Solomon
Solomon, also called Jedidiah, was the son of David and Bathsheba who succeeded his father as king of Israel and was renowned for his wisdom, wealth, and the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem.
Biography
Solomon, born to David and Bathsheba and given the name Jedidiah ("beloved of the LORD") by Nathan the prophet (2 Samuel 12:25), reigned over the united Israelite kingdom at its territorial and cultural zenith. His reign, spanning approximately 970–930 BC, was distinguished by unprecedented diplomatic activity, including marriage alliances with Egypt and Phoenicia. He organized Israel's administration into twelve districts, conscripted labor for massive building projects, and commissioned the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 6–8), fulfilling his father David's deferred ambition. His celebrated wisdom, demonstrated in the judgment of two mothers (1 Kings 3:16–28), drew envoys from across the ancient Near East, including the Queen of Sheba. He is traditionally credited with authoring Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon.
Significance
Solomon occupies a pivotal position in Israel's redemptive history as the builder of the Temple, the permanent dwelling place for God's name in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:20). His reign represents the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant's temporal blessings, yet his gradual apostasy, driven by his foreign wives (1 Kings 11:1–13)-serves as a sobering illustration of how even divinely gifted wisdom cannot substitute for wholehearted covenant fidelity. The fracturing of the kingdom after his death (1 Kings 12) stands as a theological lesson about idolatry's national consequences. In the New Testament, Jesus invokes Solomon as a foil for himself (Matthew 12:42), indicating that one greater than Solomon has come.
Verse Appearances (114)
2 Samuel
1 Chronicles
Psalms
Song of Solomon
Jeremiah
John
Acts
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]
- Israel Finkelstein (2001) The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts.Archaeological critique of the United Monarchy narrative, directly challenging the historical Solomon.
- Tremper Longman III (2001) Song of Songs. New International Commentary on the Old Testament.Critical commentary addressing Solomonic authorship traditions and the book's literary character.
- Roland E. Murphy (1992) Ecclesiastes. Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 23A.Examines Qoheleth's use of the Solomonic persona as a literary and rhetorical device.