SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:1
¶ Y Salomón hizo parentesco en Faraón rey de Egipto, porque tomó por mujer la hija de Faraón, y la trajo a la ciudad de David, entre tanto que acababa de edificar su casa, y la casa del SEÑOR, y los muros de Jerusalén alrededor.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 3:1
Verse 1. Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh] This was no doubt a political measure in order to strengthen his kingdom, and on the same ground he continued his alliance with the king of Tyre; and these were among the most powerful of his neighbours. But should political considerations prevail over express laws of God? God had strictly forbidden his people to form alliances with heathenish women, lest they should lead their hearts away from him into idolatry. Let us hear the law: Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son; for they will turn away thy son from following me, &c. Exod. xxxiv. 16; Deut. vii. 3, 4. Now Solomon acted in direct opposition to these laws; and perhaps in this alliance were sown those seeds of apostacy from God and goodness in which he so long lived, and in which he so awfully died. Those who are, at all hazards, his determinate apologists, assume, 1. That Pharaoh's daughter must have been a proselyte to the Jewish religion, else Solomon would not have married her. 2. That God was not displeased with this match. 3. That the book of Canticles, which is supposed to have been his epithalamium, would not have found a place in the sacred canon had the spouse, whom it all along celebrates, been at that time an idolatress. 4.
That it is certain we nowhere in Scripture find Solomon blamed for this match. See Dodd.
Now to all this I answer, 1. We have no evidence that the daughter of Pharaoh was a proselyte, no more than that her father was a true believer.
It is no more likely that he sought a proselyte here than that he sought them among the Moabites, Hittites, &c., from whom he took many wives.
2. If God's law be positively against such matches, he could not possibly be pleased with this breach of it in Solomon; but his law is positively against them, therefore he was not pleased. 3. That the book of Canticles being found in the sacred canon is, according to some critics, neither a proof that the marriage pleased God, nor that the book was written by Divine inspiration; much less that it celebrates the love between Christ and his Church, or is at all profitable for doctrine, for reproof, or for edification in righteousness. 4. That Solomon is most expressly reproved in Scripture for this very match, is to me very evident from the following passages: DID NOT SOLOMON, king of Israel, SIN by these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin; Neh. xiii. 26. Now it is certain that Pharaoh's daughter was an outlandish woman; and although it be not expressly said that Pharaoh's daughter is here intended, yet there is all reasonable evidence that she is included; and, indeed, the words seem to intimate that she is especially referred to. In 1 Kings iii. 3; it is said, Solomon LOVED THE LORD, walking in the statutes of David; and Nehemiah says, Did not Solomon, king of Israel, SIN BY THESE THINGS, who WAS BELOVED OF HIS GOD; referring, most probably, to this early part of Solomon's history. But supposing that this is not sufficient evidence that this match is spoken against in Scripture, let us turn to chap. xi. 1, 2, of this book, where the cause of Solomon's apostasy is assigned; and there we read, But King Solomon loved many STRANGE WOMEN, TOGETHER WITH THE DAUGHTER OF PHARAOH, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in unto them; neither shall they come in unto you; for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: SOLOMON CLAVE UNTO THESE IN LOVE. Here the marriage with Pharaoh's daughter is classed most positively with the most exceptionable of his matrimonial and concubinal alliances: as it no doubt had its predisposing share in an apostacy the most unprecedented and disgraceful.
Should I even be singular, I cannot help thinking that the reign of Solomon began rather inauspiciously: even a brother's blood must be shed to cause him to sit securely on his throne, and a most reprehensible alliance, the forerunner of many others of a similar nature, was formed for the same purpose. But we must ever be careful to distinguish between what God has commanded to be done, and what was done through the vile passions and foolish jealousies of men. Solomon had many advantages, and no man ever made a worse use of them.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. 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 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 building of the temple, which are still preserved; but Calvisius thinks it was Sesostris; what this affinity was is next observed: and took Pharaoh’s daughter : that is, married her; who, according to Ben Gersom, was proselyted first to the Jewish religion; which is very probable, or otherwise it can hardly be thought Solomon would marry her; and as the forty fifth psalm, ( Psalm 45:1-17), and the book of Canticles, supposed to be written on that occasion, seem to confirm; to which may be added, that it does not appear she ever enticed or drew him into idolatry; for, of all the idols his wives drew him into the worship of, no mention is made of any Egyptian deities. The Jews say Rome was built the same day Solomon married Pharaoh’s daughter, but without foundation: this was not Solomon’s first wife; he was married to Naamah the Ammonitess before he was king, for he had Rehoboam by her a year before that for Solomon reigned only forty years, and Rehoboam, who succeeded him, was forty one years of age when he began to reign, ( 1 Kings 11:41 14:21); and brought her into the city of David ; the fort of Zion: until he had made an end of building his own house : which was thirteen years in building, and now seems to have been begun, ( 1 Kings 7:1); and the house of the Lord ; the temple, which according: to the Jewish chronology f39 , was begun building before his marriage of Pharaoh’s daughter, and was seven years in building; and therefore this marriage must be in the fourth year of his reign; for then he began to build the temple, ( 1 Kings 6:37,38); and so it must be, since Shimei lived three years in Jerusalem before he was put to death, after which this marriage was, ( Kings 2:37); and the wall of Jerusalem round about ; all which he built by raising a levy on the people, ( 1 Kings 9:15); and when these buildings were finished, he built a house for his wife, but in the mean while she dwelt in the city of David.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-4 - He that loved the Lord, should, for his sake, have fixed his love upo one of the Lord's people. Solomon was a wise man, a rich man, a grea man; yet the brightest praise of him, is that which is the character of all the saints, even the poorest, "He loved the Lord." Where God sow plentifully, he expects to reap accordingly; and those that truly love God and his worship, will not grudge the expenses of their religion. We must never think that wasted which is laid out in the service of God.
Original Hebrew
ויתחתן 2859 שׁלמה 8010 את 854 פרעה 6547 מלך 4428 מצרים 4714 ויקח 3947 את 853 בת 1323 פרעה 6547 ויביאה 935 אל 413 עיר 5892 דוד 1732 עד 5704 כלתו 3615 לבנות 1129 את 853 ביתו 1004 ואת 853 בית 1004 יהוה 3068 ואת 853 חומת 2346 ירושׁלם 3389 סביב׃ 5439
