Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba, ruled Israel for forty years in its golden age. He is remembered for his great wisdom, his wealth, and above all for building the first temple in Jerusalem. Yet his story ends sadly, as his heart turned away from God. His life is told in 1 Kings 1–11 and 2 Chronicles 1–9.
Becoming king (1 Kings 1–2)
In David's old age, his son Adonijah tried to seize the throne. But David, prompted by Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan, had Solomon anointed king. David charged him: "keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways" (1 Kings 2:3).
The prayer for wisdom (1 Kings 3)
At Gibeon, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, "Ask what I shall give thee" (3:5). Solomon, feeling young and inexperienced, asked not for riches or long life but for wisdom:
"Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad." (1 Kings 3:9, KJV)
God was pleased and gave him wisdom — and also riches and honour he had not asked for.
The two mothers
Solomon's wisdom was soon tested. Two women came, each claiming that a baby was hers. Solomon called for a sword and ordered the child to be divided in two. The real mother cried out to give the baby to the other woman rather than see him killed, and Solomon knew she was the true mother (3:16–28). "And all Israel… feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him."
Wisdom and wealth (1 Kings 4 and 10)
Solomon's wisdom became famous. He spoke three thousand proverbs and wrote over a thousand songs (4:32), and studied plants and animals. Many of the Proverbs are associated with him, as are Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.
The Queen of Sheba travelled from far away to test him with hard questions. Seeing his wisdom and the splendour of his court, she said, "the half was not told me" (10:7). Jesus later referred to her visit, saying "a greater than Solomon is here" (Matthew 12:42).
Building the temple (1 Kings 5–8)
David had gathered materials for a temple, but it was Solomon who built it. With cedar wood from Hiram, king of Tyre, and thousands of workers, construction took seven years (6:38). The temple followed the pattern of the tabernacle, with a courtyard, the holy place and the most holy place, where the ark of the covenant was placed. It was richly decorated with gold and carvings.
The dedication
When the ark was brought in, "the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD" (8:11), just as it had filled the tabernacle. Solomon prayed a long and beautiful prayer of dedication (1 Kings 8:22–53). He acknowledged that God could not be contained in a building:
"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?" (1 Kings 8:27, KJV)
He asked God to hear the prayers of his people — and even of foreigners — when they prayed toward the temple, and to forgive them when they repented.
God's warning (1 Kings 9)
God appeared to Solomon again, promising to bless him if he remained faithful, but warning that if Israel turned to other gods, the temple itself would become a ruin (9:6–9).
Solomon's downfall (1 Kings 11)
Sadly, Solomon did not heed the warning. He married many foreign wives — the Bible says seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines — many of them to seal political alliances. "And it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods" (11:4). He built places of worship for their gods.
God announced that the kingdom would be torn apart after his death, leaving only part of it to his descendants for David's sake. After Solomon died, the kingdom split into Israel and Judah (1 Kings 12). See the kings of Israel and Judah.
Lessons from Solomon's life
- Ask God for wisdom — and he gives generously (James 1:5).
- Worship matters — Solomon gave his best to build a house for God.
- God hears the prayers of his people, including the prayer of repentance.
- Gifts are not the same as faithfulness — wisdom did not protect Solomon from compromise.
- Small compromises grow — his marriages for political advantage led his heart away.
- Finishing well matters.
Solomon and Jesus
Solomon's name is related to the Hebrew word for peace (shalom). His peaceful reign and temple point forward to Jesus, the true King of peace and "one greater than Solomon" (Matthew 12:42), who called his body the true temple (John 2:19–21).
Continue with Elijah and Elisha, or read key themes in Proverbs.