1 Kings 3:2

Contextual Overview

¹ Shlomo formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying Pharaoh's daughter. He brought her into the City of David, [where she lived] until he had finished building his own palace, the house of Adonai and the wall around Yerushalayim. ¹ And Solomon allied himself by marriage with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had ended building his own house, and the house of Jehovah, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. ¹ Solomon made a peace treaty with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, by marrying his daughter. Solomon brought her to the City of David. This was when Solomon was still building his palace, the Temple of the Lord , and the wall around Jerusalem. ¹ Shlomo made affinity with Par`oh king of Mitzrayim, and took Par`oh'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 the LORD, and the wall of Yerushalayim round about. ¹ And Solomon became allied to Pharaoh king of Egypt by marriage, 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 the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. ¹ 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 Solomon became the son-in-law of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter as his wife, keeping her in the town of David, till the house he was building for himself, and the house of the Lord and the wall round Jerusalem, were complete. ¹ Solomon made affinitie with Pharao king of Egypt, & toke Pharaos daughter, and brought her into the citie of Dauid, vntil he had made an ende of buylding his owne house, and the house of the Lorde, and the wall of Hierusalem round about. ¹ Salomon then made affinitie with Pharaoh King of Egypt, and tooke Pharaohs daughter, and brought her into the citie of Dauid, vntill hee had made an ende of buylding his owne house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Ierusalem round about. ¹ AND Solomon became the son-in-law to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaohs daughter and brought her into the city of David, until he had finished building his own house and the house of the LORD and the wall of Jerusalem round about.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the people: It was not right to offer sacrifices in any place but where the tabernacle and ark were; and wherever they were, whether on a high place or a plain, sacrifices might be lawfully offered, previously to building of the temple. The tabernacle was now at Gibeon - 2 Chronicles 1:3, which was therefore called the great high place; whither we find Solomon, without censure, repaired to sacrifice. 1 Kings 22:43, Leviticus 17:3-6, Leviticus 26:30, Deuteronomy 12:2-5, 2 Chronicles 33:17

was no: 1 Kings 5:3, 1 Chronicles 17:4-6, 1 Chronicles 28:3-6, Acts 7:47-49

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 9:12 - the high place 1 Kings 14:23 - built 2 Kings 18:4 - removed 2 Chronicles 15:17 - the high places

Cross-References

Psalms 58:4
From the womb, the wicked are estranged, liars on the wrong path since birth.

Psalms 58:4
Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: [they are] like the deaf adder which stoppeth her ear;

Psalms 58:4
Their anger is as deadly as the poison of a snake. They shut their ears like a deaf cobra

Psalms 58:4
Their poison is like the poison of a snake; Like a deaf cobra that stops its ear,

Psalms 58:4
The wicked are estranged from the womb; the speakers of lies go astray as soon as they are born.

Psalms 58:4
Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: They are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear,

Psalms 58:4
Their poison is like the poison of a snake; they are like the adder, whose ears are shut;

Psalms 58:4
They haue poyson [within them] lyke to the poyson of a serpent: they be lyke the deafe adder that stoppeth her eares,

Psalms 58:4
Their poyson is euen like the poyson of a serpent: like ye deafe adder that stoppeth his eare.

Psalms 58:4
Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; they are like the deaf adder that stops its ear,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Only the people sacrificed in high places,.... On the tops of their houses, on hills and mountains, and particularly at the high place in Gibeon, where the tabernacle was:

because there was no house built unto the name of the Lord until those days; to which they were obliged to repair as afterwards, and there offer their sacrifices, as the Lord had commanded, Deuteronomy 12:5.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The word “only” introduces a contrast. The writer means to say that there was one exception to the flourishing condition of things which he has been describing, namely, that “the people sacrificed in high-places.” (Compare the next verse.) The Law did not forbid “high-places” directly, but only by implication. It required the utter destruction of all the high-places which had been polluted by idolatrous rites Deuteronomy 12:2; and the injunction to offer sacrifices nowhere except at the door of the tabernacle Leviticus 17:3-5 was an indirect prohibition of them, or, at least, of the use which the Israelites made of them; but there was some real reason to question whether this was a command intended to come into force until the “place” was chosen “where the Lord would cause His name to dwell.” (See Deuteronomy 12:11, Deuteronomy 12:14.) The result was that high-places were used for the worship of Yahweh, from the time of the Judges downward Judges 6:25; Jdg 13:16; 1 Samuel 7:10; 1 Samuel 13:9; 1Sa 14:35; 1 Samuel 16:5; 1 Chronicles 21:26, with an entire unconsciousness of guilt on the part of those who used them. And God so far overlooked this ignorance that He accepted the worship thus offered Him, as appears from the vision vouchsafed to Solomon on this occasion. There were two reasons for the prohibition of high-places; first, the danger of the old idolatry creeping back if the old localities were retained for worship; and, secondly, the danger to the unity of the nation if there should be more than one legitimate religious center. The existence of the worship at high places did, in fact, facilitate the division of the kingdom.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 3:2. The people sacrificed in high places — Could there be any sin in this, or was it unlawful till after the temple was built? for prophets, judges, the kings which preceded Solomon, and Solomon himself, sacrificed on high places, such as Gibeon, Gilgal, Shiloh, Hebron, Kirjath-jearim, c. But after the temple was erected, it was sinful to offer sacrifices in any other place yet here it is introduced as being morally wrong, and it is introduced, 1 Kings 3:3, as being an exceptionable trait in the character of Solomon. The explanation appears to be this: as the ark and tabernacle were still in being, it was not right to offer sacrifices but where they were; and wherever they were, whether on a high place or a plain, there sacrifices might be lawfully offered, previously to the building of the temple. And the tabernacle was now at Gibeon, 2 Chronicles 1:3. Possibly the high places may be like those among the Hindoos, large raised-up terraces, on which they place their gods when they bathe, anoint, and worship them. Juggernaut and Krishnu have large terraces or high places, on which they are annually exhibited. But there was no idol in the above case.