וַיַּ֧עַשׂ שְׁלֹמֹ֛ה הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְלֹ֥א מִלֵּ֛א אַחֲרֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה כְּדָוִ֥ד אָבִֽיו׃ (ס)
און שלמה האָט געטאָן װאָס איז שלעכט אין די אױגן פֿון גאָט, און ער איז ניט געגאַנגען אין גאַנצן נאָך גאָט, אַזױ װי זײַן פֿאָטער דוד.
From David to Destruction
To be sure, no less than a deeply devoted Pashtan such as Ralbag (Melachim I 11:4) demonstrates that Chazal’s understanding of Shlomo HaMelech’s sin is firmly rooted in the Peshat of the text. For example, twice (Melachim I 11:4 and 11:6) the Navi records that Shlomo was not fully devoted to Hashem as was his father David HaMelech. If Shlomo HaMelech actually worshipped all these deities, describing him as not fully devoted to Hashem is woefully inaccurate. If Shlomo HaMelech truly did worship Avodah Zarah, then the Navi would use the same derogatory terms he uses in his description of the evil king Menashe in Melachim I 21.