Now renders the common Hebrew conjunction. The word Now here signifies the introduction of a new topic and is not used in a temporal sense. In many languages it may be omitted altogether.

In 1 Kgs 3.3 the reader was told that Solomon “loved” the LORD. Now the same verb is used to say that Solomon loved many foreign women. The verses that follow indicate that loved should be understood to mean that he “married” women from the foreign countries listed (so Good News Translation, which introduces the verb “married” in the verse). Translators should, however, keep the statement that he loved these women, because the contrast with what is stated in 3.3 should not be lost. Solomon probably married many of these women for political reasons in order to form alliances with other nations, as was a common practice in the ancient Near East, but the writer does not say this and it should not be introduced into the text.

The daughter of Pharaoh: The reader first learned of Solomon’s marriage to the daughter of the king of Egypt in 1 Kgs 3.1. Then 1 Kgs 7.8 reports that he made her a house in the palace complex. The daughter of Pharaoh is literally “and the daughter of Pharaoh.” Since Pharaoh’s daughter has been mentioned earlier in 1 Kings, a number of translations indicate that the wives from other countries were loved “besides the daughter of Pharaoh” (so Good News Translation, New American Bible, Jewish Publication Version), “in addition to Pharaoh’s daughter” (Revised English Bible), or “along with the daughter of Pharaoh” (New Revised Standard Version). Compare also New Jerusalem Bible: “not only Pharaoh’s daughter but Moabites….” On the desirability of translating Pharaoh as “king of Egypt,” see the comments at 1 Kgs 3.1.

Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women: Solomon’s wives were from the surrounding nations that are frequently mentioned together in the Old Testament as enemies of the Israelites. Since Egypt is not usually included in this list, some interpreters have suggested that the words the daughter of Pharaoh are a later scribal addition to the text, under the influence of 1 Kgs 3.1 (so Gray). For this reason An American Translation (similarly Gray) renders verse 1 as follows:
Now King Solomon was a lover of women; and he married many foreign wives—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites.

It is, of course, possible that these words were added later, but there is no basis for this in the manuscripts themselves, and for this reason An American Translation cannot be recommended as a model.

The Moabite people lived on the plateau of Moab, which rose about 1,000 meters (3,200 feet) above sea level east of the Dead Sea. The Moabites and the Israelites were often in conflict; and at different times in its history, Israel ruled over the territory of Moab. These people were related to the people of Israel but were the descendants of the incestuous relationship between Lot and his elder daughter (Gen 19.37).

The Ammonite people were also the product of Lot’s incest (Gen 19.38). The Ammonite kingdom was located northeast of the Dead Sea. The Ammonites and the Israelites were often in conflict throughout the centuries (2 Sam 10.1–11.1; 12.26-31). Their capital city, Rabbah (modern Amman in Jordan), was strategically located about 37 kilometers (23 miles) northeast of the Dead Sea, where north-south and east-west trade routes crossed. The mother of Solomon’s son Rehoboam was an Ammonite (1 Kgs 14.21).

The Edomite people lived in a rugged mountainous area southeast of the Dead Sea. The Edomites were descendants of Esau (Gen 36). According to Deut 2.12, 22, they drove out the original inhabitants of Edom and settled there (see also 1 Chr 1.34-54). Throughout the time of the kings of Israel and Judah, Edom was in constant conflict with the Israelites, their brothers (see the comments on 9.26).

For Sidonian see the comments on 1 Kgs 5.6.

For Hittite see the comments on 1 Kgs 10.29.

It should be noted that the words Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite are all plural in Hebrew. It is possible to misunderstand Revised Standard Version to mean that Solomon loved only one woman from each of these ethnic groups, but the Hebrew clearly is plural for each ethnic group.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .