On The Historical Solomon: Understanding The Solomon Narrative in 1 Kings 1-11 in Light of Deuteronomy 17:14-20

ON THE HISTORICAL SOLOMON: UNDERSTANDING THE SOLOMON NARRATIVE IN
1 KINGS 1-11 IN LIGHT OF DEUTERONOMY 17:14-20
Sid Sudiacal
1
Introduction
The book of 1 Kings recounts the history of Israel‟s Golden Age under the aegis of the
wise King Solomon. Solomon “ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the
Philistines and to the border of Egypt” (1 Kings 4:21)1 Royalties “brought tribute and served”
him throughout his reign (1 Kings 4:21)2 Wealthy though he may be, it was his wisdom that
brought him “fame throughout all the surrounding nations” (1 Kings 4:30). His wisdom
“surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt” (1 Kings 4:30).
1 Kings 1-11 gives an account of the rise and fall of Solomon‟s empire. This paper will argue
that the Golden Age of Israel under Solomon‟s rule is a historical misreading of the text.3
“Solomon‟s luxurious regime” is not a “golden age of enlightenment”; instead, it is “an iron age
of despotism.”4 To maintain an accurate historical reading, the Narrator‟s account in 1 Kings
must be read in light of Deuteronomy 17:14-20. The intended audience is cognizant of the
deuteronomistic provisos concerning how a king of Israel should act. Solomon is portrayed as a
king who did not follow after the ways of YHWH. His economic policies betrayed YHWH‟s
injunctions against “acquiring many horses, wives, and silver and gold in great quantity for
himself” (Deut. 17:16-17). Solomon‟s wealth and wisdom comes at the price of greed and
justice. As a result, his reign caused irrevocable damage to the kingdom that ultimately led to its
schism and fall.
1
ESV. Unless otherwise noted, all verses are from the NRSV.
2
ESV.
3
“The methodology which I am suggesting in this study is one in which we reread 1 Kings 1-11 very carefully
within the context of Deuteronomy and 1-2 Samuel. The narrator, I suggest, does not make explicit references back
to these books, but he does make numerous implicit references. Thus, while on the surface he may seem to be
praising Solomon, to those who hold Deuteronomy in their hands as they listen it becomes clear that he is often
critical of Solomon's reign. This is narrative subtlety, or perhaps irony.” Hays, "Has the Narrator Come to Praise
Solomon or to Bury Him? Narrative Subtlety in 1 Kings 1-11," 155.
4
Lasine, "The King of Desire : Indeterminancy, Audience, and the Solomon Narrative," 86.
2
Solomon: Israel’s philosopher king or pharaoh?
The German philosopher Schopenhauer claims that “enormous wealth and power are
absolutely necessary if a king is to rule justly.”5 He argues
because men remain men, one must be placed so high, and be given so much power,
wealth, security, and absolute inviolability, that for himself there is nothing left to desire,
to hope, or to fear. In this way, the egoism that dwells in him, as in everyone, is
annihilated, as it were, by neutralization; and, just as if he were not a human being, he is
now enabled to practice justice, and to have in view no longer his own welfare, but only
that of the public. 6
“While Schopenhauer makes what is perhaps the most extensive argument on behalf of
monarchical wealth and power, he is not the first to stress the link between personal wealth and
disinterested rule.”7 If his philosophy is correct, then Solomon should have been the most just
king to ever walk on earth. 1 Kings 4 tells us that “Solomon‟s provision for one day was thirty
cors of choice flour, and sixty cors of meal, ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, one
hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl” (1 Kings 4:22-23). During his
lifetime, “Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beersheba, all of them under their
vines and fig trees” (1 Kings 4:25). Solomon‟s reign was marked by peace throughout Israel and
the surrounding nations. It is clear that Solomon enjoyed great wealth and power. “Readers who
share the view of royal wealth and power expressed by [...] Schopenhauer will certainly expect
Solomon to remain a successful and just king when he receives the wealth and honour that God
has promised him.”8 Unfortunately, this is not what we see in the Solomon narratives.
5
6
Schopenhauer, The World as Will and Representation, 595.
7
8
3
Concerning the notion of how “justice can be secured in the midst of scant resources and
uncertain conditions,” Parker notes
in classical political philosophy, a solution is provided by Plato in Book 5 of his

Republic: justice is secured only when members of the state do what they are best suited
for; those who are best suited to rule are the philosophers, since they alone have the
capacity to know things that are important for political order.9
1 Kings describes Solomon as a man full of wisdom. To illustrate this fact, the Narrator tells a
story of two prostitutes who approach Solomon with an interestingly unique problem. Both
women lived in the same house and both gave birth to a child. When they both woke up, one
child was dead while another was alive. The first woman accuses the second woman of stealing
the baby while she was asleep and the second woman fervently denies this accusation. After
being presented with this problem, Solomon asks for a sword. He then orders that the child be
cut in half: a half shall be given to the first woman while the other half is to be given to the other
woman. The mother of the child pleads with Solomon and asks him to give the child to the other
woman lest he be divided in half and killed while the other woman agrees with Solomon‟s order.
Solomon then decrees that the woman who pleaded for the child to be saved is the real mother.10
This show of Solomon‟s wisdom made all of Israel stand “in awe of the king, because they
perceived that the wisdom of God was in him, to execute justice” (1 Kings 3:28). Solomon, it
seems, is the ideal philosopher king: a just king, full of wisdom, who knows how to rightly
respond to situations of various complexity.
It is interesting to note that Greek authors believed that “excessive wealth and satiety turn
golden ages into iron ages.”11 After this Solomonic account of his wisdom, the fourth chapter of
1 Kings reveal the enormous wealth and extreme extravagance of Solomon‟s empire. Plato
9
Parker, "Solomon as Philosopher King : The Nexus of Law and Wisdom in 1 Kings 1-11," 75.
10
This account is found in 1 Kings 3:16-28.
11
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“believed that the only way to breed a truly disinterested golden age ruler was to keep him as far
away from gold as possible. In fact, gold and silver are taboo for the guardians who will become
philosopher-kings.”12 This statement is decidedly contrary to the narrator‟s account of Solomon‟s
lifestyle. It was said that Solomon received six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold in one year,
“besides that which came from the traders and from the business of the merchants, and from all
the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land” (1 Kings 10:14-15). The king‟s prosperity
eventually led him to become the antithesis of the philosopher-king: a tyrant, a “man of desire.”13
The “Greek ideal is in direct contrast with the biblical ideal.”14 The biblical ideal holds
that “the law is integral to the rule of the philosopher king. If law is neglected or spurned, justice
is in jeopardy.”15 Parker rightly argues “that the rule of the 'philosopher king' Solomon, as
presented in the Deuteronomistic History (1 Kgs 1-11), is destined to end in failure precisely
because he fails to abide by the law.”16 Wisdom is not enough to ensure justice; it is wisdom,
coupled with obedience to the commands of YHWH, which ensures success and justice for all.
“Thus the ideal king is the bearer of divine law, the judge who renders justice throughout the
nation, and the one who uses his wisdom to execute both justice and law.”17 “The bureaucracy
described in 1 Kings 4 is exactly what YHWH told Samuel to warn Israel about back in 1
Samuel 8 when Israel asked for a king.”18 Samuel described the future king as he who will take
your sons to “plough his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and
the equipment of his chariots” (1 Sam. 8:12). This was “an accurate description of the corvée as
12
13
Plato and Bloom, The Republic, 421.
14
15
16
17
18
Hays, "Has the Narrator Come to Praise Solomon or to Bury Him? Narrative Subtlety in 1 Kings 1-11," 165.
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it was practiced in the Canaanite city-states prior to and during the time of the prophet.”19 As
Solomon failed to walk in the ways of YHWH, so his physical actions reflect his spiritual state.
In the fifth chapter of 1 Kings, Solomon‟s major construction project begins. He
“conscripted forced labour out of all Israel; the levy numbered thirty thousand men” (5:13).
Added to this number are “seventy thousand labourers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the
hill country, besides [...] three thousand three hundred supervisors who were over the work,
having charge of the people who did the work” (5:15-16). Hauer points out how “1 Kings 9:15-
22 clearly associates these construction operations with the institution of forced labor.”20
“Despite the pious protestations of vss 20-22 that only non-Israelites were so encumbered, 1
Kings 5:27-28 and 1 Kgs 11:28 requires the conclusion that free-born Israelites were simply
spared lifetime slavery.”21 The only difference between Solomon‟s corvée labor and actual
slavery is the time frame. One is for a protracted time of two months; the other a lifetime. For all
intents and purposes, Solomon‟s action is an echo of Samuel‟s hesitation to place a king on the
throne.
Hays remark how
the opening paragraphs regarding the construction of the glorious temple contain negative
undercurrents. Underscoring this is the reference in 6.1 to the exodus from Egypt. The
proximity of forced building labour to the mention of the exodus is suggestive and highly
ironic. Indeed, throughout these chapters there is the interesting interchange of references
to Pharaoh, the exodus from Egypt, Solomon's large state building program, forced
labour and chariot horses from Egypt.22
The comparison to the Egyptian pharaoh may not be completely farfetched. The third chapter of
1 Kings introduces us to the revelation that Solomon marries “Pharaoh‟s daughter and brought
19
Mendelsohn, "On Corvée Labor in Ancient Canaan and Israel," 167.
20
Hauer, "The Economics of National Security in Solomonic Israel," 66.
21
22
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her into the city of David” (3:1). “Solomon is said to „become son-in-law to Pharaoh.‟ ”23 Walsh
asserts
while it does describe the relationship as a purely political one not compromising the
"love" that Solomon has for Yahweh, it already foreshadows the "foreign abominations"
for which Solomon will eventually be condemned (11:7), the subordination implied in
Pharaoh's ability to conquer and "give" to his daughter a city within Solomon's own
boundaries (9:16), and perhaps even the eventual loss of territory to another foreign king,
Hiram (9:11).24
This event is a potential signal to the intended audience that the philosopher king of Israel may
turn out to be like the pharaoh himself.
Solomon: pious king or apostate king?
Tracing the origins of Israel does not lead us to “a kingship that was mythologically
celebrated and politically well established; but rather to its very opposite: to the deliverance from
Egypt of a group of slaves.”25 “From the outset Yahweh was understood as the One who sets
slaves free. In this respect, Yahweh could not be compared to the kings in the ancient Orient.”26
Thus, Israel‟s social history and culture is formed by their realization of YHWH‟s redemptive act
in freeing them from slavery. The manumission of slavery commanded in Deuteronomy27 is
possibly rooted in this historical and social reality. YHWH, whose chief title was “The Deliverer
from Egypt,” is a cosmic deity whose reputation is intrinsically linked to notions of liberation
from oppression and freedom from tyranny.28
23
Walsh, "The Characterization of Solomon in First Kings 1-5," 486.
24
25
Wolff, "Masters and Slaves : On Overcoming Class-Struggle in the Old Testament," 261.
26
27
Deut. 15:12-15.
28
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In Deuteronomy 17:14-17, the nation of Israel is given instructions on how a future king must
act. The future king is prohibited to acquire
many horses for himself, or return the people to Egypt in order to acquire more horses,
since the LORD has said to you, „You must never return that way again.‟ And he must not
acquire many wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; also silver and gold he
must not acquire in great quantity for himself.
“This text is especially pertinent because it describes the requirements that the law placed on the
king.”29 Yet, reading 1 Kings 1-11 alerts us as readers that Solomon disobeyed each and every
single one of these prohibitions. Solomon is said to have “forty thousand stalls of horses for his
chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen” (1 Kings 4:26). His “import of horses was from Egypt”
(1 Kings 10:14). He had “seven hundred princesses and three hundred concubines” (1 Kings
11:3). He also received six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold (1 Kings 10:14). He had so
much gold that all of his drinking vessels were made of gold! (1 Kings 10:21) Solomon is in
direct violation of these deuteronomistic commandments.
Samuel‟s prophetic pronouncements concerning the future king of Israel in 1 Samuel 8
find its match in the person of Solomon. “The imperial system described by Samuel was not
fulfilled to any degree by either Saul or David. It is Solomon that fulfills all of the details of
Samuel's prediction. Indeed 1 Kings 4 details the fulfillment explicitly!”30 “Taxes, warned of by
Samuel in 1 Samuel 8, are described in 1 Kings 4:7, 22-23 and 27-28.”31 He used corvée labour
to not only build the temple (YHWH‟s) but also his palace (personal use). Hauer claims that his
“army was in the grand style, and was based on the great fortress cities that had once been
subject to Thutmose III and Ramesses II. In this way if none other, Solomon was, as Heaton
29
30
31
8
alleges, an Israelite pharaoh.”32 “Accepting the 1,400 chariot figure and adding in nothing else,
Solomon's chariot army required an initial investment of 1,470,000 shekels for vehicles and
horses.”33 By the eleventh chapter, the fall of Solomon is revealed and his demise is a direct
result of disobeying YHWH‟s commands.
Is it true that “the authors of Kings present Solomon as a king who, in their terms, was for
the most part a relatively faithful worshiper of Yahweh?”34 If we regard 1 Kings 1-2 as court
apologetic, then this particular understanding of Solomon is at risk upon further investigation.35
Walsh mentions that “the most striking thing about Solomon in 1 Kings 1 is his absence. Though
he is clearly a pivotal character in the development of the plot, the narrator seems reticent to
introduce him to the reader.”36 We are introduced to Adonijah, his mother‟s name and birth
order. When Solomon‟s name is first mentioned in verse 10, “it is only by indirection that we can
infer he is Adonijah's rival.”37 “The effect of this indirection is noteworthy: the narrator avoids
giving us any information whatsoever about Solomon's view of the succession, or about the
narrator's own view of him. We know Solomon only as he is perceived by other characters.”38
“When we are shown the man finally (vv 38-40), it is as if from a distance, and he is utterly
passive. He is seated on the king's mule, he is led to Gihon, he is anointed by Zadok, the people
go up after him.”39 Walsh concludes his assessment by saying that Solomon
is the subject of no verbs, the speaker of no words, the performer of no actions. The first
active thing we see Solomon do is "sit on the throne" (v 46), and even this is refracted
through the eyes of Jonathan, son of Abiathar and partisan of Adonijah. Solomon has
32
33
Hauer, "The Economics of National Security in Solomonic Israel," 65-66.
34
Provan, Long, and Longman, A Biblical History of Israel, 256.
35
McCarter, ""Plots, True or False" : The Succession Narrative as Court Apologetic," 361.
36
37
38
39
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emerged victorious in the complex struggles for the Davidic succession, and we know
little more about him than that his mother's name is Bathsheba!40
This person does not sound like a man who is seen as a faithful worshiper of Yahweh. Faithful
worshippers of Yahweh are often exalted and described directly and vividly instead of being put
in the shadow of other characters.
In chapter 3, after “the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon” (2:40), the
narrator introduces the unnerving news that Solomon “made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh
king of Egypt” and “took Pharaoh‟s daughter and brought her into the city of David” (3:1).
While this marriage can be understood as a political alliance, it is nevertheless a shocking act of
betrayal of everything that YHWH, and Israel, stands for. The first mention of Solomon‟s era is
to ally Israel with its arch-nemesis, and former oppressor, Egypt. YHWH took great pains to
deliver the people of Israel from its bondage to Egypt. The ten plagues, crossing the Red Sea, the
forty years of wandering in the desert, all of this were undertaken in YHWH‟s plan to ultimately
free Israel from Egypt‟s tyrannical rule and grip. To have gone through so much hardship and
pain to distance itself from its former oppressors, Solomon‟s act of marrying the Pharaoh‟s
daughter to establish a political alliance with its former slave-owner Egypt must have been seen
as the ultimate reversal of everything that YHWH and Israel stood for. “Pharaoh's daughter
functions in chaps. 3-10 to establish that the cause of Solomon's eventual fall is already there
when he is in his glory, simply waiting for the turn to the negative, when she will again be the
very first person mentioned (11:1).”41 While this act certainly violates YHWH‟s command
against marrying foreign women, Solomon raises the level by marrying an Egyptian woman, and
40
41
Jobling, ""Forced Labor" : Solomon's Golden Age and the Question of Literary Representation," 64.
10
ultimately, allying himself with Egypt herself. This does not seem to be the actions of a “faithful
worshiper of Yahweh.”42
In chapter 11, we are told that Solomon‟s numerous wives “turned away his heart” from
YHWH (11:3). He loved, and presumably married, “Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian,
and Hittite women” (11:1) in direct rebellion against YHWH‟s orders not “to enter into marriage
with them, neither shall they with you; for they will surely incline your heart to follow their
gods” (11:2). First on this list is “the daughter of Pharaoh” (11:1). In the same way that she is
mentioned in the beginning of his glory days, she is also mentioned first in the chapter that
describes Solomon‟s fall.43 This fact highlight‟s Solomon‟s disobedience and marks him as an
unfaithful worshiper.
Solomon: building a mystery?
In chapter 3, YHWH appears to Solomon through a dream and says these amazing words:
“Ask what I should give you” (3:5). In response, he asks YHWH to give him “an understanding
mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil” (3:9). YHWH responds by
giving him “a wise and discerning mind” (3:12). In fact, Solomon shall be so uniquely blessed
that YHWH tells him that “no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise
after you” (3:12). He also gives him “both riches and honour” all of Solomon‟s life (3:13). This
is the particular event that marks the beginning of the legend of Solomon.
But, was this event particularly unique? The reason for the uniqueness of this event in
most readers lie in their belief that communication with a divine being and the bestowal of gifts
by a higher being does not happen on a regular basis. However, “similar divine invitations and
42
Provan, Long, and Longman, A Biblical History of Israel, 256.
43
Jobling, ""Forced Labor" : Solomon's Golden Age and the Question of Literary Representation," 64.
11
divine gifts are reported in many ancient Near Eastern texts.”44 Examples of similar instances are
the story of
the Canaanite goddess Anat (who) tells Aqhat, "Ask for silver and I will give to
you,[gold, and I w]ill deliver it to you....Ask life and I will give (it) you." When the
Canaanite god El visits Kirta in his dream and asks him whether he desires the kingship
of the bull his father, the king also gets what he desires. Although his desire is for sons,
not wisdom, Kirta is similar to Solomon in not asking for silver, yellow metal, slaves,
horses, or chariots.45
“In general, ancient Near Eastern kings who claim to have received the blessings of life and
wisdom from the gods describe their regimes as blissful, just, and prosperous.”46 Like Panammu,
“Solomon is wealthy because of his wisdom; he displays the "wide understanding" sought by
Sargon and his successors.”47 Solomon is no different from the other ANE kings and queens.
The impartation of wisdom by a divine being and the abundant blessings lavished upon a
human ruler by a god in the Solomon narrative finds its similar expressions in other extrabiblical
texts. If this is true, then what makes the Solomon narrative unique? What makes it so special? It
is only within a Judeo-Christian paradigm that this event retains, nay, obtains its special status.
This event is remarkable because YHWH, the Deliverer of Egypt, the Maker of heaven and
earth, the God above all gods, grants Solomon a “wise and discerning mind” (1 Kings 3:12).
Although Solomon‟s story bears striking resemblance with other ANE stories, it is set apart by
the fact that all the other rulers did not receive wisdom and blessings from YHWH. Solomon
alone is the sole recipient of YHWH‟s striking generosity.
44
45
46
47
12
The special status bequeathed unto Solomon as a man of wisdom is misguided and
mistaken. While it is true that YHWH granted him wisdom, the narrator of 1 Kings does not
portray him as a wise man. Parker speaks of how
the future ideal (eschatological) king is to be noted for his ability to usher in the new age
of justice, to adhere to divine law, and to possess wisdom. In his capacity as judge, the
ideal king cares for the underprivileged to ensure justice is meted out. In his capacity as
one under divine law, the king is to observe its statutes and ordinances. Implied in these
two aspects of kingship is the notion that a divine wisdom or knowledge enables the king
to execute justice and law in a manner consistent with his office. Thus the ideal king is
the bearer of divine law, the judge who renders justice throughout the nation, and the one
who uses his wisdom to execute both justice and law.48
True wisdom is a wisdom that is ultimately rooted in the Torah. Yahwistic wisdom involves the
rendering of justice in a land of injustice. “As Solomon continues to act in accord with Torah, he
manifests justice and uses his wisdom for the benefit of the people.”49 However, in chapter 9,
when Solomon does not comply with Torah, he becomes the ideal's antithesis. His regime
is noted for its egregious tyranny, and his wisdom is directed towards his own self-
aggrandizement. Such wisdom is akin to folly. With the contrast between these two
portraits of Solomon, that of the ideal king and the apostate king respectively, the
Deuteronomist makes a larger point about wisdom and Torah. By depicting Solomon's
wisdom in the second section as being concerned with wealth, prestige or glory, and not
with justice and administration, as in the first section, the Deuteronomist emphasizes that
wisdom not harnessed to Torah is not beneficial or efficacious. Thus, there is an implicit
criticism of wisdom, that is, of wisdom that is not concerned with Torah. This deleterious
use of wisdom may account for its negative depiction in the Deuteronomistic History.50
Solomon‟s wisdom “is not used for the benefit of the people. His justice turns to tyranny, and the
kingdom is forever divided after his death. The ideal has thus become its antithesis through
Solomon's failure to comply with Torah.”51 Parker opines
whereas the Greek philosopher king must transcend laws or customs to get a better view
of the whole, the Bible maintains the necessity of abiding by law or custom if the rule is
to be efficacious. In its own way, the Bible maintains the validity of its customs and laws
48
49
50
51
13
without denying the legitimacy of the rule of the philosopher king. The fact that this rule
is not possible from a human point of view does not alter the ideal, or the validity of an
eschatological figure bound by law who would rule in the manner of the philosopher
king. If Athens, then, argues that wisdom must transcend particular laws for true justice
to be established, Jerusalem argues that without law there can be no true wisdom.52
Because Solomon did not ground the divinely bestowed wisdom upon him by YHWH with strict
obedience to YHWH‟s commandments, his extreme wisdom must be viewed as extreme folly.
Solomon: The Aftermath
According to Parker,
Solomon's reign is a watershed in the Deuteronomistic History: his political achievements

are unmatched by other kings, but his actions lay the foundations for the division and
destruction of the kingdom. These actions also have broad theological implications in
Solomon's rise and fall, and they will affect future developments.53
Because of Solomon‟s economic policies that led to his accumulation of wealth and power, the
whole land of Israel was forced to suffer the same plight of their ancestors who groaned under
the yoke of Egypt. There is a reason why the acquisition of silver and gold in great quantity
(Deut. 17:17) was prohibited by the author of Deuteronomy. It “assumes that making a king
personally rich makes him insatiable and arrogant, rather than "annihilating" egoism and desire,
as Schopenhauer supposes.”54 He “warns that when they have ... multiplied their silver, gold, and
all their other possessions, they might become arrogant and forget Yahweh their God.”55
Solomon‟s acquisition of many wives caused his heart to turn away from YHWH and
follow other gods. The very first wife whom he acquired was Pharaoh‟s daughter. This signals
the start of the process wherein Solomon‟s heart turns to idolatry, a grievous sin against YHWH.
52
53
54
55
14
As Solomon‟s rule was no longer rooted in observing YHWH‟s laws, YHWH withdraws his
hand of blessing and favour on this apostate king. He “raises up an adversary against Solomon,
Hadad the Edomite” and “Rezon, son of Eliada” (1 Kings 11:14, 23). YHWH also promised
Solomon that if he were to heed His ways, He would prolong his life. Since Solomon disobeyed
YHWH, his life was cut short. Solomon‟s death not only served to end his temporal life but was
also the harbinger of the death of Israel‟s monarchy.
After his death, Rehoboam became king over Israel (1 Kings 12:1). Jeroboam approached
him and asked if he would “lighten the hard service of (his) father and (the) heavy yoke that he
placed on us” (1 Kings 12:4). Solomon‟s “requirements were very onerous for his subjects and
aroused that discontent which led to rebellion at his death.” Wolff speaks with great awareness
when he says that “the revolt that ruined the empire established by David was the result of the
harsh, forced labour Solomon imposed upon the men of the house of Joseph.”56 While
Rehoboam‟s undiplomatic response to Jeroboam could certainly be faulted for the rebellion, the
revolt would never have happened if Solomon did not inflict hard service upon the people of all
Israel.
Solomon‟s socio-economic policies led to the
beginnings of that social division within Israel which led later to the outcries of the
prophets against social injustice. The commerce of his reign must have given rise to a
wealthy merchant class and the corresponding degradation of many of the masses who
worked in the mines, in the factories, and on his buildings.57
“Contrary to the Mosaic covenant, wealth had created a social imbalance, which resulted in two
separate classes, the rich and the poor. Those at the top of the pyramid exploited the weak and
56
57
Hyatt, ""Solomon in All His Glory"," 30.
15
oppressed the poor by alienation of land, forced labour, and heavy taxes.”58 “Tribally guaranteed
access to basic resources for all Israelites slowly gave way before the concentration of wealth in
the state treasury and in the hands of merchants and landlords who were largely urban-based and
backed by explicit or implicit state power.”59 Solomon‟s actions resulted in “the plight of the
peasant(s) in the unjust social order addressed by Amos.”60
Conclusion
The book of 1 Kings recounts the history of Israel‟s Iron Age under the greedy despot,
Solomon. Solomon ruled over the land of Israel like the Pharaoh of Egypt: he caused the children
of Israel to suffer and groan under the toil of heavy burden. Although YHWH decreed that the
king of Israel should not acquire many horses, wives, silver and gold in great quantity (Deut.
17:14-17), the Oppressor of Israel flagrantly disobeys the Deliverer of Egypt. Even though
Solomon was given divine wisdom by YHWH himself, the narrator of 1 Kings “does not say that
Solomon made good use of the gift.”61 In fact, we see the appointed king of Israel fail to use his
wisdom to enact justice in the land. Solomon‟s story of divine impartation of wisdom and gifts
by a divine being is similar to other extrabiblical texts. Yet, this particular event owes its unique
nature to the uniqueness of YHWH as the Ultimate God among other gods. However, in failing
to heed the commandments of YHWH, Solomon is shown to be forsaken by the One who
promised to bring him peace and rest if he remained faithful. Because of his apostasy, the land of
Israel was torn in two and the schism was never healed.
58
King, Amos, Hosea, Micah : An Archaeological Commentary, 22.
59
Crim, The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible : An Illustrated Encyclopedia Identifying and Explaining All
Proper Names and Significant Terms and Subjects in the Holy Scriptures, Including the Apocrypha, with Attention
to Archaeological Discoveries and Researches into the Life and Faith of Ancient Times : Supplementary Volume,
466.
60
Coote, Amos among the Prophets : Composition and Theology, 26.
61
16
A historical reading of the book of 1 Kings requires it to be read in light of Deut. 17:14-
17. Only then can the narrator‟s subtle irony be appreciated. Because the original audience
understood the prohibitions for kings, they would have been able to understand the actions and
the consequences of an apostate king. Solomon‟s economic policies served to enlarge his own
personal wealth at the expense of the people. Because his actions were in direct violation of
YHWH‟s requirements, the land under his rule experienced great affliction and sorrow. The
result of his folly led to a revolt that heralded the socio-economic disparity which the prophets
decried. Solomon the Wise of literary tradition is but an illusion to mask the foolish, greedy
autocrat that dominated the land of Israel.

17
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Coote, Robert B. Amos among the Prophets : Composition and Theology. Philadelphia: Fortress
Press, 1981.
Crim, Keith R. The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible : An Illustrated Encyclopedia

Identifying and Explaining All Proper Names and Significant Terms and Subjects in the
Holy Scriptures, Including the Apocrypha, with Attention to Archaeological Discoveries
and Researches into the Life and Faith of Ancient Times : Supplementary Volume.
Nashville: Abingdon, 1976.
Hauer, Christian E. "The Economics of National Security in Solomonic Israel." Journal for the
Study of the Old Testament.18 (1980) 63-73.
Hays, J. Daniel. "Has the Narrator Come to Praise Solomon or to Bury Him? Narrative Subtlety
in 1 Kings 1-11." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 28.2 (2003) 149-74.
Hyatt, James Philip. ""Solomon in All His Glory"." Journal of Bible and Religion 8.1 (1940) 27-
30.
Jobling, David. ""Forced Labor" : Solomon's Golden Age and the Question of Literary
Representation." Semeia.54 (1991) 57-76.
King, Philip J. Amos, Hosea, Micah : An Archaeological Commentary. 1st ed. Philadelphia:
Westminster Press, 1988.
Lasine, Stuart. "The King of Desire : Indeterminancy, Audience, and the Solomon Narrative."
Semeia.71 (1995) 85-118.
McCarter, P. Kyle, Jr. ""Plots, True or False" : The Succession Narrative as Court Apologetic."
Interpretation 35.4 (1981) 355-67.
Mendelsohn, Isaac. "On Corvée Labor in Ancient Canaan and Israel." Bulletin of the American
Schools of Oriental Research 167 (1962) 31-35.
Parker, Kim Ian. "Solomon as Philosopher King : The Nexus of Law and Wisdom in 1 Kings 1-
11." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament.53 (1992) 75-91.
Plato, and Allan David Bloom. The Republic. New York,: Basic Books, 1968.
Provan, Iain W., V. Philips Long, and Tremper Longman. A Biblical History of Israel. 1st ed.
Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003.
Schopenhauer, Arthur. The World as Will and Representation. 2 vols. New York,: Dover
Publications, 1966.
18
Walsh, Jerome T. "The Characterization of Solomon in First Kings 1-5." Catholic Biblical
Quarterly 57.3 (1995) 471-93.
Wolff, Hans Walter. "Masters and Slaves : On Overcoming Class-Struggle in the Old
Testament." Interpretation 27.3 (1973) 259-72.

On The Historical Solomon: Understanding The Solomon Narrative in 1 Kings 1-11 in Light of Deuteronomy 17:14-20

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On The Historical Solomon: Understanding The Solomon Narrative in 1 Kings 1-11 in Light of Deuteronomy 17:14-20

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ON THE HISTORICAL SOLOMON: UNDERSTANDING THE SOLOMON NARRATIVE IN

1 KINGS 1-11 IN LIGHT OF DEUTERONOMY 17:14-20

of despotism.”4 To maintain an accurate historical reading, the Narrator‟s account in 1 Kings

schism and fall.

Solomon: Israel’s philosopher king or pharaoh?

absolutely necessary if a king is to rule justly.”5 He argues

uncertain conditions,” Parker notes

in classical political philosophy, a solution is provided by Plato in Book 5 of his

respond to situations of various complexity.

philosopher-kings.”12 This statement is decidedly contrary to the narrator‟s account of Solomon‟s

In the fifth chapter of 1 Kings, Solomon‟s major construction project begins. He

Hays remark how

turn out to be like the pharaoh himself.

Solomon: pious king or apostate king?

in freeing them from slavery. The manumission of slavery commanded in Deuteronomy27 is

from oppression and freedom from tyranny.28

act. The future king is prohibited to acquire

direct violation of these deuteronomistic commandments.

Samuel‟s prophetic pronouncements concerning the future king of Israel in 1 Samuel 8

result of disobeying YHWH‟s commands.

go up after him.”39 Walsh concludes his assessment by saying that Solomon

in the shadow of other characters.

Solomon: building a mystery?

alone is the sole recipient of YHWH‟s striking generosity.

portray him as a wise man. Parker speaks of how

Solomon's failure to comply with Torah.”51 Parker opines

Solomon: The Aftermath

Solomon's reign is a watershed in the Deuteronomistic History: his political achievements

also the harbinger of the death of Israel‟s monarchy.

Solomon‟s socio-economic policies led to the

peasant(s) in the unjust social order addressed by Amos.”60

autocrat that dominated the land of Israel.

Crim, Keith R. The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible : An Illustrated Encyclopedia

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