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David's son and Israel's wisest king — built the first Temple
Also known as The Preacher, The Teacher
Referenced by Josephus (Antiquities 8.1-7) citing independent Phoenician historians Menander of Ephesus and Dius regarding correspondence with Hiram of Tyre
Asked God for wisdom instead of wealth, and got both. Built the magnificent Temple in Jerusalem. Wrote Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. Despite being the wisest man alive, his many foreign wives led him into idolatry. Jesus referenced him: 'Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.'.
An Egyptian pharaoh captures Gezer and gives it to Solomon as a wedding dowry.
Solomon Asks for WisdomUnited KingdomGod offered Solomon anything he wanted — Solomon chose wisdom to lead well, and God gave him everything else on top of it.
Solomon Becomes KingUnited KingdomDavid's final days were a political thriller — one son grabbed for the crown while Bathsheba and Nathan secured it for Solomon.
Solomon Builds the TempleUnited KingdomSolomon built a magnificent temple for God — and when it was dedicated, God's glory filled the building so powerfully the priests couldn't stand.
Solomon's FallUnited KingdomThe wisest man who ever lived married 700 wives who turned his heart toward other gods — and it cost his son the kingdom.
The Queen of Sheba VisitsUnited KingdomThe Queen of Sheba traveled from afar to test Solomon's wisdom — and left saying the reports hadn't told her the half of it.
The Queen of Sheba Visits SolomonUnited KingdomA monarch from Arabia travels north to test Solomon's wisdom — and goes home declaring the half had not been told.
111 chapters across 23 books
Solomon is credited here as the author of a deliberate mission statement — he names his audience explicitly and clarifies that these proverbs exist to train readers in wisdom, integrity, and discernment.
What Your Parents Already KnowProverbs 10:1-5Solomon is credited as the author opening this new collection with observations rooted in family and work, anchoring the proverbs in the everyday tensions between short-term ease and long-term consequence.
Honest WeightProverbs 11:1-3Solomon opens the first section by grounding his wisdom in a marketplace image everyone would recognize — the merchant with the rigged scale — and then builds outward to pride and integrity.
The Thing Nobody Wants to HearProverbs 12:1-4Solomon opens the chapter with his most confrontational line — your reaction to being corrected is a diagnostic of your character, revealing whether you love growth or just love being right.
What Your Words Are BuildingProverbs 13:1-3Solomon opens the chapter's first section with three sayings about speech, establishing that every word either constructs or demolishes — and that receptivity to correction is itself a form of wisdom.
+ 17 more chapters in proverbs
Solomon is shown here consolidating his kingdom not through force but through communal worship, leading the entire nation's leadership to Gibeon to offer sacrifices at the ancient altar.
The People Make a Reasonable Ask2 Chronicles 10:1-5Solomon is invoked here as the source of the people's suffering — his labor demands and crushing policies are the specific complaint the assembly brings to Rehoboam, framing the entire negotiation.
The Ones Who Chose to Stay Faithful2 Chronicles 11:13-17Solomon is named alongside David as the benchmark for faithful rule — the three-year period of Rehoboam's stability is evaluated against both his father's and grandfather's walk with God.
Gold Replaced with Bronze2 Chronicles 12:9-11Solomon is invoked here as the craftsman of the original gold shields — his legacy of God-given splendor is now the standard against which Rehoboam's bronze replacements are measured.
The Scale of the Vision2 Chronicles 2:1-2Solomon is organizing his massive workforce before a single stone is cut — assigning over 153,000 men to specific roles, demonstrating that his vision is matched by disciplined execution.
Solomon responds to Adonijah's terrified asylum with measured restraint — offering conditional mercy rather than immediate execution, establishing his reign with a surprising display of wisdom from the start.
She Came With QuestionsPeak of GlorySolomon is the subject of the queen's visit — she has come personally to test him with hard questions and riddles, and he answers everything she puts before him without exception.
A Thousand Ways to Lose Your HeartThe FallSolomon is the subject of a blunt opening indictment — his early devotion is now contrasted starkly with his practice of marrying hundreds of foreign women from nations God explicitly prohibited.
One Request, One Chance1 Kings 12:1-5Meanwhile in Judah1 Kings 14:21-24+ 8 more chapters in 1 kings
Solomon re-identifies himself as the Preacher-king who personally funded and conducted the ultimate experiment in human experience, lending his sweeping conclusion — that all striving is vapor — the weight of firsthand, unlimited-resource testing.
Dead Flies in the PerfumeEcclesiastes 10:1-3Solomon opens with the ruined-perfume image to make his central point visceral: small acts of foolishness can undo years of carefully built wisdom, reputation, and honor.
Give It AwayEcclesiastes 11:1-2Solomon opens the section with the striking image of bread thrown on water — using it to argue that generous, seemingly reckless giving is actually the wisest response to an uncertain future.
Before the Light Goes OutSolomon is identified here as the Preacher whose voice carries Ecclesiastes — introduced in the opening frame as the author whose lifelong pursuit of wisdom under the sun culminates in this final chapter's urgent appeal.
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Solomon is designing a deliberate experiment in pleasure, testing whether enjoyment can satisfy the soul — notably keeping his wisdom engaged throughout rather than abandoning himself recklessly.
+ 7 more chapters in ecclesiastes
Solomon appears here as just one child among thirteen born in Jerusalem — unremarkable at this moment, though the reader knows he will go on to build the Temple and surpass all his brothers in legacy.
A Promise That Goes Forever1 Chronicles 17:11-15Solomon is the immediate fulfillment of God's promise — the son who will actually construct the Temple David longed to build — though the text's language of 'forever' stretches well beyond Solomon's reign.
Fire From Heaven1 Chronicles 21:26-30Solomon is mentioned here as the one who will build the Temple on this exact site — the threshing floor David purchased in the aftermath of his worst mistake becomes the foundation of Israel's most sacred structure.
Why God Said No1 Chronicles 22:6-10Solomon is receiving the defining charge of his life — learning for the first time (or in full detail) why he, not his father, is destined to build the Temple, and hearing the covenant promise God made about his reign and his relationship with God.
Everyone Has a Role to PlaySolomon is named here as David's chosen successor, the formal transfer of royal authority that frees David to focus his remaining strength on organizing the Temple's personnel and worship structure.
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Solomon is implicitly present here as the builder of everything Ahaz is tearing down — the extravagant craftsmanship of Israel's wisest king being dismantled piece by piece through one faithless reign.
Blood in the Streets2 Kings 21:16-18Solomon is cited alongside David as the kings honored with royal tombs — their absence from Manasseh's burial narrative quietly underscoring that Judah's most corrupt king died without the dignity his office should have carried.
Smashing Centuries of Corruption2 Kings 23:11-14Solomon is named as the builder of the high places east of Jerusalem that have now stood for over three hundred years — even Israel's wisest king left a legacy of idolatrous compromise that Josiah finally tears down.
The Siege and the Stripping2 Kings 24:10-16Solomon is referenced here as the craftsman of the Temple's golden vessels — now being hacked to pieces by Babylon, marking the desecration of Israel's most sacred handiwork.
The Temple Burns2 Kings 25:8-12Solomon is invoked here as the builder of the Temple now reduced to ash — the seven years of construction and centuries of sacred history obliterated in Nebuzaradan's campaign of destruction.
Solomon is referenced here as the originator of a special servant class — the descendants of his personal servants are listed separately from the Nethinim, preserving a distinct legacy within the returning community.
The Construction Crew Gets to WorkEzra 3:7-9Solomon is invoked here as the precedent for the cedar supply chain from Lebanon — the returned exiles are deliberately mirroring his construction methods, connecting this new Temple to the original.
The People's AnswerEzra 5:11-16Solomon is invoked by the elders to establish the Temple's ancient legitimacy — by naming him as the original builder, they're claiming centuries of authorized history for a project some officials are treating as unauthorized.
The Man Who Changed Everything by StudyingSolomon is referenced here as the builder of the original Temple, establishing a point of comparison — the rebuilt structure Zerubbabel completed was smaller and less grand than what Solomon constructed centuries earlier.
The Report That Broke HimEzra 9:1-4Solomon is cited as the cautionary precedent: even Israel's wisest king had his heart turned by foreign marriages to idolatrous women, making the current pattern not just familiar but catastrophic.
Solomon is identified here as the author and subject of this ancient love poem, framing Chapter 2 as part of a larger collection exploring human love with unguarded beauty and depth.
Altogether BeautifulSolomon is identified here as the book's attributed author and voice, establishing whose words these are — Israel's wisest and most celebrated king, whose name lends the entire poem its literary authority and canonical weight.
What Makes Him DifferentSolomon is referenced here as the traditional author of this ancient love poem, establishing the literary and historical context for the dialogue of longing and devotion that unfolds throughout chapter 5.
Every Part of YouSolomon is named here as the traditional author and voice behind this ancient love poem, lending the book its royal, wisdom-tradition identity within the Hebrew canon.
Not for SaleSong of Solomon 8:11-12Solomon is referenced here as a symbol of extreme wealth and acquisition — his vast vineyard representing the kind of power that can manage and profit from things, but cannot purchase what the woman freely gives.
Solomon enters the narrative here as a newborn, already loved by God and given a second name meaning 'beloved of the Lord' — a sign that God's purposes are moving forward through this family despite the wreckage.
The Threshing Floor That Changed Everything2 Samuel 24:18-25Solomon is referenced here prospectively — the threshing floor David purchases becomes the site where his son will build the Temple, connecting this act of costly worship directly to Israel's greatest sanctuary.
A House and a Growing Family2 Samuel 5:11-16Solomon is named in David's list of Jerusalem-born sons — a detail the text flags as significant, foreshadowing his future role as David's successor and temple-builder.
A Kingdom That Will Last Forever2 Samuel 7:12-17Solomon is the immediate, partial fulfillment of the promise — the offspring from David's body who will literally build the Temple — but the text notes that 'forever' language points beyond Solomon's finite reign.
Solomon is referenced here through his servants' descendants — families whose ancestral identity traced back to the royal household were among those resettling Jerusalem.
Taking Care of the Ones Who Lead WorshipNehemiah 12:44-47Solomon is cited alongside David as having issued the commands that organize temple worship — the dedication ceremony's structure reaches back through both kings, grounding it in the full span of the monarchy's worship tradition.
A Line That Couldn't Be CrossedNehemiah 13:23-27The People Nobody Talks AboutNehemiah 7:46-60Solomon is referenced here as the ancient origin point for an entire class of Temple workers — families still carrying their identity as "Solomon's servants" centuries after he first assigned their ancestors to Temple service.
Solomon's Colonnade is the covered portico within the Temple complex where the healed man clings to Peter and John and the crowd gathers — a well-known public gathering space.
Signs, Wonders, and ShadowsActs 5:12-16Solomon's Portico — a colonnade on the eastern edge of the Temple complex built during Solomon's era — serves as the apostles' regular gathering place and the public stage for their ongoing ministry.
The Speech That Got Him KilledSolomon appears as the endpoint of Stephen's historical arc in the introduction, mentioned as the one who built the Temple — a detail Stephen will later use to argue that even the Temple's own builder knew God couldn't be contained in it.
Solomon is referenced as the king who originally built and dedicated the Temple, establishing the centuries-long precedent of God's Glory filling this specific building — a precedent now being dramatically reversed.
Two Sticks, One HandEzekiel 37:15-17Solomon is referenced here as the historical turning point — his death triggered the kingdom split that created the division between Judah and Israel that God is now promising to permanently heal.
Into the Main HallEzekiel 41:1-4Solomon is invoked as the builder of the original Temple, providing the historical reference point for the Holy of Holies — the room whose function and design Ezekiel's vision is now echoing in this future structure.
Solomon opens the psalm here with two concrete images — a house and a guarded city — then dismantles the assumption that human effort secures either one, pointing instead to God as the only reliable foundation.
A Kingdom With No EdgesPsalms 72:8-11Solomon is acknowledged here as genuinely impressive, but the commentary notes plainly that even his celebrated reign fell far short of the borderless universal kingdom David's prayer envisions.
Solomon is referenced here to establish the legendary status of Lebanon's cedars — his use of them for the Temple made them synonymous with permanence and greatness, heightening the shock of their destruction.
Never Underestimate a Small BeginningZechariah 4:8-10Solomon is referenced here as the builder of the first Temple — whose magnificent original structure made the modest new foundation look so unimpressive that the older generation wept at the comparison.