What is the meaning of Nehemiah 13:26? Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? Nehemiah’s question points the returned exiles to a historical example they all knew. “Matters like this” refers to marrying women from peoples who worshiped other gods, something expressly forbidden in Deuteronomy 7:3-4. • 1 Kings 11:1-2 records that Solomon “loved many foreign women” from nations “about which the LORD had told the Israelites, ‘You must not intermarry with them.’” • Ezra 9:1-2 and Nehemiah 13:23-25 show the same compromise resurfacing after the exile. • By recalling Solomon’s failure, Nehemiah warns that even great beginnings cannot cancel the consequences of direct disobedience. There was not a king like him among many nations, Solomon’s greatness makes his fall more sobering. • 1 Kings 3:12-13—God gave Solomon “a wise and discerning heart” plus unparalleled wealth. • 1 Kings 10:23-24—“King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the kings of the earth.” • 2 Chronicles 9:22—Other rulers traveled to hear his wisdom. If someone of such stature could stumble, so could the ordinary Israelite (1 Corinthians 10:12). and he was loved by his God, Solomon began as the cherished son of promise. • 2 Samuel 12:24—“The LORD loved him, and He sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah, because of the LORD’s love.” • 1 Kings 3:3—“Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David.” Divine affection never excuses sin; rather, God’s love entails discipline when His people stray (Hebrews 12:6). who made him king over all Israel— Solomon’s throne was a gift, not a personal achievement. • 1 Chronicles 28:5—David says, “Of all my sons… He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.” • 1 Kings 1:30—the promise of succession came from God through David. Authority heightens accountability; leaders influence the spiritual direction of the nation (James 3:1). yet foreign women drew him into sin. Despite wisdom, love, and position, Solomon yielded to the persistent pull of ungodly relationships. • 1 Kings 11:3-4—His wives “turned his heart after other gods.” • 1 Kings 11:6-8—He built high places for Chemosh and Molech, leading Israel into idolatry. • 1 Corinthians 15:33—“Bad company corrupts good character.” Nehemiah connects the dots: if Solomon fell through intermarriage, the post-exilic community courting the same compromise courts the same judgment. summary Nehemiah 13:26 uses Solomon as a cautionary mirror. The greatest, wisest, most beloved, and divinely appointed king succumbed when he ignored God’s clear command about ungodly alliances. If he could be led astray, no believer is immune. Obedience in relationships is essential to preserving wholehearted devotion to the Lord. |
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