Solomon | King Solomon | Jedidiah | son of David | Davidic kingdom | wisdom | Temple construction | proverbs | ecclesiastes | Israel's glory | polygamy | apostasy | decline of kingdom | 1 Kings | 2 Chronicles
THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
1. QUESTION
Who was Solomon according to the biblical texts?
2. PRIMARY TEXTUAL EVIDENCE
Lineage and Identity:
"The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel" (Proverbs 1:1, KJV)
"Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender" (1 Chronicles 29:1, KJV)
Divine Selection:
"And of all my sons, (for the LORD hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel." (1 Chronicles 28:5, KJV)
Accession to Kingship:
"So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel." (1 Chronicles 23:1, KJV)
"Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly." (1 Kings 2:12, KJV)
"Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him." (1 Chronicles 29:23, KJV)
Reign and Divine Favor:
"And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly." (2 Chronicles 1:1, KJV)
"yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel" (Nehemiah 13:26, KJV)
Duration of Reign:
"And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years." (2 Chronicles 9:30, KJV; cf. 1 Kings 11:42)
3. LINGUISTIC/HISTORICAL DATA
The texts consistently designate Solomon's throne as "the throne of the LORD" (1 Chronicles 29:23) and "the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel" (1 Chronicles 28:5), indicating a theological understanding of his kingship as divinely instituted representative rule.
4. SCHOLARLY POSITIONS
The retrieved texts present a unified portrait without interpretive dispute regarding Solomon's basic identity.
5. SOURCES
- Proverbs 1:1 (KJV)
- 1 Chronicles 23:1; 28:5; 29:1, 22, 23 (KJV)
- 1 Kings 2:12; 4:1; 11:42 (KJV)
- 2 Chronicles 1:1, 13; 5:2; 9:30 (KJV)
- Nehemiah 13:26 (KJV)
6. CONSENSUS INDICATOR
CLEAR — The textual evidence uniformly identifies Solomon as: (1) son of King David, (2) divinely chosen successor, (3) king over all Israel, (4) one who reigned forty years, and (5) uniquely favored by God among kings.
Proverbs 1:1 (KJV) — score 0.619
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
1 Chronicles 23:1 (KJV) — score 0.604
So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.
1 Chronicles 28:5 (KJV) — score 0.582
And of all my sons, (for the LORD hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.
1 Kings 2:12 (KJV) — score 0.576
¶ Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.
1 Chronicles 29:22 (KJV) — score 0.574
And did eat and drink before the LORD on that day with great gladness. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him unto the LORD to be the chief governor, and Zadok to be priest.
1 Chronicles 29:23 (KJV) — score 0.571
Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.
2 Chronicles 1:13 (KJV) — score 0.570
¶ Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over Israel.
2 Chronicles 1:1 (KJV) — score 0.568
And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.
Nehemiah 13:26 (KJV) — score 0.568
Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.
2 Chronicles 9:30 (KJV) — score 0.567
And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
1 Chronicles 29:1 (KJV) — score 0.564
Furthermore David the king said unto all the congregation, Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great: for the palace is not for man, but for the LORD God.
1 Kings 4:1 (KJV) — score 0.562
So king Solomon was king over all Israel.
1 Kings 11:42 (KJV) — score 0.560
And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.
2 Chronicles 5:2 (KJV) — score 0.557
¶ Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.
2 Samuel 2:10 (KJV) — score 0.557
Ish-bosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.