Faith
King Solomon and the Mystery of His “Sin” — A Deeper Biblical Perspective
Why the Torah speaks harshly of Solomon’s later years, the true meaning behind his many marriages, and how the sources defend his righteousness
Gail asks: "Hello. I was reading the verses about the end of King Solomon’s life. From the text, it seems as if he sinned — he took many wives, and it even says that he followed idols. What does this mean? How can these verses be explained in his favor? Thank you."
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Hello Gail, and thank you for your question.
In the Talmud (Shabbat 56b) it says: “Anyone who says that Solomon sinned is simply mistaken, as it says (Kings I, 11:4), ‘His heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.’” Obviously, the verse would not compare him to David if Solomon had committed such a grave sin. It means that Solomon was a great and righteous king, but he did not reach the same spiritual perfection as his father David.
When we read Solomon’s sacred and wise writings, we immediately see his holiness and profound Torah wisdom. More importantly, he was chosen to build the First Temple! Anyone who thinks Solomon truly sinned is mistaken.
Why does the Bible speak so harshly?
The Torah is written to teach future generations. God holds the righteous to a standard as thin as a hair’s breadth, and the text sometimes intentionally exaggerates their “sins” to make moral lessons clearer. For example, when Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it, God told him: “Because you did not believe in Me to sanctify Me” (Numbers 20:12) and decreed that he would not enter the Land of Israel. Taken literally, it might seem Moses lacked faith which was impossible for someone of his level. In reality, it means he was expected to demonstrate an even higher level of faith than anyone else.
Similarly, in the sin of the Golden Calf, not all Israel worshiped the idol — only about 3,000 men from the Erev Rav. However, the entire nation was punished for not protesting against them.
When Nathan the Prophet rebuked King David for the incident with Batsheva and Uriah, he said: “Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in His sight?” (Samuel II, 12:9), even though David did not actually commit murder or adultery according to halacha. Uriah was liable for the death penalty, and Batsheva was halachically divorced and destined for David. Still, because David acted in a way that could be misinterpreted and rushed the timing, the text words it as if he had committed grave sins.
Solomon’s situation was similar.
Due to his lofty spiritual level, Solomon was held responsible for the actions of his wives. The Torah commands: “He shall not take many wives, lest his heart turn away” (Deuteronomy 17:17). Solomon, in his great wisdom, thought he understood the reason behind the command and believed he could overcome the danger. He took many wives with pure intentions, to increase peace in the world and accomplish other goals.
Solomon married many wives (700 wives, 300 concubines):
To support many poor women using royal resources.
To marry foreign princesses (after conversion) as a means of forging long-lasting peace treaties with their nations.
To spread wisdom and Torah throughout Israel and, according to Kabbalah, to elevate “holy sparks” within the nations.
Kabbalistic sources explain that Solomon attempted to draw holiness from among the nations before the destined time, which led to complications.
What went wrong?
Many of the foreign women he converted did not truly embrace the faith and some continued idol worship privately. As wealthy and powerful queens, they built altars to their gods, especially in Solomon’s later years when it was harder for him to oversee them. Though Solomon himself never worshiped idols, their actions were attributed to him because the Torah warned a king not to take many wives “lest his heart turn away.”
As the Talmud (Sanhedrin 21b) says: “It is written: ‘He shall not take many wives.’ Solomon said, ‘I will take many, but my heart will not turn.’ Yet it is written: ‘When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart.’”
In Kings I, 11:7 it says: “Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh…” Rashi explains: “Because he did not stop his wives, Scripture attributes it to him as if he built it.” The Metzudat David commentary similarly says that “allowing them” was considered against him as if he had done it himself.
Solomon was entirely righteous and pure in his intentions, but his approach in this matter was considered a mistake. Because of his exalted status, the Torah describes it in strong terms, noting that his heart was not as completely aligned with God as that of his father David.
