QUELLINUS
"The Idolatry of Solomon"

28

29
FRANS FRANCKEN II
"The Idolatry of Solomon"

30
Source

31
ADRIAEN VAN STALBEMT
"Idolatry of Solomon"

32
SÉBASTIEN BOURDON
"King Solomon Sacrificing to the Idols"

33
GERBRAND VAN DEN EECKHOUT
"Idolatry of Salomon"

34
PIERRE REYMOND
"Solomon Turning to Idolatry"

→ a n d   f i n a l l y ←

35
HANS THOMAN
"Solomon's Idolatry"

New International Version ©1984, Abrgd, EMPHASES added
Masthead Painting: “GUEST” by Andrey Mironov

[Hebrews 11:6]

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[Hebrews 11:6]

Feel free to comment below.

No expertise is needed,
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so please jump right in!

A FRIENDLY FORUM

[redangus]

Old kings and pretty young concubines can make for some interesting life choices. Even back in biblical days sex sold.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Well, Solomon certainly sold himself.

[MMusson]

You would think he would have been wiser than that.

[Fido969]

Kitty-whipped?

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

You had three very simple rules to follow. Just three.

And you managed to smash every one of them.

God Himself comes down and says, "cut it out!"

You decide you know better.

I know Solomon was wise but for sure he was not very smart.

[Hebrews 11:6]

The lust of the flesh triumphs once again.

[Hebrews 11:6]

He learned he was weak.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Well, as the song says, "we are weak but He is strong".

However I really think if God Himself dropped by and told me to stop doing something I would not have the guts to say, "Nah, it's fine".

Even Pagan Kings tended to decide to clean up their act when that happened.

[painter]

His testosterone level must have been off the charts!

[Big Red Badger]

Vanity of Vanities.
.
David laid the ground Work,
Sowing to the Wind....

[Hebrews 11:6]

True enough.

But when God's "appearance" is just that "still, small Voice," we all are expert at ignoring and rationalizing it away. Indeed, Peter learned from the cock's crow that even when warned by Jesus Himself ahead-of-time, he still was weak.

Neither Solomon nor Peter had the benefit then of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We have that advantage over them.

[Hebrews 11:6]

His reach exceeded his grasp.

[Hebrews 11:6]

So, Solomon was a chip off the old blockhead.

[Getready]

Even the very intelligent, fabulously wealthy, and powerful will sin in a huge way. “All we ,like sheep, have gone astray” in bold letters.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

It was not a "still small voice".

God literally showed up and spoke to him as He did twice before.

Ignoring that takes a massive amount of gall.

Ignoring a priest or prophet, one thing. Ignoring God? Whole other level.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Again I say, “True enough.”

I offered a contrast.

[Big Red Badger]

We Have the Advantage-—
Yes!
To trample serpents.
Heal the sick and raise the dead may be above our Pay Grade.
But when it comes to women...

[stevio]

Man, 700 wifes, those were the days.