NL 108: Wisdom of Solomon

image: “The Judgement of Solomon” Frans Floris I, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

1 Kings 3:4-9, (10-15), 16-28

Initial Thoughts

  • Perhaps the most famous scene in Solomon’s life - often alluded to culture

    • Many examples include: Cosby Show, Sesame Street, Seinfeld, ER, MASH, Drew Carey Show. Also discussed in Huckleberry Finn, wherein Huck decides Solomon must not have been very wise. 

  • It is worth noting, especially after last week, that Solomon is the son of Bathsheba, and she had a lot to do with getting him to be king. 1 Kings 1:15-31

Bible Study

  • Deuteronomistic editing

    • Alter notes (“1 Kings”, Hebrew Bible a Translation with Commentary, p.441, 449-451)  the intervention of the Deuteronomistic writer in 1 Kings making both David and Solomon out to be far better and more faithful kings than they actually were - David (as we know from last week) was not a “righteous” king with a “true heart”

    • “This is the classic struggle of the Deuteronomistic History, which revels in the glory brought to ancient Israel by the monarchy, and yet also condemns the apostasies of the kings that ruled it.1 The narrative will demonstrate this ambivalence throughout its account of Solomon’s reign (1 Kings 3-11), praising the king’s wisdom, wealth, and work, yet lamenting his worship of the foreign gods of his many wives.” (Cameron Howard, Working Preacher)

  • What kind of King?

    • Now that Solomon’s kingship has been established 1 Kings 2:46b - what kind of King will Solomon be?

    • He begins his established reign with worship and sacrifice

    • He does not ask for the typical Kingly things that Samuel had predicted (and that his father David took): wealth, power, immortality

    • Solomon asks for Wisdom on behalf of the people

  • Wisdom and humility

    • Solomon focuses on the king as the servant of God (4 times in vv. 6-9) as opposed to many other cultures in the ancient near east in which the gods served the kings (i.e. when the kings when to war, the gods fought on their behalf)

    • The “wisdom” Solomon asks for is, ironically, the same thing Adam and Eve desire when they eat the forbidden fruit - so why is Solomon pleasing to God?

      • He asks, not in shame or in an effort to “be like God” but with the intent to serve others

      • Furthermore- Solomon asks (the word appears 4 times in this passage) and God gives (word used 6 times) as opposed to Adam and Eve taking in opposition to what God has commanded

    • V. 9 - “a hearing heart”, “an obedient heart” - “The heart is the organ of thought and will in the Old Testament. This expression implies a reason that understands, an instinct for the truth.” Richard D. Nelson,Interpretation: First and Second Kings, p. 32. - the heart is not the seat of emotion (that was the gut).

    • “How pleasing it must have been to to God when Solomon asked not for wealth or fame, but for a discerning mind. A discerning mind distinguishes between right and wrong, appreciates the nuances of our world, and chooses the way of God’s justice and mercy. More than simply having the right answers, a discerning person can appreciate all sides of a complex situation and give a compassionate response…. Imagine if the standard we held out for our children was one of sound ethical judgment, compassion, and care for others, God is eager to grant these gifts to children who ask.” (Bonnie Scott, The CEB Women’s Bible, p. 418)

  • More details about Solomon’s wisdom:

    • Chapter 4 is about his administrative skills, creating a plan to build on the peace that and surplus that David had created. It is much less memorable than the story of the two women, but arguably more important.

    • 1 Kings 4:29-34 “God gave Solomon very great wisdom”

      • He wrote proverbs and songs, knew about plants and animals. He was well-rounded, knowledgeable leader

    • 1 Kings 5:13 Dark side of Solomon and the Temple - forced labor 

      • The people who once suffered under forced labor to build work projects of a king now do the same.

      • 1 Kings 3:1 Solomon is now the son-in-law of Pharaoh.

  • The “Split Baby” an example of Solomon’s wisdom

    • Both women are prostitutes

    • Typically the judgment in such cases were left up to God by way of oath (Exodus 22:9-10), ordeal (Numbers 5:11-15), or casting of lots (Acts 1), but here God’s wisdom is revealed directly through Solomon

    • The text itself- the repetition or arguments by the women and by Solomon reveal a classic “she-said vs she-said”

    • Was Solomon correct? In truth we don’t know

      • “Solomon has not really proved that the compassionate woman is the biological mother, only that she is more fit to be a parent. His demonstration is psychologically reasonable but not logically watertight. Does her heart yearn (v. 26) for a son presently under the threat of a sword or for a son already dead?” Richard D. Nelson, Interpretation: First and Second Kings, p. 38–39.

      • In truth- we don’t care if Solomon was correct in discerning the mother, because he choose the better parent and the child is saved

      • However, like the wisdom Solomon asks for, the woman who is awarded the baby is the one who cares more for others (the baby in this case) than her own desires. She herself is revealed to be righteous.

Thoughts and Questions

  • Is Solomon being set up as the new Pharaoh? Married to Pharaoh’s daughter - will enslave people to build great monuments including Yahweh’s Temple

  • “Wisdom seeks to please God by applying what we know to benefit others. Solomon expressed a selfless spirit of commitment to govern God’s people with justice… Like Solomon, we should seek justice and peace. Solomon’s request for wisdom pleased God so much that God granted him not only wisdom but also more riches and fame than any other king. Focus on how you can serve God’s people in the position he has given you, and he will equip you with everything you need. (Africa Study Bible, 479)

  • Careful ground to tread - Sex workers, exploitation, and possibly loosening the criminality of sex workers. Prostitutes here are not shamed, they are not treated as criminals. They have rights and an audience with the king. In other places, prostitutes are lifted up as heroes - Rahab especially, who becomes a fore-mother of Jesus. Perhaps the criminalization of prostitution is not a Biblical value and does more harm than good in society.

  • “Wisdom has to do with whom we entrust ourselves to; who we know can fill our empty buckets; whom we most believe, trust, and confide in. If we do not know what resources we have, we cannot use them to make happen what we want to happen. If we do not know what we want to happen, then we will not even know what to wish for in the first place. Wisdom arrives when the soul discerns its destiny, when life aligns in sync with the soul. Wisdom pleases the Lord when it is not self serving, but other serving.” Blair, “Pastoral Perspective on 1 Kings 3:5–12,” in Feasting on the Word: Year A, vol. 3, p. 270. 

  • Solomon is a tricky character - while he is remembered for his Wisdom, his legacy is one of enslaving people to build the temple of Yahweh

  • “Many scholars believe Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings all share the same authorial and/or editorial perspective steeped in Deuteronomic theology. Looking back from exile at the history of the Israelite and Judean monarchies, the narrative blames the kings for breaking the covenant and causing Israel to be sent into exile, even as it celebrates some of their achievements. This ambivalence to the monarchy can be identified to a greater or lesser extent in all of those books.” (Cameron Howard, Working Preacher)

Year 1Eric Fistler1 KingsComment