1 Kings 11:4

1 Kings 11:4

For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

a. NLT: In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the LORD his God, as his father, David, had been.

b. NIV: 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.

c. YLT: And it cometh to pass, at the time of the old age of Solomon, his wives have turned aside his heart after other gods, and his heart hath not been perfect with Jehovah his God, like the heart of David his father.

d. Amplified Bible Classic: For when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect (complete and whole) with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

e. Septuagint: And it came to pass in the time of the old age of Solomon, that his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as [was] the heart of David his father.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: So it was that when Solomon grew old his wives swayed his heart after the gods of others, and his heart was not as complete with HASHEM his God as [had been] the heart of his father David.

1. “For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods…”

a. [For it] came to pass [Strong: 1961 hayah haw-yaw a primitive root (Compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.]

b. when [Strong: 6256 ʻêth, ayth; from H5703; time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.:— after, (al-) ways, × certain, continually, evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-, noon-) tide, (meal-), what) time, when.] [The KJV translates Strong's H6256 in the following manner: time (257x), season (16x), when (7x), always (4x), eveningtide (with H6153) (2x), miscellaneous (10x).]

c. Solomon [Strong: 8010 Shᵉlômôh, shel-o-mo'; from H7965; peaceful; Shelomah, David's successor:—Solomon.] [The KJV translates Strong's H8010 in the following manner: Solomon (293x).]

d. was old [Strong: 2209 ziqnâh, zik-naw'; feminine of H2205; old age:—old (age)] [The KJV translates Strong's H2209 in the following manner: old (3x), old age (3x).]

e. [that his] wives [Strong: 802 ʼishshâh, ish-shaw'; feminine of H376 or H582; irregular plural, נָשִׁים nâshîym;(used in the same wide sense as H582) a woman:—(adulter) ess, each, every, female, × many, none, one, together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.] [The KJV translates Strong's H802 in the following manner: wife (425x), woman (324x), one (10x), married (5x), female (2x), miscellaneous (14x).]

f. turned away [Strong: 5186 nâṭâh, naw-taw'; a primitive root; to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application (as follows):— afternoon, apply, bow (down, -ing), carry aside, decline, deliver, extend, go down, be gone, incline, intend, lay, let down, offer, outstretched, overthrown, pervert, pitch, prolong, put away, shew, spread (out), stretch (forth, out), take (aside), turn (aside, away), wrest, cause to yield.] [The KJV translates Strong's H5186 in the following manner: stretch out (60x), incline (28x), turn (16x), stretch forth (15x), turn aside (13x), bow (8x), decline (8x), pitched (8x), bow down (5x), turn away (5x), spread (5x), stretched out still (4x), pervert (4x), stretch (4x), extend (3x), wrest (3x), outstretched (3x), carried aside (2x), miscellaneous (20x).]

g. [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

h. [his] heart [Strong: 3824 lêbâb, lay-bawb'; from H3823; used also like H3820 the heart (as the most interior organ);:— bethink themselves, breast, comfortably, courage, (faint), (tender-) heart(-ed), midst, mind, × unawares, understanding.] [The KJV translates Strong's H3824 in the following manner: heart (231x), consider (with H7760) (5x), mind (4x), understanding (3x), miscellaneous (9x).]

i. after [Strong: 310 ʼachar, akh-ar'; from H309; 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).]

j. other [Strong: 312 ʼachêr, akh-air'; from H309; properly, hinder; generally, next, other, etc.:—(an-) other man, following, next, strange.] [The KJV translates Strong's H312 in the following manner: other(s) (105x), another (55x), next (2x), following (1x), man's (1x), men (1x), strange (1x).]

k. gods [Strong: 430 ʼĕlôhîym, el-o-heem'; plural of H433; 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, × exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), × (very) great, judges, × 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).]

1). There was a clear warning in the Law of Moses concerning this very thing, because multiple wives would turn away a king’s heart away from God.

a). Deuteronomy 17:14-17 When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;

17:15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.

17:16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.

17:17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

2. “…and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.”

a. [and his] heart [Strong: 3824 lêbâb, lay-bawb'; from H3823; used also like H3820 the heart (as the most interior organ);:— bethink themselves, breast, comfortably, courage, (faint), (tender-) heart(-ed), midst, mind, × unawares, understanding.] [The KJV translates Strong's H3824 in the following manner: heart (231x), consider (with H7760) (5x), mind (4x), understanding (3x), miscellaneous (9x).]

b. was [Strong: 1961 hayah haw-yaw a primitive root (Compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.]

c. not [Strong: 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

d. perfect [Strong: 8003 shâlêm, shaw-lame'; from H7999; complete (literally or figuratively); especially friendly:—full, just, made ready, peaceable, perfect(-ed), quiet, Shalem (by mistake for a name), whole.] [The KJV translates Strong's H8003 in the following manner: perfect (16x), whole (4x), full (2x), just (1x), peaceable (1x), miscellaneous (3x).]

e. [with the] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yᵉhôvâh, yeh-ho-vaw'; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord.] [The KJV translates Strong's H3068 in the following manner: LORD (6,510x), GOD (4x), JEHOVAH (4x), variant (1x).]

f. [his] God [Strong: 430 ʼĕlôhîym, el-o-heem'; plural of H433; 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, × exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), × (very) great, judges, × 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).]

g. [as was the] heart [Strong: 3824 lêbâb, lay-bawb'; from H3823; used also like H3820 the heart (as the most interior organ);:— bethink themselves, breast, comfortably, courage, (faint), (tender-) heart(-ed), midst, mind, × unawares, understanding.] [The KJV translates Strong's H3824 in the following manner: heart (231x), consider (with H7760) (5x), mind (4x), understanding (3x), miscellaneous (9x).]

h. [of] David [Strong: 3217 Dâvid, daw-veed'; rarely (fully); דָּוִיד Dâvîyd; from the same as H1730; loving; David, the youngest son of Jesse:—David.] [The KJV translates Strong's H1732 in the following manner: David (1,076x).]

i. [his] father [Strong: 1 ʼâb, awb; a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application:—chief, (fore-) father(-less), × patrimony, principal.] [The KJV translates Strong's H1 in the following manner: father (1,205x), chief (2x), families (2x), desire (1x), fatherless (with H369) (1x), forefathers (with H7223) (1x), patrimony (1x), prince (1x), principal (1x).]