I Kings 3:1 · Bible study
1 Kings 3:1 Commentary: Solomon's Pharaoh's Daughter Marriage
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Did Solomon sin by marrying Pharaoh's daughter? Commentators differ on this politically strategic marriage and its relation to Solomon's later apostasy.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Solomon forms a political marriage with an Egyptian princess, temporarily lodging her in the City of David.
- Key words: yitḥattēn (became son-in-law/made affinity), a verb emphasizing the formal alliance; kallot (finished), indicating a temporary arrangement until building ended.
- Main debate: Whether the marriage violated Deuteronomy 7:3 or was permissible if the princess converted.
- Theological theme: The tension between political advantage and covenant faithfulness, and the danger of small compromises.
- Best use: A case study in how early decisions can set a trajectory, and how the Bible reports facts without always providing commentary.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Later, Solomon formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. Solomon brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his palace and the house of the LORD, as well as the wall around Jerusalem.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into David’s city until he had finished building his own house, Yahweh’s house, and the wall around Jerusalem.
KJV King James Version 1769
And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of Jehovah, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And Solomon joineth in marriage with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and taketh the daughter of Pharaoh, and bringeth her in unto the city of David, till he completeth to build his own house, and the house of Jehovah, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Solomon allied himself by marriage with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had ended building his own house, and the house of Jehovah, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon, and he made affinity with Pharao, the king of Egypt: for he took his daughter, and brought her into the city of David: until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y SALOMÓN hizo parentesco con Faraón rey de Egipto, porque tomó la hija de Faraón, y trájola á la ciudad de David, entre tanto que acababa de edificar su casa, y la casa de Jehová, y los muros de Jerusalem alrededor.
E Salomão fez parentesco com Faraó rei do Egito, porque tomou a filha de Faraó, e trouxe-a à cidade de Davi, entre tanto que acabava de edificar sua casa, e a casa do SENHOR, e os muros de Jerusalém ao redor.
Salomon s’ allia par mariage avec Pharaon, roi d’ Égypte. Il prit pour femme la fille de Pharaon, et il l’amena dans la ville de David, jusqu’ à ce qu’ il eût achevé de bâtir sa maison, la maison de l’ Éternel, et le mur d’ enceinte de Jérusalem.
Und Salomo verschwägerte sich mit Pharao, dem König in Ägypten und nahm Pharaos Tochter und brachte sie in die Stadt Davids, bis er ausbaute sein Haus und des HERRN Haus und die Mauer um Jerusalem her.
En Salomo verzwagerde zich met Farao, den koning van Egypte; en nam de dochter van Farao, en bracht ze in de stad Davids totdat hij voleind zou hebben het bouwen van zijn huis en het huis des HEEREN, en den muur van Jeruzalem rondom.
Or Salomone s’imparentò con Faraone, re di Egitto. Sposò la figliuola di Faraone, e la menò nella città di Davide, finché avesse finito di edificare la sua casa, la casa dell’Eterno e le mura di cinta di Gerusalemme.
I spowinowacił się Salomon z Faraonem, królem Egipskim; bo pojął córkę Faraonową, i przyprowadził ją do miasta Dawidowego, ażby dobudował domu swego, i domu Pańskiego, i muru Jeruzalemskiego w około.
[Когда утвердилось царство в руках Соломона,] Соломон породнился с фараоном, царем Египетским, и взял за себя дочь фараона и ввел ее в город Давидов, доколе не построил дома своего и дома Господня и стены вокруг Иерусалима.
所羅門 與 埃及 王 法老 結親，娶了 法老 的女兒為妻，接她 進入 大衛 城，直等到 造 完了 自己的宮 和 耶和華 的殿，並 耶路撒冷 周圍 的城牆。
Solomon became the son-in-law of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter as his wife, keeping her in the town of David, till the house he was building for himself, and the house of the Lord and the wall round Jerusalem, were complete.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Kings 3:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Solomon formed a political alliance by marrying Pharaoh's daughter, bringing her temporarily into the City of David until his building projects were complete. The marriage is not condemned in this passage, but its lawfulness is disputed. Adam Clarke argues it directly violated Exodus 34:16 and Deuteronomy 7:3, which forbid marriages with heathen women, and sees in it the seeds of Solomon's later apostasy. Barnes, Gill, Keil and Delitzsch, and the Cambridge Bible counter that the prohibition applied only to Canaanite women, and that Egyptian princesses were allowed if they converted. They note that Pharaoh's daughter is not among the foreign wives blamed in 1 Kings 11, and that no Egyptian idols appear among those Solomon later worshipped. The marriage itself is presented without explicit censure, though its wisdom is questioned given the law's spirit.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Sinful compromise view: Exodus 34:16 and Deuteronomy 7:3 forbid marriage with foreign women; political expediency overrides divine command; this choice contributed to Solomon's later fall.
- Permissible alliance view: The law only prohibits marriages with Canaanites; Egyptian princesses were not in that category; there is no divine censure here or in 1 Kings 11 regarding this specific wife.
What is clear: Solomon made a political marriage with an Egyptian princess and housed her temporarily in the City of David until his major building projects were complete.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Lawfulness of the marriage | All commentators note it was a political alliance with Egypt, strategically beneficial for Israel. | Clarke calls it a direct violation of Exodus 34:16 and Deuteronomy 7:3, while Barnes, Gill, Keil-Delitzsch, and the Cambridge Bible argue those prohibitions applied only to Canaanites and that an Egyptian wife could convert. |
| Pharaoh's daughter's conversion | She is not charged with idolatry in 1 Kings 11, and no Egyptian deities appear among Solomon's later high places. | Clarke's apologists assume she converted, but he himself doubts it. Barnes and Cambridge consider conversion probable given the lack of censure. Gill states she was proselyted. |
| Relation to Solomon's later apostasy | This marriage is part of a pattern of foreign alliances that eventually led Solomon to tolerate other gods. | Clarke sees the seeds of apostasy already here. Others (Keil-Delitzsch, Cambridge) argue that because this specific wife is never blamed, the marriage itself may have been innocent, unlike later marriages to Moabites, Ammonites, etc. |
| Temporary dwelling in the City of David | The princess lived there only until building projects were done, because the area was considered sacred. | Some (Gill, Matthew Henry) see this as a sign of respect for holiness. Others may view it as an awkward compromise that highlights the incongruity of a foreign princess in the holy city. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Pharaoh in question cannot be identified with certainty. Barnes and the Cambridge Bible suggest either Psusennes II or his predecessor Psinaces, kings of Egypt's weak 21st (Tanite) dynasty. Egypt had declined since the Exodus, and an alliance with Solomon's powerful kingdom would have been attractive. The marriage marked a high point in Israel's international standing.
Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter to "David's city," the eastern ridge of Zion where David had established his capital (2 Samuel 5:7). This area housed the ark and was considered sacred. Solomon himself later moved her to a separate house (1 Kings 9:24; 2 Chronicles 8:11), deeming the City of David too holy for a foreign princess even after conversion.
The verse notes three building projects: Solomon's own house (which took thirteen years, 1 Kings 7:1), the house of Yahweh (begun in the fourth year of his reign, 1 Kings 6:1), and the wall of Jerusalem. The wall was an extension of earlier fortifications (Psalm 51:18; Josephus). These projects used forced labor (1 Kings 9:15). The marriage likely occurred early in Solomon's reign, before these were finished, and the princess lodged in David's city as a temporary measure. Surrounding verses (1 Kings 3:2-3) describe the state of worship: high places were still in use, yet Solomon loved Yahweh. This context shows a king who was spiritually earnest but already making compromises that would grow.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for 1 Kings 3:1. The Hebrew text is stable across the Masoretic tradition. The different English renderings ("made a marriage alliance," "made affinity") reflect translation choices for the same Hebrew verb yitḥattēn, which means "became a son-in-law" and implies a formal alliance.
Reception History
Jewish and early Christian interpreters connected this marriage to two biblical poems. The oldest rabbinic tradition referred the forty-fifth Psalm to Solomon's wedding with Pharaoh's daughter, reading it as a royal wedding song. Some church fathers, following Origen, applied the same psalm typologically to Christ and the church, but acknowledged its literal occasion. The Song of Solomon was also widely understood by ancient Jewish and Christian commentators as an epithalamium for this marriage, though they then read it as an allegory of divine love. Later Protestant commentators like Matthew Henry and Adam Clarke focused on the moral and spiritual danger of the alliance, while Keil and Delitzsch defended its permissibility. The marriage has thus been seen either as a troubling compromise or as a legitimate, even glorious, union that prefigured the inclusion of Gentiles.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- Political wisdom, spiritual risk. Solomon's marriage to Pharaoh's daughter secured Israel's position, but the law warned against foreign alliances that could weaken exclusive loyalty to Yahweh.
- A temporary accommodation. The princess lived in David's city only until suitable quarters were built. This transitional arrangement mirrors the tension between worldly advantage and holy separation.
- No immediate blame, but a pattern. The narrator does not condemn this marriage here, yet Solomon's later accumulation of foreign wives follows the same path. A small compromise can become a pattern.
Five-Point Outline
- Alliance with Egypt brought prestige but tested Israel's covenant distinctiveness.
- The law's prohibition on marriages with Canaanites (Deut 7:3) left room for conversion, but the spirit of the law warned against any foreign influence.
- Solomon's building projects show his priorities: his own house is listed before Yahweh's house.
- The temporary lodging in David's city foreshadows a permanent home built later (1 Kings 9:24).
- Solomon's love for the Lord (v.3) coexisted with compromises that eventually led to apostasy.
Illustration Hooks
- Career move or conscience? A young professional accepts a promotion from a company whose ethics are questionable, reasoning it is only temporary until a better opportunity comes.
- The second job. A volunteer church leader takes a side job requiring Sunday work, telling themselves it is just for a season, until their church involvement fades entirely.
- Mixed allegiances. A student joins a club for networking, but the club's values clash with their faith. They stay "until graduation" and gradually drift.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Was Solomon's marriage actually a sin, or are we reading too much into it?
- Why would a wise king like Solomon make a choice that seems spiritually dangerous?
- Does this story mean Christians should only marry within the faith, or is a converted spouse acceptable?
Leading a Discussion
This passage opens Solomon's reign with a note of political pragmatism that later becomes spiritual ruin. As you read, consider how early compromises can shape a whole trajectory. The group should focus on what the text says and what it leaves unspoken, resisting the urge to rush to judgment on Solomon's motives.
Discussion Questions
- What does the fact that Solomon married Pharaoh's daughter tell you about Israel's international standing at this time?
- Why do you think the narrator mentions the building projects (Solomon's house, Yahweh's house, the wall) alongside the marriage?
- Commentators disagree on whether this marriage violated the law. Read Deuteronomy 7:3-4 and Exodus 34:16. How would you apply those verses to this situation?
- Pharaoh's daughter is never blamed for idolatry in the later accounts (1 Kings 11). Does that mean the marriage was acceptable, or does it still represent a dangerous pattern?
- What does the temporary lodging in David's city suggest about Solomon's respect for sacred space? See 2 Chronicles 8:11.
- In what areas of life do Christians today make temporary compromises that can become permanent?
- How does this verse connect to the theme of wisdom and compromise that runs through Solomon's whole story?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Samuel 5:7 | Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion. This is David’s city. |
| I Kings 6:1 | In the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build Yahweh’s house. |
| I Kings 7:15 | For he fashioned the two pillars of bronze, eighteen cubits high apiece; and a line of twelve cubits encircled either of them. |
| I Kings 9:15 | This is the reason of the forced labor which King Solomon conscripted: to build Yahweh’s house, his own house, Millo, Jerusalem’s wall, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. |
| I Kings 9:19 | all the storage cities that Solomon had, the cities for his chariots, the cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. |
| I Kings 9:24 | But Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of David’s city to her house which Solomon had built for her. Then he built Millo. |
| I Kings 11:1 | Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites, |
| I Chronicles 11:7 | David lived in the stronghold; therefore they called it David’s city. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke sees Solomon's marriage to Pharaoh's daughter as a direct violation of God's law against marrying pagans, motivated by politics rather than faith. He warns that this alliance likely planted the seeds of Solomon's eventual apostasy, rejecting the view that she must have been a Jewish convert.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that Solomon's Egyptian wife likely converted to his religion, since no Egyptian idols were built for her and neither here nor in 1 Kings 11 is Solomon blamed for the marriage. He also notes the marriage was with a weak Tanite dynasty, glad to ally with David's powerful house.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary identifies the Pharaoh whose daughter Solomon married as likely Psinaces of the 21st dynasty, noting that Pharaoh is a royal title, not a personal name. It observes that Solomon faced no reproach for this marriage, suggesting the Egyptian wife converted to Judaism, since no foreign deity is blamed on her.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes observe that Solomon only brought Pharaoh's daughter into the city of David on a temporary basis. She stayed there until he finished building his own palace, the temple, and Jerusalem's wall.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that Solomon's marriage to Pharaoh's daughter likely involved her conversion to Judaism first, since otherwise Solomon would not have married her. He also observes that none of the Egyptian gods appear among the idols Solomon's other wives later drew him into, suggesting she remained faithful to Israel's God.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that this marriage to Pharaoh's daughter is nowhere condemned in Scripture, unlike Solomon's later foreign alliances. The silence suggests she abandoned idolatry and converted to Judaism. She was kept from the stronghold of Zion because the law restricted her, but a suitable palace residence was not yet ready.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argues that Solomon's marriage to an Egyptian princess was not a breach of the law, since only marriages with Canaanite women were prohibited. They also view the pre-temple worship on high places as unavoidable and essentially different from Canaanite high places, being dedicated to Jehovah and excused by the absence of the temple.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Solomon's love for the Lord, not his wisdom or wealth, is his highest praise. This love showed itself in walking carefully in God's statutes and in offering generous sacrifices. For Henry, a king's devotion is measured by obedience and open-handed worship, not by his resources.