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News & ArtsSunday, January 1, 2012
Religion Slog Bible Study: 1 Kings 11:1-3
Posted by Goldy on Sun, Jan 1, 2012 at 7:00 AM
1 Kings 11:1-3
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter—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.
Discuss.
4
Obviously the lesson here is, if you're gonna break the rules, pull out all the stops. God let Solomon keep all his -bites and -mites and -nites and -tites as long as he lived because his daddy was apparently an okay dude.
Warren Jeffs, with a mere 70 to 80 wives, seems to have undershot the mark. Either that, or God didn't think much of ol' Rulon.
Warren Jeffs, with a mere 70 to 80 wives, seems to have undershot the mark. Either that, or God didn't think much of ol' Rulon.
6
Sol, just because they called themselves Princesses doesn't mean they were in fact royalty.
You were thinking with the wrong head, dude.
You were thinking with the wrong head, dude.
7
I keep thinking of that famous typo that said King Solomon lived in a palace with seven hundred wives and three hundred porcupines.
10
Legend loves nice round numbers. 1000 sounds so much nicer than, say, 37 wives and 6 concubines.
"and his wives led him astray." The original version didn't say "wives", the word they used originally was "dick".
"and his wives led him astray." The original version didn't say "wives", the word they used originally was "dick".
12
@11 Yeah, except Jeffs steered clear of women from outside his tribe.
@9 Goldy doesn't actually have to wake up at 7 AM to have his post go up then. He can schedule it the night before and the computer will do it automatically.
@9 Goldy doesn't actually have to wake up at 7 AM to have his post go up then. He can schedule it the night before and the computer will do it automatically.
14
Try reading Hazelton's Jezebel: The Untold Story of the Bible's Harlot Queen for a story about another King of Israel who took a foreign wife. The writers of Kings didn't really like them at all, but it was a prudent thing to do, politically.
15
This same Sol is noted for his great wisdom. Hmm...
Many only need a single wife in order to be led astray and many others do it on their own. Perhaps it is to Sol's wisdom and general overall great kingliness that it took a cast of hundreds.
Many only need a single wife in order to be led astray and many others do it on their own. Perhaps it is to Sol's wisdom and general overall great kingliness that it took a cast of hundreds.
16
this is actually a not bad quote for once.
mildly thought provoking for being from a work of historical fiction that turned into a cult centerpiece.
mildly thought provoking for being from a work of historical fiction that turned into a cult centerpiece.
17
This verse makes Yahweh seem a bit nervous that his "chosen peeps" would sell him out for some exotic gals. Somebody should have told him that confidence sells.
18
Good to know that blaming others when you're a CPOS has an historical background and isn't just something my ex made up.
19
This verse, as well as the one that lists David's wives, are among the ones I bring out when discussing "biblical" marriage with my more conservative friends and family members. Solomon took wives from all of his neighbors, likely to form some kind of blood truce. A neighbor king is less likely to attack the nation ruled by his daughter's husband... the nation his grandson could inherit... but when Solomon went and repeated that particular tactic over and over again, it probably didn't age well. Sure, neighbor kings would still be less likely to attack the nation their daughter was married into... but with even a few wives, the likelihood any one of them would have a grandchild ruling over Israel shrunk each time Solomon married another king's daughter.
22
Where did he find 700 wives of royal birth? How many royal families were there?
Interesting that it was the wives and not the concubines that led him astray.
Interesting that it was the wives and not the concubines that led him astray.
24
Archaeologists tell us that this verse is false. David and Solomon probably did exist, but they were local Judahite chieftains at best and the Bible massively exaggerates their wealth, territory and achievements. To serve the territorial ambitions of King Josiah, the authors of the Bible wanted to create a precedent for political unification of Israel and Judah, but no such kingdom had ever actually existed. Because of geographic factors, the two states had always been politically separate despite both being populated by Hebrew-speaking Israelites.
25
Think of the Children! Marriage is sacred and YOU people want MORE MORE MORE! Leave Solomon ALONE....
26
@24: King Solomon and Caliph Haroun al-Rashid are very similar in many respects, including the degree to which they were mythologized.
27
Wait, he had a thing for ammonites?
Now THAT'S kinky. Is there even a term for a fossil fetish?
Also, what's with the Bible and using to Pharaoh as a name rather than a title? Was there actually a Pharaoh named Pharaoh at some point that I'm not aware of, or, as seems a bit more likely, were the people recording these tales, you know, basically illiterate hillbillies who didn't know the difference?
Now THAT'S kinky. Is there even a term for a fossil fetish?
Also, what's with the Bible and using to Pharaoh as a name rather than a title? Was there actually a Pharaoh named Pharaoh at some point that I'm not aware of, or, as seems a bit more likely, were the people recording these tales, you know, basically illiterate hillbillies who didn't know the difference?
28
@27, the title is "Pharoah", not "the Pharoah". That's always how you refer to him, whichever one he is.
I also like the verse up on Sullivan today, Samuel 18:27: "David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage."
Imagine how shameful it would have been to go to all that trouble and realize you only had, say, 198 foreskins.
I also like the verse up on Sullivan today, Samuel 18:27: "David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage."
Imagine how shameful it would have been to go to all that trouble and realize you only had, say, 198 foreskins.
31
Imagine how Michal felt, knowing her betrothed had tugged on all those other dudes' cocks.
Probably pretty much how Michele Bachmann feels every day of her life.
Probably pretty much how Michele Bachmann feels every day of her life.
36
28
actually Saul had only ask for 100.
But once you start killing heathens it is hard to stop....
actually Saul had only ask for 100.
But once you start killing heathens it is hard to stop....
43
@17- Yahweh in the OT is definitely the Great Alcoholic Dad in the Sky. Self image problems, arbitrary rules and punishment, vague possibility that if you suck up enough and in the right way you might win his approval...
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