1 Kings 11:5

1 Kings 11:5

For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

a. NLT: Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites.

b. NIV: He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites.

c. YLT: And Solomon goeth after Ashtoreth goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites;

d. Amplified Bible Classic: For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abominable idol of the Ammonites!

e. Septuagint: and to Astarte the abomination of the Sidonians.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the god of the Sidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites.

1. “For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians…”

a. [For] Solomin [Strong: 8010 * Shlomoh shel-o-mo' from 7965; peaceful; Shelomah, David's successor:--Solomon.] [The KJV translates Strong's H8010 in the following manner: Solomon (293x).]

b. went [Strong: 3212 * yalak yaw-lak' a primitive root (Compare 1980); to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses):--X again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, + follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, + pursue, cause to run, spread, take away ((-journey)), vanish, (cause to) walk(-ing), wax, X be weak.] [The KJV translates Strong's H3212 in the following manner: go (628x), walk (122x), come (77x), depart (66x), ...away (20x), follow (20x), get (14x), lead (17x), brought (8x), carry (5x), bring (4x), miscellaneous (62x).]

c. after [Strong: 310 * 'achar akh-ar' from 309; properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses):--after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, + out (over) live, + persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth), when, with.] [The KJV translates Strong's H310 in the following manner: after (454x), follow (78x), afterward(s) (46x), behind (44x), miscellaneous (87x).]

d. [the] goddess [Strong: 430 * 'elohiym el-o-heem' plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.] [The KJV translates Strong's H430 in the following manner: God (2,346x), god (244x), judge (5x), GOD (1x), goddess (2x), great (2x), mighty (2x), angels (1x), exceeding (1x), God-ward (with H4136) (1x), godly (1x).]

e. [of the] Zidonians [Strong: 6722 * Tsiydoniy tsee-do-nee' patrial from 6721; a Tsidonian or inhabitant of Tsidon:--Sidonian, of Sidon, Zidonian.] [The KJV translates Strong's H6722 in the following manner: Zidonians (10x), Sidonians (5x), them of Zidon (1x).]

2. “…and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.”

a. [and] after [Strong: 310 * 'achar akh-ar' from 309; properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses):--after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, + out (over) live, + persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth), when, with.] [The KJV translates Strong's H310 in the following manner: after (454x), follow (78x), afterward(s) (46x), behind (44x), miscellaneous (87x).]

b. Milcom [Strong: 4445 * Malkam mal-kawm' or Milkowm {mil-kome'}; from 4428 for 4432; Malcam or Milcom, the national idol of the Ammonites:--Malcham, Milcom.] [Outline of Biblical Usage:  Milcom = "great king" the god of the Ammonites and Phoenicians to whom some Israelites sacrificed their infants in the valley of Hinnom, also 'Molech'] The KJV translates Strong's H4445 in the following manner: Milcom (3x), Malcham (1x).]

c. [the] abomination [Strong: 8251 * shiqquwts shik-koots' or shiqquts {shik-koots'}; from 8262; disgusting, i.e. filthy; especially idolatrous or (concretely) an idol:-- abominable filth (idol, -ation), detestable (thing).] [The KJV translates Strong's H8251 in the following manner: abomination (20x), detestable things (5x), detestable (1x), abominable filth (1x), abominable idols (1x).]

d. of the Ammonites [Strong: 5984 * `Ammowniy am-mo-nee' patronymically from 5983; an Ammonite or (the adjective) Ammonitish:--Ammonite(-s).] [The KJV translates Strong's H5984 in the following manner: Ammonite (17x), Ammon (1x).]

1). There is a school of thought that believes at this time Molech worship in Israel did not involve child sacrifice but only the burning of incense. I personally believe at this time in Israel’s history it did not involve child sacrifice, and in later generations developed into full blown Molech worship. The first king mentioned either of Israel or Judah associated with child sacrifice, is Ahaz, in 2 Kings 16:3, approximately 200 years later, somewhere in his reign, from 735 -715 B.C.

a). 2 Kings 16:1-3 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.

16:2 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father.

16:3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.

2). If the Israelites had really sacrificed their children to Moloch, i.e. had slain and burned them, before the time of Ahaz, the burning would certainly have been mentioned before; for Solomon had built a high place upon the mountain to the east of Jerusalem for Moloch, the abomination of the children of Ammon, to please his foreign wives. (Keil-Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol 1, the Pentateuch (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1980), page 416-417)