1 Kings 11:5 Commentary: Did Solomon Worship Ashtoreth and Milcom?

Solomon’s fall did not happen suddenly. The context of 1 Kings 11 describes a king who “loved many foreign women” (v.1) in direct violation of Deuteronomy 17:17, which warned that multiplying wives would turn his heart away. By the time Solomon was old, his hundreds of wives from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and Hittite lands had led him into their native cults.

Ashtoreth (Astarte) was the chief female deity of the Phoenicians. The Cambridge Bible notes that she has been identified with the planet Venus and sometimes with the moon; Milton in Paradise Lost describes her as “queen of heaven, with crescent horns.” Her worship involved fertility rites, sacred prostitution, and was widespread across the ancient Near East.

Milcom is the same as Molech, god of the Ammonites. The Cambridge Bible explains that Molech was a fire god worshipped with child sacrifice; children were “made to pass through the fire” (2 Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 7:31). The Hebrew word shiqquts (abomination) used for Milcom carries strong religious revulsion, it is the same term used for other detestable idols throughout the Old Testament.

Lange’s commentary points out that the prohibition in Deuteronomy 17:16-17 also warned against accumulating silver, gold, and horses from Egypt, all of which Solomon had done (1 Kings 10). The pattern is clear: the same man who built the Temple now built high places for Chemosh and Molech “on the mountain that is before Jerusalem” (v.7), directly defiling the holy city.

The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for 1 Kings 11:5. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, with the consistent reading of Ashtoreth (עַשְׁתֹּרֶת) and Milcom (מִלְכֹּם). The main variation is in transliteration into English (Milcom vs. Moloch vs. Molech in v.7), but this reflects different treatment of the same Hebrew consonants across verses, not a manuscript divergence.

Jewish interpreters such as Ben Gersom (14th c.) and Abarbanel (15th c.) read the verse as describing Solomon’s tolerance rather than active worship, a defense of the wise king’s character that still acknowledges his sin. Protestant commentators like Matthew Henry (18th c.) and Barnes (19th c.) stress the technical force of “went after” to insist on personal guilt, seeing Solomon’s fall as a warning to even the most gifted. In literature, Milton in Paradise Lost alludes to Ashtoreth (Astarte) as a demonic figure, using the crescent-moon imagery noted by the Cambridge Bible. The verse has been used in sermons across traditions to illustrate the danger of gradual spiritual decline and the importance of guarding one’s heart against even small compromises.

Three-point outline

1. The Descent, Solomon did not wake up one day worshipping idols. His fall was gradual: political marriages, tolerance of compromise, then full participation. The heart that “was not perfect with Yahweh his God” (v.4) started with small compromises.
2. The Gods, Ashtoreth (fertility, pleasure, sex) and Milcom (power, control, child sacrifice) represent the two great temptations of life: love of pleasure and love of power, each demanding total surrender.
3. The Cost, The chapter ends with God rending the kingdom from Solomon’s son. Idolatry has consequences not just for the individual but for everyone they lead.

Five-point outline

1. The Warning, Deuteronomy 17 had already told kings not to multiply wives. Solomon knew better.
2. The Compromise, Marrying foreign women for political advantage brought their gods into the palace.
3. The Action, The phrase “went after” means he actively pursued these gods, not merely allowed them.
4. The Tolerance, Even if the Jewish tradition is right (that he only connived), God held him responsible for what he permitted.
5. The Judgment, God appeared twice to Solomon (v.9); he had every warning. The kingdom was torn away.

Illustration hooks

• A church leader who slowly stops correcting false teaching to keep peace in the congregation. At first small, then the whole message shifts.
• A parent who allows harmful media into their home because “all the other kids watch it.” Over time, family values erode silently.
• An executive who marries for business connections and eventually compromises ethical standards to keep those relationships.

Questions your congregation is asking

• “Why did God allow Solomon to fall so hard after giving him so much wisdom?”
• “Is it enough to just not worship idols if we tolerate them in our family?”
• “What are the modern equivalents of Ashtoreth and Milcom today?”

This verse sits in the saddest chapter of Solomon’s life. A man who built God’s house ended up building shrines to demons. As you discuss this passage, consider not only the gravity of Solomon’s sin but the process that led there. The text forces a hard question: how wise are we if our wisdom does not protect our hearts?

Discussion questions

1. Read 1 Kings 11:1-10. What patterns do you see in how Solomon’s heart was turned away?
2. Barnes notes that “went after” is a technical term for actual idolatry in the Old Testament. Why does the wording matter for understanding Solomon’s guilt?
3. Gill mentions Jewish interpreters who said Solomon only allowed his wives to worship, not participate. What would that kind of toleration say about his heart?”
4. Ashtoreth was called “goddess” while Milcom was called “abomination.” Why might the writer use different terms for these two false gods?
5. How does Deuteronomy 17:14-20 connect directly to Solomon’s failures?
6. Solomon had two personal visits from God (1 Kings 3:5; 9:2). Why did such direct encounters not prevent his fall?
7. In your own life, what small compromises might be preparing the ground for larger failures later?