1 Raja-raja 11:3

11:3 He had 700 royal wives ¹  and 300 concubines; ²  his wives had a powerful influence over him. ³ 

1 Raja-raja 14:21

Rehoboam’s Reign over Judah

14:21 Now Rehoboam son of Solomon ruled in Judah. He ⁴  was forty-one years old when he became king and he ruled for seventeen years in Jerusalem, ⁵  the city the Lord chose from all the tribes of Israel to be his home. ⁶  His mother was an Ammonite woman ⁷  named Naamah.

[11:3]  ¹ tn Heb “wives, princesses.”

[11:3]  ² sn Concubines were slave women in ancient Near Eastern societies who were the legal property of their master, but who could have legitimate sexual relations with their master. A concubine’s status was more elevated than a mere servant, but she was not free and did not have the legal rights of a free wife. The children of a concubine could, in some instances, become equal heirs with the children of the free wife. The usage in the present passage suggests that after the period of the Judges concubines may have become more of a royal prerogative (cf. also 2 Sam 21:10-14).

[11:3]  ³ tn Heb “his wives bent his heart.”

[14:21]  ⁴ tn Heb “Rehoboam.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:21]  ⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[14:21]  ⁶ tn Heb “the city where the Lord chose to place his name from all the tribes of Israel.”

[14:21]  ⁷ tn Heb “an Ammonite”; the word “woman” is implied.