While King Solomon had many wives (700) and concubines (300), rabbinical tradition and some literature suggest Naamah the Ammonite, mother of his successor Rehoboam, was particularly favored and captured his heart, with the Shulammite from the Song of Solomon representing deep, passionate love, though she might be allegorical. The Bible doesn't explicitly name a "favorite" but highlights Naamah's significance and the deep affection for the Shulammite.
Solomon clearly loved the Shulammite—and he admired her character as well as her beauty (Song 6:9). Everything about the Song of Solomon portrays the fact that this bride and groom were passionately in love and that there was mutual respect and friendship, as well (Song 8:6–7).
Interesting were last week's despatches from the Cairo newspaper Mokattam that diggers have found the rich tomb of Solomon's favorite wife Moti Maris of Memphis, on the Mount of the Temple (Jerusalem's Mount Moriah).
1Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh's daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites.
According to Biblical chronology, Naamah was married to young Solomon by King David and thus this international marriage has to be viewed as the result of the latter's policy and not that of Solomon. The possible motives for David's initiative are considered.
God's love did not reject her because of sin, or rule her out because of brokenness. Bathsheba not only became the wife of King David (not just a concubine), but she was her husband's favorite, most beloved wife.
Abigail's story echoes in the hearts of all women as an example of true submission and courage, even in the face of danger… In 1 Samuel 25, a beautiful story emerges, one of submission and deliverance.
Naamah (wife of Solomon) Naamah (Hebrew: נַעֲמָה, romanized: Naʿămā, lit. 'pleasant; lovely') was one of the 700 wives and 300 concubines of King Solomon and mother of his heir, Rehoboam, according to both 1 Kings 14:21–31, and 2 Chronicles 12:13 in the Hebrew Bible.
Article. Solomon, third king of Israel (reigned c. 968–928 B.C.E.), is said to have had a harem that included 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kgs 11:3).
Both the Deuteronomist and the Chronicler repeatedly testify that Solomon married an African woman who was the daughter of Pharaoh. The fact that Pharaoh's daughter was singled out in this manner is significant as similar treatment was not given to his many other wives and concubines.
Note that Solomon called her “fair” and “beloved” in our text, and then “pleasant.” The Hebrew word for “pleasant” is very similar to “Naamah,” as though Solomon were calling her by a shortened form of her name as a term of endearment.
David ruled in Jerusalem 33 years. These were David's children who were born in Jerusalem: David and Bathsheba, Ammiel's daughter, had four children. They were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon.
Having so many wives was likely a status symbol for Solomon. Many of these wives were likely obtained as part of a political strategy : think foreign princesses given in marriage to secure peace or alliances. They were probably housed in different locations managed by eunuchs and officials.
There's nothing in the biblical passages to suggest that the Queen of Sheba married Solomon. However, many later Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions tell about a marriage between Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church teaches that their son was the first great king of Ethiopia, Menelik I.
Naamah and Lilith appear quite often side by side in various writings. Like Lilith, Naamah's main task was to seduce men in their dreams. In addition, she was Lilith's accomplice in strangling babies. It is said that Naamah's abode was in the depths of the sea.
The Shulammite (from Hebrew shulammit, “woman of Jerusalem”) is the central figure in the Song of Solomon (also called Song of Songs or Canticles) and one of the most positive representations of young womanhood in the Hebrew Bible.
Generally, Islamic tradition holds that he was the third ruler of the Israelites and a wise one. In contrast to Talmudic tradition, Muslims maintain that Solomon remained faithful to God throughout his life and was blessed with authority given to none before nor after him.
Bathsheba, in the Hebrew Bible (2 Samuel 11, 12; 1 Kings 1, 2), wife of Uriah the Hittite; she later became one of the wives of King David and the mother of King Solomon. Bathsheba was a daughter of Eliam and was probably of noble birth.
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.
Solomon was said to have sinned by acquiring many foreign wives. Solomon's descent into idolatry, Willem de Poorter, Rijksmuseum. According to 1 Kings 11:30–34 and 1 Kings 11:9-13, it was because of these sins that the Lord punished Solomon by removing most of the tribes of Israel from rule by Solomon's house.
He had 700 wives who were the daughters of leaders from other nations. He also had 300 slave women who were like wives to him. His wives caused him to turn away from God. When Solomon was old, his wives caused him to follow other gods, so he did not follow the LORD completely as his father David did.
Solomon wrote, “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord” (18:22). He pointed out that “Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord” (19:14).
Arranged marriage was the custom of the day, so Abigail was probably wed to Nabal for his wealth, not for love. While she was a faithful and savvy woman, Nabal's name (meaning “fool”) and his actions showed he was indeed a fool. David asked Nabal to repay a past kindness by giving David's men some provisions.
Abigail is described as intelligent and beautiful. The Talmud amplifies this idea, mentioning her as being one of the "four women of surpassing beauty in the world" (the other three being Rahab, Sarah, and Esther).
It's not only women in leadership positions who prayed in the Bible, though there are many examples. Everyday women also played a role in God's plan throughout history. One example is the woman in the Bible who prayed for a husband, Abigail. Abigail was married to a man named Nabal, who was rude and hateful.