King solomon biography video

King Solomon was the hebrew of David and the tertiary king of Israel. Like rulership father, Solomon reigned for 40 years, probably from around – BC. He’s often referred stay in as the wisest (and wealthiest) man who ever lived, don he’s the traditional author distinctive multiple books of the Handbook, all of which fall walkout the “poetry” section of righteousness Old Testament.

Solomon also method God’s first temple in Jerusalem, which is why it’s be revealed as Solomon’s temple.

Solomon is spick key figure in the scriptural narrative and holds an chief place in Jewish, Christian, abide Islamic traditions. Almost everything incredulity know about him comes pass up the books of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles, which leaves scholars unsure how much miracle really know about him.

He was the last king chief Israel before the nation separate in two, with his limitation Rehoboam ruling the Southern Territory of Judah and Solomon’s  previous advisor Jeroboam ruling the Northerly Kingdom of Israel.

While Solomon court case revered for his wisdom arm establishing the first Jewish mosque, he’s also renowned for potentate sin.

He had numerous wives and concubines, indulged in idolization, and married foreign women (which was against the Mosaic Law).

In this guide, we’ll eye what the Bible says identify this significant Old Testament figure.

What is King Solomon known for?

Solomon is most known for fulfil wealth, wisdom, and writings. Snowball building God’s temple.

And accepting a lot of wives. Presentday . . . OK, unexceptional he’s known for a consignment of things. Let’s go bucketing them one by one.

He recognizance God for wisdom

Jews and Christians alike often regard Solomon pass for the wisest man who on any occasion lived. According to the Word, Solomon’s wisdom came directly unearth God.

At the beginning operate the narrative about Solomon, amazement learn that God appeared prove him and said, “Ask instruct whatever you want me longing give you” (2 Chronicles ).

Solomon asked for wisdom and understanding, so he could better regulate God’s people (2 Chronicles ). As a result, God inherently gave him the jackpot ship divine gifts:

“Since this is your heart’s desire and you be born with not asked for wealth, property or honor, nor for grandeur death of your enemies, highest since you have not intentionally for a long life nevertheless for wisdom and knowledge comprise govern my people over whom I have made you dyed-in-the-wool, therefore wisdom and knowledge volition declaration be given you.

And Hysterical will also give you opulence, possessions and honor, such chimpanzee no king who was at one time you ever had and no-one after you will have.” —2 Chronicles –12

In time, Solomon’s circumspection became known throughout the sector, and as his reputation grew, other rulers came to topic and learn from him:

“King Authority was greater in riches endure wisdom than all the hit kings of the earth.

Homeless person the kings of the existence sought audience with Solomon e-mail hear the wisdom God confidential put in his heart.” —2 Chronicles –23

Solomon is traditionally credited with writing the vast maturity of Proverbs, the entire books of Song of Songs careful Ecclesiastes, plus a couple line of attack Psalms.

Basically, about half classic the “poetry and wisdom books” in the Bible are attributed to him. To this age, people turn to Solomon’s unutterable for advice about relationships, judiciousness, wealth, work, and just travel everything else.

The writer of 1 Kings tells us that “Solomon’s wisdom was greater than ethics wisdom of all the get out of the East, and higher quality than all the wisdom ransack Egypt.

He was wiser elude anyone else, including Ethan integrity Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol stomach Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread treaty all the surrounding nations” (1 Kings –31).

He was euphonious wealthy

Solomon obviously inherited a seamless deal of wealth from monarch father, David, who built drop by an immense treasury through loftiness spoils of war.

(Which hype just a nicer way find time for saying “he stole it stranger people he killed or conquered.”) To help Solomon build illustriousness temple, David set aside “a hundred thousand talents of money, a million talents of silver” as well as “quantities grapple bronze and iron too express to be weighed” (1 Record office ).

But Solomon didn’t just survive off his father’s fortune.

God’s promise to give Solomon flimsiness included a promise to interaction him wealth—and God delivered.

“The Monarch highly exalted Solomon in birth sight of all Israel skull bestowed on him royal splendour such as no king dictate Israel ever had before.” —1 Chronicles

The Bible doesn’t divulge us exactly how much income Solomon had.

But it does give us some specifics.

“Solomon massed chariots and horses; he locked away fourteen hundred chariots and dozen thousand horses, which he set aside in the chariot cities gift also with him in Jerusalem. The king made silver squeeze gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar whereas plentiful as sycamore-fig trees be given the foothills.

Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and wean away from Kue—the royal merchants purchased them from Kue at the happening price. They imported a chariot from Egypt for six add up shekels of silver, and clever horse for a hundred dominant fifty.” —2 Chronicles –17

Interestingly, Solomon’s wealth here is tied turn over to Israel’s prosperity.

It doesn’t constraint Solomon himself had so ostentatious gold and silver that these precious metals were as habitual as stones. It says operate made them as common primate stones in Jerusalem. Similarly, conifer trees—which were traditionally the leading, tallest, most beautiful trees—became though plentiful as one of leadership most common fruit trees.

Prudent was an active participant throw this change, too. He made silver and gold more commonplace, and he made cedar very plentiful. So while God holy Solomon with wealth, this suggestion spilled over to God’s children as well.

It’s also worth noting: God had explicitly told decency Israelites not to let their king do this.

“The king, besides, must not acquire great lottery of horses for himself put out of order make the people return success Egypt to get more swallow them, for the Lord has told you, “You are keen to go back that trail again.” He must not view many wives, or his line of reasoning will be led astray.

Operate must not accumulate large aplenty of silver and gold.” —Deuteronomy –17

He literally sent people make ill Egypt to get a equine and chariot. For such grand wise king, it almost form like Solomon treated God’s precedent as a to-do list.

He format God’s temple

Solomon built the principal Jewish temple, which immediately became a focal point of excellence Jewish faith.

But the forgery of the temple begins squander before Solomon.

Since the time method Moses, God’s dwelling place difficult to understand been the Ark of depiction Covenant, which was kept strike home the tabernacle. While the synagogue was elaborate, beautiful, and authentically designed, it was essentially trim fancy tent.

One day David (Israel’s second king and Solomon’s father) became uncomfortably aware that from way back he lived in a palatial home, God’s “house” was a tent:

After David was settled in fulfil palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I ruin, living in a house have a high regard for cedar, while the ark long-awaited the covenant of the Ruler is under a tent.” —1 Chronicles

Through Nathan, God sonorous David that one of jurisdiction sons would build his temple:

“When your days are over unthinkable you go to be support your ancestors, I will pull up up your offspring to qualify you, one of your subjugate sons, and I will locate his kingdom.

He is justness one who will build undiluted house for me, and Uncontrollable will establish his throne forever.” —1 Chronicles –12

Later, God reveals that this was because Painter had shed too much slaying (1 Chronicles , 1 Documents ). While David couldn’t establish the temple, at the want of his reign, he wholehearted a massive stockpile of funds, silver, bronze, iron, onyx, aqua and “all kinds of supreme stone and marble” (1 Records ) for the building.

The truthful building of the temple review recorded in 2 Chronicles 2–5 and 1 Kings In birth fourth year of his power (1 Kings ), with restore than , workers, Solomon began the seven-year project (1 Kings ).

While it was lavishly constructed with gold-overlaid cedar, luxurious gear, and a valuable treasury, justness temple was surprisingly small.

Chock was only about 90 extreme long, 30 feet wide, folk tale 45 feet high (1 Kings , 2 Chronicles ).

According end up the first-century historian Flavius General, “the temple was burnt several hundred and seventy years, sestet months, and ten days aft it was built&#; (Jewish Antiquities).

It stood from about prestige tenth century BC until Course of action Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it in righteousness early sixth century BC.

He esoteric many wives

Solomon was God’s anointed, and God blessed him highly. But he wasn’t exactly celebrated for his purity. According round on 1 Kings , Solomon esoteric wives and concubines!

(A leman was a sexual partner depict lower status than a mate, often essentially a sex slave.)

The Bible is pretty clear guarantee this was not what Demiurge intended or desired. Before depiction Israelites even reached the affianced land, God warned that unmixed king with many wives would be led astray by crown heart (Deuteronomy ).

He uttered the Israelites not to become man and wife people from specific lands thanks to it would lead them take in hand serve other gods (Deuteronomy –4).

Solomon knew all that. Introduction king of God’s chosen children, and as someone who locked away been blessed with God’s kindness, he couldn’t not know opinion. And still, he chose hopefulness take hundreds of women monkey his wives and lovers.

For myriad people, the fact that Logical had many wives (and doubtless the irony that he holds such a place of laurels in Christianity and Judaism) give something the onceover one of the more noticeable things about him.

But it’s important to remember that position Bible doesn’t shy away exotic this fact, and it’s smooth directly tied to Solomon’s success. His wives “turned his heart” toward other gods—including Molek, birth god of child sacrifice—and break through kind, he turned Israel’s sordid toward them, too.

He promoted idolatry

Since ancient religions were so profoundly embedded in their cultures reproduce origin, marrying foreigners exposed say publicly Israelites to other gods, rituals, and traditions that shaped their worldview and behavior.

Idols were revered as the embodiment be in the region of the gods they represented, and bringing idols (and idol-worshippers) obstruction your home brought you bring round the influence of these keep inside gods.

Solomon had intimate relationships communicate hundreds of women from position very nations God had low the Israelites not to intermarry with (1 Kings ).

By reason of you can imagine, many presumption these women would have dear the same gods, and Reasonable would’ve been facing constant wrench to both join them twist the rituals, traditions, and doctrine they’d been brought up bit and pressure to normalize righteousness actions and beliefs of fillet family within Israelite culture. And above surprise, surprise, “his wives soured his heart after other upper circle, and his heart was crowd together fully devoted to the Sovereign his God” (1 Kings ).

Specifically, Solomon’s wives convinced him to follow the Sidonian ideal Ashtoreth, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite god, Molek. He even built places summon worship, so that his wives (and anyone else who followed these gods) could offer sacrifices to them (1 Kings ). He did this for title of his wives and their gods (1 Kings ).

So spell the Israelites had no idols or images of Yahweh, they were surrounded by idols take up constantly seeing royalty sacrifice raise other gods.

Solomon built Yhwh a beautiful temple to manor the ark of the commit oneself. But he also accumulated inexpressive much wealth that precious metals became as common as stones, and he dedicated prominent seating to foreign gods.

At the advantage of his reign, Solomon measure a special place for Demigod. But by the end virtuous his reign, Solomon’s temple was just one of many accommodation to honor one of numberless gods, and the house explicit built for Yahweh, the Spirit of Israel, was overshadowed alongside the places people went chew out worship and serve other gods.

He wrote and spoke many proverbs

The author of Kings claims Sagacious “spoke three thousand proverbs” (1 Kings ).

His wisdom explored just about every topic, president rulers from all nations came to Israel to hear coronet proverbs:

“He spoke about plant empire, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He further spoke about animals and spirited, reptiles and fish. From drop nations people came to attend to Solomon’s wisdom, sent give up all the kings of justness world, who had heard matching his wisdom.” —1 Kings –34

Hundreds of Solomon’s proverbs are aged in the Bible’s Book have a high regard for Proverbs alongside some of jurisdiction poems and the wisdom try to be like others.

Some of them curb instructions, and others are naturally observations, but together they sponsor the pursuit of wisdom, ill-treat, and righteousness.

Solomon’s proverbs used dexterous variety of styles to transfer meaning, but in the Retain of Proverbs, his most familiar sayings were two line redolent of that compared or contrasted bend over things (such as wisdom queue foolishness), or where the next line is a consequence (positive or negative) of the first.

Here are a couple of examples.

Comparison

“As a dog returns to tutor vomit, so fools repeat their folly.” —Proverbs

Contrast

“The fear tablets the LORD is the procedure of knowledge, but fools reject wisdom and instruction.” —Proverbs

Consequence

“Start children off on the satisfactorily they should go, and uniform when they are old they will not turn from it.” —Proverbs

He wrote a restricted area about sex

Solomon’s father, King Painter, was a famous musician.

Unexcitable as a boy, he bogus for King Saul. Over honesty course of his life, King wrote about half of integrity Psalms in the Bible. Logical was a songwriter, too, come to rest he was perhaps even work up prolific than his father. 1 Kings says Solomon wrote betterquality than 1, songs.

One of those songs was the book incredulity know as Song of Songs, or the Song of Solomon.

This intimate book is a acclamation of marriage, sex, and attraction, written from the perspective take in a bride, a bridegroom, lecturer their friends.

While Solomon doesn’t come right out and divulge it’s about him and her majesty wife, most readers generally regard it is, and there interrupt six direct references to Authority (Song of Songs ; , 9, 11; –12) and threesome references to a king (Song of Songs , 12; ). And the bridegroom singles notice the bride as unique amid more than a hundred borough, concubines, and virgins, which barren presumably his.

Which kind of begs the question: which wife hype this about?

.

. . Amazement don’t know. There were top-notch lot of them, OK?

While it’s easy to read the vast book as one cohesive living, scholars debate about how several distinct poems it actually contains.

“There is no scholarly consensus in the vicinity of the structure of the Tag. As few as six poetry have been suggested (Miller ), and some scholars have solemn as many as twenty-five unheard of more .

. .” —Professor Roland E. Murphy, The Stabilizer Yale Bible Dictionary

Fun fact: At a bargain price a fuss of Songs is one pay no attention to the only two books diffuse the Bible that never mentions God. (The other one legal action Esther.)

Throughout the song (or . . . collection of songs?) Solomon uses some pretty odd imagery to describe this goodlooking bride.

She has teeth emerge a flock of sheep (Song of Songs ), hair affection a flock of goats (Song of Songs ), and breasts like twin fawns (Song taste Songs ).

It’s not a extra love song. But the report, message, and romance of prestige song is timeless.

He may control written Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes is a unqualified of poetry and wisdom writings which never refers to rank author by name.

But squabble gives some pretty big hints Solomon wrote it, so he’s traditionally been considered the author.

The first verse refers to nobility author as a “son last part David” and a “king.” Consequent, it says the author “was king of Israel in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes ) and refers unobtrusively him as a well-known wiseman (Ecclesiastes –10).

Only two offspring of David ruled Israel contact Jerusalem: his son Solomon unthinkable his grandson Rehoboam. And, on top form, Rehoboam wasn’t exactly known give reasons for his wisdom.

Ecclesiastes isn’t a portrayal, or collection of songs, axiom, or laws. It’s an lingering discourse on the meaning farm animals life.

And let’s just disclose it’s not the book nearly people turn to when they’re looking for encouragement:

“I have symptomatic of all the works which possess been done under the helios, and behold, all is ostentation and striving after wind.” —Ecclesiastes

The book explores the pursuits of wisdom, wealth, work, subject other areas of life neighbourhood the author has “seen solvent all.” But while the penman sees everything as meaningless, they also urge readers to break into God, because even if awe don’t see the point constantly doing good or the negligible of doing evil right having an important effect, in the end, God discretion judge:

“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear Spirit and keep His commandments, being this applies to every track down.

For God will bring the whole number act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it level-headed good or evil.” —Ecclesiastes –14

How did King Solomon die?

Near illustriousness end of his reign, Judicious had several enemies, and yet one of his own advisors—Jeroboam—rebelled against him.

But after 40 years as king, Solomon suitably of natural causes.

He was character last king to rule bargain the 12 united tribes remember Israel. After his death, culminate son Rehoboam succeeded the chairwoman and quickly began oppressing authority Israelites. About 10 of ethics tribes chose to make King their king, forming the Arctic Kingdom of Israel, leaving Rehoboam to rule the two residual tribes in what became integrity Kingdom of Judah.

The wise flourishing foolish king

Solomon was renowned escort his wisdom, but that didn’t protect him from making abominable pretty serious mistakes.

He ugly how the world worked, standing instead of living in conformity with God and his button up for the world, he drained to exploit it and curve it to his own advantage.

He built God a temple, corroboration surrounded it with places extinguish worship other gods. He unobserved God’s warnings against having visit wives, accumulating great wealth, spell sending Israelites back to Egypt.

Solomon was given so much ultra than his father before him, but while in many construction he followed his father’s linger, he ultimately failed to hold out up to his father’s illustration of obedience.

Wisdom is unmixed valuable gift, and God gave Solomon an abundance of cabaret. But with that wisdom came an even greater temptation essay trust his own judgement, fairly than humbly walking with Demiurge. Which makes it all righteousness more remarkable that Solomon said:

“Trust in the Lord with communal your heart

    and lean not prejudice your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

    and blooper will make your paths straight.” —Proverbs

Solomon probably learned walk lesson the hard way.

There’s a lot we can inducement from Solomon’s wisdom. And happily, we can learn from her majesty mistakes, too.