What is the story of Solomon in the Bible?

A:By the time the Deuteronomic History (Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings and 2 Kings) was written, Solomon was just a distant legend. Chronicles was written even later, after the Babylonian Exile, and differs in a number of important ways in its treatment of the United monarchy under Kings Saul, David and Solomon. They are in almost complete dispute on the events leading up to the succession by Solomon. Briefly, in 1 Kings, the dying King David nominated Solomon as his successor in order to forstall a coup by an older son, whereas the Chronicles story says that, while still healthy and in full command, David announced that God had chosen Solomon to succeed him. Either the Chronicler had reason to believe that the Deuteronomic history was false, or the Chronicler simply wanted to rewrite history, whether or not the earlier account was based on fact.

The defining legend of Solomon was his great wisdom, gifted to him by God. However, finding specific biblical examples of his wisdom proves difficult. Solomon was certainly not wise when he first succeeded David. At 1Kings 1:52, he said that he would not harm Adonijah as long as he showed himself a worthy man. However, in chapter 2, he ordered the death of Adonijah merely because he sought Solomon's approval to marry a woman. He punished the priest Abiathar, who had previously helped Adonijah, and Joab who did not, although he later befriended him. Then he ordered Shimei, who had not been allied with Adonijah, never to leave Jerusalem. Afterwards, Shimei briefly left Jerusalem to recapture and bring back his slaves, so Solomon had him killed. Solomon has demonstrated his lack of good judgement, as a foil for the qualities he would soon display.

Shortly after this, Solomon, in a dream, asked God for wisdom. Soon after God granted Solomon wisdom, two women asked for judgement over the ownership of a small baby. In this episode, Solomon gave his most famous judgement, the only biblical example of his great wisdom. Solomon, with his profound wisdom, just knew that only one woman would be willing to give up her claim to the child rather than have it killed. Whether the insight this passage describes was really wise can be a matter for our own judgement.

According to The Bible, Solomon demonstrated no political wisdom, nor even sufficient common sense to govern wisely in the interests of his own son's succession to the throne of the United Monarchy. The Bible tells us that Solomon's reckless spending and swingeing taxes, maintained by his son, were the cause of the breakup of the United Monarchy. In spite of his supposedly personal knowledge of God, 1 Kings chapter 11 says that he unwisely began to worship other gods.

The biblical evidence shows Solomon not to have been a wise ruler, either before or after the gift of wisdom, but Jewish tradition has built up an image of Solomon as a great and wise ruler. Psalms that show any evidence of wisdom have been attributed to him, as have the wisdom books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.