His wives exerted a strong influence over him and gradually prevailed on him to unite with them in their worship. Solomon had disregarded the instruction that God had given to serve as a barrier against apostasy, and 57 now he gave himself up to the worship of the false gods. "It came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites." I Kings II:4,5.

Kongens hustruer øvede en vældig indflydelse over ham og fik ham lidt efter lidt til at dyrke afguder ligesom de. Salomo havde tilsidesat den undervisning, som Gud havde givet som et værn imod frafald, og nu begyndte han at tjene falske guder. "Da Salomo blev gammel, drog hans hustruer hans hjerte til fremmede guder, og hans hjerte var ikke mere helt med Herren hans Gud som hans fader Davids. Salomo holdt sig da til Astarte, zidoniernes gudinde, og til Milkom, ammonitternes væmmelige gud." 1Kong. 11,4-5.