B1-King David / B2-ii-King Solomon

David chooses Solomon as king then instructs him

1:1-4

• David has become old [and weak] and needs a nursemaid to keep him warm at night

1:5-40

• Adonijah [David’s 4th son, see 2 Sam 3:4] attempts to make himself king; Bathsheba & Nathan inform David, who orders that Solomon be made king;
• Solomon is anointed by Zadok

1:41-53

• Adonijah seeks refuge at God’s altar so Solomon spares his life [but only temporarily, see 2:23-25]

2:1

• David is drawing near to death, so he gives his final instructions to Solomon:

2:2-4

#1. Obey God’s law; then God will keep His promise about David’s throne [cf. 2 Sam 7:12-17]

2:5-6

#2. Punish Joab because he murdered Abner & Amasa [see 2 Sam 3:27-29, 20:9-10; 1 Kgs 2:29-34]

2:7

#3. Be kind to Barzillai’s sons because they came to [help] David [see 2 Sam 17:27-29, 19:31-40]

2:8-9

#4. Punish Shimei because he cursed David [see 2 Sam 16:5-13] but David had promised that he would not [personally] punish Shimei with the sword [see 2 Sam 19:23; 1 Kgs 2:41-46]

2:10-12

• King David dies and is buried in the ‘City of David’ [Jerusalem]
• Solomon sits on the throne

B2-ii-King Solomon

[cf. 2 Chron ch. 1 – 9]

Solomon deals with his enemies

2:13-25

• Adonijah [David’s 4th son] claims that he wants to marry Abishag [David’s nursemaid, see 1:1-4];
• Solomon believes Adonijah is claiming the throne [based on an oriental custom: a king’s harem is inherited by their successor, cf. 2 Sam 16:21-22];
• Solomon orders that Adonijah must die (cf. 1:52)

2:26-27

• Abiathar [who supported Adonijah (1:7, 2:22)] is deposed as priest by Solomon;
• this also fulfils a prophecy against Eli’s descendants

[in 1 Sam 2:30-33. In fact, most of Eli’s descendants had already been killed by King Saul, but Abiathar had escaped and so David had protected him, see 1 Sam 22:17-23]

2:28-34

• Joab [who supported Adonijah (1:7, 2:22)] flees to the temple; Solomon orders his death (cf. 2:5-6)

2:35

• Benaiah becomes army commander [in place of Joab]
• Zadok replaces Abiathar as [chief] priest

2:36-46

• Solomon orders Shimei to remain in Jerusalem [acting as Shimei’s city of refuge, cf. Num 35:26-28], but Shimei departs to recover some runaway slaves, so Solomon sentences him to death

Solomon’s wisdom and wealth

3:1-15

• Solomon gets married
• He makes sacrifices at Gibeon, and God says, ‘Ask for whatever you want!’;
• he asks for wisdom; God promises:

i. wisdom;

ii. wealth;

iii. honour;

iv. long life

3:16-28

• Two women argue over a baby, each claiming to be its mother; Solomon determines the truth

ch. 4

• List: v1-19, Solomon’s officials;
• v20-28, Solomon’s wealth;
• v29-34, Solomon’s wisdom

Solomon builds the temple (and his palace)

ch. 5

• Solomon asks King Hiram^A (of Tyre) to help him build the temple [Hiram^A had previously helped to build King David’s palace, see 2 Sam 5:11], and Solomon conscripts Israelite workers

[and these Israelites were treated as hired men and not as slaves, cf. 9:22, due to the law of Moses, see Lev 25:39-46]

6:1-13

• While Solomon builds the temple [described in detail], God says, ‘ If you follow My law, I will keep My promise to David, and I will not abandon My people’ (cf. 2:1-4, 9:4-9, 11:9-13)

6:14-36

• Having completed the temple [structure], Solomon works on its décor (panels, carvings, etc.)

6:37-38

• The temple [structure and décor] took 7 years to complete [but it now requires furniture, see 7:13-51]

7:1-12

• Solomon spends 13 years building a palace for himself and his wife

7:13-51

• Solomon brings Hiram^B from Tyre to build bronze pillars, basins, utensils, etc. for the temple

The temple is dedicated to God

8:1-9

• Solomon gathers the elders during the Feast [-of-Tabernacles, cf. Lev 23:33-36, v39-43] & they bring the Ark of the Covenant to the temple [from its tent in Jerusalem, cf. 2 Sam 6:17]

8:10-13

• The cloud of God’s glory fills the temple [in the same way that it filled the tabernacle in Ex 40:34-35]

8:14-61

• v14-21, Solomon speaks to the people;
• v22-53, he prays;
• v54-61, he blesses the people

8:62-66

• The temple is dedicated and consecrated, and the people celebrate the Feast-of-Tabernacles

9:1-9

• God says to Solomon, ‘Obey my laws and your throne will be established forever (cf. 2:1-4); if you disobey, Israel will be cut off & the temple destroyed’ [cf. Jer 52:2-27, Lam 1:8-18]

Solomon’s wealth and wisdom

9:10-14

• Solomon gives King Hiram^A 20 towns in Galilee (because Hiram^A had provided wood and gold for the temple) but Hiram^A is displeased & names the land ‘Cabul’ [Good-for-Nothing]

9:15-24

• Solomon built up various cities; he forced the Canaanites to be his slave labour [cf. Ecc 2:4-7]

9:25

• Solomon made sacrifices to God three times per year [obeying the law in Ex 23:17, Deut 16:16-17]

9:26-28

• Solomon built ships which were used to collect gold [cf. Ecc 2:8a]

10:1-13

• The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon & is impressed by his wealth & wisdom;
• she gives him gold, spices & precious stones (adding to the gold, wood used in the temple & precious stones imported by Hiram^A’s navy);
• Solomon gives the Queen anything that she asks for

10:14-27

• Solomon’s wealth: He owned shields of gold; a great throne; a fleet of ships
• He received various gifts for imparting wisdom
• He acquired horses & chariots; silver in abundance

Solomon’s wickedness and God’s judgement

10:28-29

• Solomon imported his horses from Egypt [in defiance of the law at Deut 17:16]

11:1-3

• Solomon had many foreign wives [cf. Ecc 2:8b; in defiance of the laws at Deut 7:3-4 & Deut 17:17]

11:4-8

• Solomon worshipped the gods & idols of his foreign wives, and he built shrines & altars

11:9-13

• God tells Solomon, ‘Your kingdom will be torn away from you!’ [cf. 9:4-9; fulfilled at 12:16-24]

Solomon’s enemies

11:14-40

• God raises up enemies against Solomon [in contrast to 5:4-5 when Solomon was not being wicked]:

1. (11:14-22) Hadad (from Edom) who had escaped King David’s attack on Edom [see 2 Sam 8:13-14]
2. (11:23-25) Rezon (from Aram) who led a band of men after David’s attack on Aram [in 2 Sam 8:3-8]
3. (11:26-40) Jeroboam (from Israel): Jeroboam is told by Prophet Ahijah, ‘You will be king over 10 tribes of Israel [Northern Kingdom]’

• Solomon tries to kill Jeroboam, so he flees to Egypt

[Note the contrast between the situations at the start and the end of Solomon's reign. Solomon had dealt with his enemies very effectively when God was with him and his throne was established, e.g. see 2:45-46, but now his enemies escape and cause trouble for him]

11:41-43

• Solomon dies (after reigning for 40 years); his son Rehoboam succeeds him as king

1-Sam / 2-Sam / 1-KGS / 2-Kgs / 1-Chr