1 Kings 3:1

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 1 Kings 3:1 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “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.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

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.
1 Kings 3:1 — American Standard Version

Context — 1 Kings 3

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
1And 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.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, etc.] Pharaoh was a common name of the kings of Egypt, of whom no mention is made in Scripture from the times of Moses until this time; which may seem strange, when it is considered that that kingdom was a potent one, and near the land of Canaan; but it was governed by a race of kings in this period of time, of whom, as Diodorus Siculus f35 says, there is nothing worthy of relation. The name of this Pharaoh, according to Eupolemus f36, an Heathen writer, was Vaphres; for he says, that David contracted a friendship with this king, and he relates some letters which passed between him and Solomon, concerning sending him workmen for the…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“SOLOMON MARRIES PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER. (Kg1 3:1) Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh--This was a royal title, equivalent to "sultan," and the personal name of this monarch is said to have been Vaphres. The formation, on equal terms, of this matrimonial alliance with the royal family of Egypt, shows the high consideration to which the Hebrew kingdom had now arisen. Rosellini has given, from the Egyptian monuments, what is supposed to be a portrait of this princess. She was received in the land of her adoption with great eclat; for the Song of Solomon and the forty-fifth Psalm are supposed to have been composed in honor of this occasion, although they may both have a higher typical reference to…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“What Pharaoh is meant is uncertain. It must have been a predecessor of Shishak (or Sheshonk), who invaded Judaea more than 40 years later 1 Kings 14:25; and probabilities are in favor, not of Psusennes II, the last king of Manetho’s 21st dynasty, but of Psinaces, the predecessor of Psusennes. This, the Tanite dynasty, had become very weak, especially toward its close, from where we may conceive how gladly it would ally itself with the powerful house of David. The Jews were not forbidden to marry foreign wives, if they became proselytes. As Solomon is not blamed for this marriage either here or in 1 Kings 11:0, and as the idol temples which he allowed to be built 1 Kings 11:5-7 were in no…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Pharaoh - As being a powerful neighbour, whose daughter doubtless was first instructed in, and proselyted to the Jewish religion. It seems, this was designed by God to be a type of Christ, calling his church to himself, and to the true religion, not only out of the Jews, but even out of the Gentile world. City of David - Into David's palace there. The wall - Which though in some sort built by David, yet Solomon is here said to build, either because he made it higher, and stronger, in which sense Nebuchadnezzar is said to have built Babylon, Dan 4:30, or because he built another wall besides the former, for after this time Jerusalem was encompassed with more walls than one. 3 Kings (1 Kings)…”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“3:1 As was common in the ancient Near East, Solomon sealed a political alliance with the king of Egypt by marrying one of his daughters. The bestowal of an Egyptian princess and the city of Gezer to Solomon as a wedding present (9:16) demonstrated the Egyptians’ high regard for him. The pharaoh was probably Siamun, of Egypt’s weakened 21st dynasty. The alliance was mutually beneficial: Pharaoh gained access to trade routes through Israel, while Solomon increased security on his southern border. Apparently, Solomon had previously married the Ammonite Naamah (see 11:42-43 with 14:21). • City of David: This section of Jerusalem was the old Jebusite city in the southern portion of the eastern…”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“am 2990, bc 1014, An, Ex, Is, 477 affinity: Ch2 18:1; Ezr 9:14 and took: Kg1 7:8, Kg1 9:24, Kg1 11:1 the city: Sa2 5:7; Ch1 11:7 his own: Kg1 7:1-12 the house: 1Kings 6:1-38, Kg1 7:13-15; 2Chr. 2:1-4:22; Ezr 5:11 the wall: Kg1 9:15-19 3 Kings (1 Kings) 3:2”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“Solomon's marriage and the religious state of the kingdom. - Kg1 3:1. When Solomon had well secured his possession of the throne ( Kg1 2:46), he entered into alliance with Pharaoh, by taking his daughter as his wife. This Pharaoh of Egypt is supposed by Winer, Ewald, and others to have been Psusennes, the last king of the twenty-first (Tanitic) dynasty, who reigned thirty-five years; since the first king of the twenty-second (Bubastic) dynasty, Sesonchis or Sheshonk, was certainly the Shishak who conquered Jerusalem in the fifth year of Rehoboam's reign ( Kg1 14:25-26). The alliance by marriage with the royal family of Egypt presupposes that Egypt was desirous of cultivating friendly…”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification