The Wisdom of King Solomon

King Solomon is widely known for his great wisdom and association with the queen of Sheba. Most people have heard the story of two mothers fighting over one child (1 Kings 3:16-28), and the construction of the first temple would probably sound familiar. King Solomon is often an idealized biblical figure: a man of unequaled wisdom, wealth, and prosperity. Where Solomon’s wisdom stems from, and how that relates to his dealings with foreigners such as the queen of Sheba and the building of the temple is somewhat less clear, and the end of his story less well known. 

King Solomon was not born wise. Rather, his wisdom is given to him by God. God speaks to him and says, “ask what I should give you” (1 Kings 3:5), to which Solomon responds that he desires wisdom, so that he may “govern this your great people” (1 Kings 3:9). He does not ask for riches, military might, or even wisdom for himself. King Solomon’s wisdom is a wisdom for his people, the people of Israel. Due to the divine nature of his wisdom, Solomon is accorded the distinction of being the wisest man that ever lived or that will live (1 Kings 3:12). He uses his wisdom to “discern what is right” (1 Kings 3:12) as a great judge of Israel. King Solomon becomes well known for his great intelligence and wisdom, for “ the wisdom of God was in him, to execute justice” (1 Kings 3:28). It is important to remember that he used his wisdom for justice, and not personal gain. The Lord recognized this, and therefore granted Solomon “riches and honor all [his] life,” promising, “no other king shall compare with you” (1 Kings 3:13), though Solomon did not wish for these things. 

Solomon’s immense wisdom enabled him to quickly gain power throughout Israel and the surrounding areas. We are reminded that because Solomon’s wisdom was “as vast as the sand on the seashore...his fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations” (1 Kings 4:29-31). King Solomon becomes a beacon of knowledge because of his divine gift. People come from all over the middle east to hear the wisdom of King Solomon, to ask advice of him (1 Kings 4:34). 

One such traveler is the queen of Sheba, who comes to test King Solomon with riddles (1 Kings 10:1). We see his power revealed in the great gifts of “spices, and very much gold, and precious stones” (1 Kings 10:2; cf. 10:10). This great camel caravan of gifts brings with it the image of a vassal paying tribute to their Lord: in many ways it appears that the queen of Sheba, once she has determined the validity of Solomon’s wisdom and the wealth of his court, has submitted to it and his power (1 Kings 10:4-5). Perhaps because of his great wealth and power, King Solomon is highly tolerant of foreigners, even explicitly asking God to “do according to all that [a foreigner] calls to you, so that all the peoples of the earth my know your name and fear you” (1 Kings 8:41-43). In contrast to many of his predecessors who slaughtered entire cities, King Solomon allows “all the people...who were not of Israel...who were still left in the land, whom the Israelites were unable to destroy completely” to live in Israel as slaves (1 Kings 9:20-21). 

But this foreign influence is corrupting. While foreigners in the general population are disrupting Israelite society, Solomon is blatantly ignoring God’s restrictions on marrying foreigners, “for they will surely incline your heart to follow their gods,” (1 Kings 11:1-2) and instead loves many foreign women. Indeed it comes to pass that King Solomon leaves the fold of the Lord, and “followed Atarte the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites” (1 Kings 11:5). Because of his interactions with foreigners, and especially foreign women, Solomon’s kingdom is destroyed during the life of his son (1 Kings 11:12). The Bible shows quite clearly the cost paid by allowing too much mingling with foreigners: they will corrupt even the best of men, and tempt them away from God. These passages are a clear warning to the Israelites and anyone reading the book not to fully trust a foreigner, and not allow them into your lands. 

Prior to the corruption of Solomon, and the breaking of his agreement with God, Solomon is favored by the Lord, and is destined to build the first temple in Israel (1 Kings 5:5). For ancient readers, the descriptions of the temple would have greatly impressed them with “the splendor of Solomon’s reign” (editor’s comment 1 Kings 6:1-22), while today they seem excessively long and overly detailed. At the time of their writing, however, they would have instilled a sense of awe and wonder in the reader, or more likely, the listener. The description of the temple paints a very detailed mental image of the temple: anyone who knew of this section would have known the important aspects of the architecture of the temple. The temple is to be the house of the Lord, for him to dwell within as he looks over Israel. But it is also a great unifying event for Israel. “All the people of Israel assembled to King Solomon...all the elders of Israel came...” (1 Kings 8:2-4) to sacrifice to the Lord, and reaffirm their commitment to the commandments of God. Such is the people’s commitment to this cause that they stay for seven days, and “on the eighth day [Solomon] sent the people away...and [they] went to their tents, joyful and in good spirits because of all the goodness that the Lord had shown...his people” (1 Kings 8:66). This event is very important to all the Israelites. 

The three themes of wisdom, foreigners, and the building of the first temple are linked in First Kings through their effects on Solomon and Israel as a whole. Solomon’s wisdom is tied to the temple, for it was preordained that he would be the one to build it (1 Kings 5:5), and as a result of being the one chosen, is granted great wisdom. Furthermore, it is wise of Solomon to build the temple, for it brings all of Israel together for a momentous event in their history. For the first time, the nation has a true center: a great temple to the Lord their God. The one condition God has is that “you will walk before me, as David...walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to what I have commanded...and keeping my statutes and my ordinances” (1 Kings 9:3-5). Failure to do so will bring about utter ruin for Israel. Through foreigners, and in Solomon’s case specifically foreign women, this ruin comes to pass. Foreigners are the wedge driven between Solomon and God: they tempt and seduce him away from the righteous path. Because they are not bound by God’s covenant, they are outside the social system of the Israelites, but because they are allowed to remain within it as slaves and aliens (and in some cases wives), they serve to fracture Israel from within. 

Despite King Solomon’s great wisdom and power, and the monumental achievement he makes in constructing the first temple in Israel, he is still a man. And as a man, he is tempted by foreign women and their foreign gods (1 Kings 11:5). After the well known accounts of wisdom and incredible wealth comes the less often heard fall of Solomon, and the ensuing exile of Israel. Foreigners and their influence on even the wisest of Israelites brought about the destruction of a kingdom, and are the reason for the resettlement of Israelites to Babylon.