Donna Williams Supporter

Solomon's wife was Pharaoh's daughter, and the Egyptians were considered a heathenistic nation because of their idolatry. 

Solomon said that he could not move her into the palace of King David because of the ark of the covenant, which represented the presence of Yahweh.

It was a holy place, and I believe her presence there would have been a type of desecration.

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Andrew Osakue Supporter Ex: Chief T. Officer, Fish Farmer, Bible Teacher, Men Leader

The answer is found in 2 CHRO 8:11:

"Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, 'My wife shall not live in the house of David, king of Israel, for the places to which the ark of the LORD has come are holy.'” 

From this verse, it's clear that Solomon knew that heathen women should not dwell where the Ark of God had its abode. Despite this, he married Pharaoh's daughter in disobedience to God, who warned the Israelites not to marry foreign women because they would turn their hearts away from worshipping Him. 

Furthermore, God also warned kings against multiplying wives to themselves - DT 17:17.

All these did Solomon not obey. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines to his own detriment. 1 Kings 11:3. 

This was a king who loved God dearly from the beginning, but allowed the love of so many women to turn his heart from God by building high places of worship for foreign gods. What a tragic end.

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Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

Why couldn't the King's wife live in David's palace? 

2 Chronicles 8:11 ESV: "And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her; for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David, king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of Jehovah hath come."

Solomon could not allow his Egyptian wife (the daughter of Pharaoh) to live in David's palace because it was considered holy ground. Since the Ark of the Lord had previously resided there, Solomon recognised that it was a consecrated space and felt it was improper for a foreign wife to dwell in it. To protect the sanctity of the area while accommodating his wife, he relocated her and built a separate palace. 

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

11. Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her—On his marriage with the Egyptian princess at the beginning of his reign, he assigned her a temporary abode in the city of David, that is, Jerusalem, until a suitable palace for his wife had been erected. While that palace was in progress, he himself lodged in the palace of David. Still, he did not allow her to occupy it, because he felt that she, being a heathen proselyte and having brought from her own country an establishment of heathen maid-servants, there would have been an impropriety in her being domiciled in a mansion which was or had been hallowed by the reception of the ark. It seems she was received on her arrival into his mother's abode (So 3:4; 8:2).

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The remark that Solomon caused Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had married (1 Kings 3:1), to remove from the city of David into the house which he had built her, i.e., into that part of his newly-built palace which was appointed for the queen, is introduced here, as in 1 Kings 9:24, because it belongs to the history of Solomon's buildings. However, in the Chronicle it comes in very abruptly, the author not having mentioned Solomon's marriage to the daughter of Pharaoh (1 Kings 3:1). The reason given for this change of residence on the part of the Egyptian princess is, that Solomon could not allow her, an Egyptian, to dwell in the palace of King David, which the reception of the ark had sanctified, and consequently assigned to her a dwelling in the city of David until he should have finished the building of his palace, in which she might dwell along with him. המּה is, as neuter, used instead of the singular; cf. Ew. 318, b. 

See also 1 Kings 3:1 and 1 Kings 9:24.

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Jack Gutknecht Supporter Arizona Bible College graduate and Dallas Seminary graduate

Does Solomon's treatment of his wife in 2 Chronicles 8:11 seem right to you? What dangers are lurking behind this situation (1 Kings 11:1-13)? MacArthur notes that she was a heathen and that he had brought her to Jerusalem until he could build a house for her. Solomon lived in David's palace but didn't let this wife stay with him because the ark of God used to be there. The movie, "Solomon" with Ben Cross, notwithstanding, Solomon really must have known his marriage to a pagan displeased God (Dt 7:3-4). As you know, that eventually pagan wives were Solomon's downfall (1 Kings 11:1-11, again).

God is holy (Leviticus 11:44) and wants us holy. He tells us, "Be holy as I am holy." Solomon at least knew that. Besides, he is considered to be the wisest man who ever lived, outside of Jesus Christ.

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