Solomon

King Solomon was the next King of Israel after David, and he is perhaps best known for his wisdom. When he was a young man, God appeared in a dream and told Solomon, “Ask something of me, and I will give it to you.” Rather than asking for riches or power, King Solomon asked for “an understanding heart.”  (1 Kings 3:5).

Probably the best-known example of the wisdom of Solomon is the “split the baby” story. Two women appeared before him, each claiming they were the mother of a baby.  Solomon decided that—since it was impossible to know which was lying—he would ask one of his soldiers to cut the child in half. Immediately, one of the women relinquished her claim and he knew that she was the true mother—she’d rather lose her child forever than see him killed. (1 Kings 3:16)

Solomon is also traditionally recognized as the author of the biblical books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs.

The Book of Proverbs offers sound advice—the kind of advice that echoes down through the ages:

Proverbs 15:1: “A mild answer calms wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Proverbs 15:17: “Better a dish of herbs where love is, than a fatted ox and hatred with it.” 

Proverbs 12:10: “The just man takes care of his beasts, but the heart of the wicked is merciless.”

Proverbs 10:4: “The slack hand impoverishes, but the hand of the diligent enriches.”

And you may be already familiar with Ecclesiastes 3:1: To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. . .

Solomon’s kingdom became the richest in the world (1 Kings 10:23) and the king continued his father David’s practice of marrying so as to form alliances—a “Bond of Blood” that worked to prevent wars. In all, he had over 700 wives. (1 Kings 11:3)

But his young and beautiful wives had an undue influence, and we are told “When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart to strange gods.” (1 Kings 11:4). As we have seen, the God of the Old Testament does not take kindly to the worship of idols, and so a drastic punishment was called for; the kingdom weakened and fell apart, with the next 400 years marking a very difficult period for the Israelites.

Fun fact: The Song of Songs is basically a collection of love poems, most of them definitely R-rated. The Book is unlike anything else in the Bible, and scholars have often scratched their heads, wondering at its inclusion in Holy Scripture. Most conclude that—while it definitely appears to be an accolade to the pleasures of the flesh—it is also an allegory about the constant love between God and his people.