John Gill Commentary 1 Kings 11:5

"For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites." — 1 Kings 11:5 (ASV)

And Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians ,
&c.] Enticed by the Zidonian women, or woman, he had, (1 Kings 11:1) . According to the Phoenician histories ^F9 , Solomon married a daughter of Hiram, king of Tyre and Zidon; so Clemens of Alexandria says ^F11 , that Hiram gave his daughter to Solomon; Ashtoreth is Astarte, the same with the Venus of the Greeks, so Suidas ^F12 ; and Lucian ^F13 expressly says, the Sidonians had a temple, said by them to belong to Astarte, which he takes to be the moon; and both Venus and Juno signify the same planet; (See Gill on Judges 2:13)

and after Milcom the abomination of the Amnonites ;
the same with Molech, (1 Kings 11:7) . (See Gill on Leviticus 18:21). (See Gill on Amos 1:13). After this he was drawn by his Ammonitish wife, or wives, (1 Kings 11:1) , though the Jewish writers think he did not worship these idols, but suffered his wives to do it, and connived at it, which was his sin; so Ben Gersom and Abarbinel.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F9: Apud Tatian. contr. Graecos, p. 171.
• F11: Stromat. l. 1. p. 325.
• F12: In voce (Astarth) .
• F13: De Dea Syria.