Nehemiah 13:26Didn't Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless foreign women caused even him to sin.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~430 BC. Nehemiah uses Israel's greatest king as his example - if Solomon fell through foreign marriages, how much more vulnerable are ordinary people? Modern-day Jerusalem, Israel.
The emotion here: desperate to reach them before they repeat history
The original word
ahav (אָהַב) — beloved, but specifically God's covenant love for Solomon despite his failure
Why it matters
Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, mostly political marriages that led to idol worship
Read with care
What most readers miss in Nehemiah 13:26
Nehemiah isn't condemning Solomon but warning: 'If it happened to him, it can happen to anyone'
Common misconceptionPeople think Nehemiah is being harsh, but he's actually showing mercy - using Solomon's story as a warning instead of waiting for them to experience the consequences.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Nehemiah 13:26
Bible Genome reading
Nehemiah 13:26 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Nehemiah 13:26 comes from the book of Nehemiah, written during the Post-Exile period. These words are attributed to Nehemiah. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the teaching genre of biblical literature. Key themes include historical precedent, consequences of sin, even the great can fall. Notable phrases: Solomon king of Israel sin; no king like him; beloved of his God.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Nehemiah 13:26 mean to you, today?
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