Sowing the Seeds of Disobedience

Early in his reign, Solomon sowed the seeds of disobedience by marrying a foreign wife, something forbidden to the kings of Israel: “Now Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh’s daughter; then he brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the LORD” (1 Ki:3:1And 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 the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
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This would only be the beginning. Solomon married Hittite women and women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon (Phoenicia). Scripture records that Solomon clung to them in love. He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines. In time, they turned Solomon’s heart away from God (11:1–4).

Many of these marriages were politically motivated to establish diplomatic agreements with city-states, tribal chieftains, and kingdoms throughout the Middle East. Solomon no doubt considered these marriages beneficial to his economy and Israel’s security. But in reality, they were the opposite. They drew him into idolatry, provoking God’s anger and therefore undermining Israel’s security.

Solomon forsook the Lord and built altars to Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians; Milcom, the god of the Ammonites; and Chemosh, the deity of the Moabites (vv. 5–8).

Ashtoreth, the goddess of love or fertility, was connected to centers of prostitution. Milcom (also spelled Molech or Malcam, v. 5) and Chemosh (believed to mean “destroyer,” v. 7) were the gods of King Mesha of Moab. King Mesha offered his eldest son as a human sacrifice to appease Chemosh’s anger (2 Ki:3:27Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.
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Solomon’s women brought down his kingdom. Because he allowed them to bring their family gods, idols, priests, and practices into Israel, he polluted the land and led the nation into a spiritual decline that incurred God’s judgment.

—David M. Levy (Bible teacher, author, former pastor, and retired director of International Ministries for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry).

https://israelmyglory.org/article/when-everything-went-wrong/