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In Bible versus Quran: King Solomon went after the gods of his 700 Foreign Wives

The Foreigner woman in Bible versus Quran (3)

 

This is the third article of the series: "The Foreigner woman in Bible versus Quran". 

Few quotes from the first article of this series are given here.

In language, the foreigner woman or the stranger woman is the alien woman or the exotic woman or the outsider woman. However, as determined by the Bible (e.g. 1 Kings 11:1), the foreigner woman or the stranger woman is the non-Israelite woman.

Subsequently, all non-Israelite women are foreigner or stranger women.

This indicates that the women in the Bible are but one of two categories; they are either Legitimate or Foreigner.

 

Moreover, the Bible (Ezra 10:2) states that you break faith with God if you marry foreign women.

Ezra 10:2 (English Standard Version)…We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land…

 

According to the inspired word of God (1 Kings 11:1-11), the Bible says that

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord God had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines, and his wives led him astray.  As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, He followed the goddess of the Sidonians, and the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord God; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

King Solomon built a high place for the detestable god of Moab, and for the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

The Lord God became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord who had appeared to him twice. Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord's command. So the Lord God said to Solomon, "Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.

Herein, there are some questions:

1) How come that King Solomon had 1000 women. In an old interpretation, it is said that he used to sleep with all of them every night!

2) How come that the Prophet Wise King Solomon did evil, did not follow his Lord, built high places for other gods so that God became angry with him?

 

On the other hand, the Quran (Verse 38:30) says that Allah bestowed on David, Solomon, his son. What an excellent servant! That is, Solomon. Truly he was a penitent soul, always returning [to Allah] with glorification and remembrance at all times. He was ever turning in repentance (towards Allah) he is ever betaking himself to Allah and engaged in His obedience.

Herein there are two important ethical issues.

1) If the Quran is Anti-Israelite, and since King Solomon is an Israelite king, then the Quran would have exaggerated all the negative attributes of him and would say, this is the behavior of the Israelite kings! But, the truth is the truth.

2) According to the Islamic teachings (Quran and Hadith), anyone says or believes that King Solomon (or any other Prophet) did evil, did not follow his Lord, built high places for other gods etc. is categorized as disbeliever  and he or she will dwell in the Eternal Hell in the Afterlife.

For more details, you can read on the net my series of 25 articles about King Solomon in the Quran; just type on Google search: "Not in Bible But in Quran" + King Solomon + my name.

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The Bible

 

1 Kings 11:1-11 (American Standard Version)

 

1 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites;

2 of the nations concerning which Jehovah said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go among them, neither shall they come among you; for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.

3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.

4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God, as was the heart of David his father.

5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

6 And Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and went not fully after Jehovah, as did David his father.

7 Then did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, in the mount that is before Jerusalem and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon.

8 And so did he for all his foreign wives, who burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

9 And Jehovah was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from Jehovah, the God of Israel, who had appeared unto him twice,

10 and had commanded him concerning this thing that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which Jehovah commanded.

11 Wherefore Jehovah said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

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The Quran

 

Verse 38:30 (Pickthal Translation):

And we bestowed on David, Solomon. How excellent a slave! Lo! He was ever turning in repentance (toward Allah).

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Back to my question to the smart and interested reader:

Are the Scholars truthful when they claim that the Quran quoted from the Bible?

About the Author

Professor Dr. Ibrahim Khalil,
Prof. of Clinical and Chemical Pathology, Head (ex-) of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control Unit, Ain-Shams University. Cairo, Egypt
President of the Egyptian Society of Inventors, Honorary President of SPIC-Egypt (The Society of Practitioners of Infection Control – Egypt), Co-Chief Editor of the Egyptian Journal of Lab. Medicine
Member of the Egyptian union of Writers, Published 5 Books and some 60 Medical Articles, Supervisors for 79 PhD theses and111 Master Degree theses.

Modern songs for Stations of The Cross?

Every year at my school, we have an interpretation of the Stations of The Cross performed before Spring Break. Each station is accompanied by a modern song. Any suggestions? Here are the Stations:
Jesus is condemned to death
Jesus receives the cross
Jesus falls the first time
Jesus meets His Mother
Simon of Cyrene carries the cross
Veronica wipes Jesus' face with her veil
Jesus falls the second time
Jesus meets the daughters of Jerusalem
Jesus falls the third time
Jesus is stripped of His garments
Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross
Jesus dies on the cross
Jesus' body is removed from the cross (Deposition or Lamentation)
Jesus is laid in the tomb and covered in incense.

It would be better if your school did away with religious songs. Leave the religion to church.

Incense From Jerusalem