Nine Honorable Sons of King Solomon in the Bible

Sons of Solomon in the Bible — Who Was Solomon?

Before delving into any discussion related to the sons of Solomon in the Bible, it is first necessary to introduce the man, Solomon. Solomon was one of the sons of David, and the second king of Israel.

After the first king of Israel, Saul, and all of his sons, were killed in battle, the people of Israel desired that David be their king. King David had several wives and many sons, but out of all of them, God chose Solomon, whose mother’s name was Bathsheba, to be David’s successor.

Solomon was also named “Jedidiah,” which means “Beloved of the LORD,” the name given to him at his birth, according to 2 Samuel 12:25. But more commonly, he is known as “Solomon,” which means “peaceable,” according to 1 Chronicles 22:9.

Before King’s David’s death he had the prophet Nathan, and Zadok the priest, anoint Solomon to be king. Solomon’s reign was one of peace.

Solomon’s Wisdom and Wealth

King Solomon’s reign over Israel was unique in that he was both the wisest king, and also the richest one, too. God appeared to Solomon and asked him what he desired. Solomon asked God for wisdom and knowledge to know how to judge God’s people. Pleased with Solomon’s answer, God answered his prayer for wisdom, and also gave him great riches to go with it. God made Solomon the wisest man who ever lived. Read his prayer and God’s answer in 1 Kings 3:5-14 and 2 Chronicles 1:7-12.

1 Kings 4:30 is a summary of Solomon’s wealth and wisdom. “So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.” (KJV)

The Bible also records that people from all parts of the world came to hear the wisdom of Solomon. The most notable visitor the Bible records that Solomon had was the Queen of Sheba. Read about her visit in 1 Kings 10:1-13 and also in 2 Chronicles 9:1-12.

The Queen of Sheba summarized her visit with King Solomon in these words recorded in 2 Chronicles 9:5-6:

“And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom: Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.” (KJV)

Solomon Built God’s Temple

Solomon’s father, King David, wanted to build a temple for God. But God told David that Solomon, not David, would build Him a temple. Before David died, he prepared the materials needed for the temple and instructed Solomon on how to build it. Solomon did as his father instructed, and he built the house of the Lord in seven years. You can read about this magnificent temple that housed the treasure of the nation of Israel — the Ark of the Covenant of God — in 1 Kings chapter 6.

Solomon’s Daughters

Even in an article about the sons of Solomon in the Bible, there should be at least a passing mention of his daughters. The Bible mentions only two of his daughters by name.

The son of Abinadab was the son-in-law of King Solomon, and he served as one of Solomon’s officers. His wife is mentioned in 1 Kings 4:11 “The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife.” (KJV)

The other daughter that the Bible mentions by name is Basmath. Her husband, Ahimaaz, also served his royal father-in-law, according to 1 Kings 4:15 “Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife.” (KJV)

Solomon’s Writings

King Solomon recorded some of his great wisdom in three books of God’s Word. These Old Testament books written by him are: The Song of Solomon, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes.

The first verse of the Song of Solomon is “The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.” (KJV). The topic of the Song of Solomon is a young man rejoicing in his beautiful bride.

Solomon addressed the Book of Proverbs to his son in Proverbs 1:8. “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.” (KJV) Proverbs contains a collection of practical wisdom.

In the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon identified himself as “The Preacher,” in Ecclesiastes 1:1. “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.” (KJV) This book contains the musings of an old, bitter, and even foolish man who has rejected following God.

Solomon’s Foreign Wives

Solomon started his life and his reign well, but as he got older, he was negatively influenced by the many idol worshiping, foreign women whom he married. God is not against interracial marriages, but He does warn against interfaith relationships. Solomon, in an effort to please his foreign wives, built places of worship for their cultural deities.

These included, among others, Ashtoreth, the false goddess of the Zidonians; Milcom (or Moloch), the abomination of the Ammonites; and Chemosh, the abomination of the Moabites. Solomon was not content just to build places of worship for these false gods. It appears that he also joined his wives in worshiping these idols.

1 Kings 11:1-7 
“But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;  Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.” (KJV)

Solomon’s Punishment

Disobedience to God has consequences for both kings and commoners, and everyone in between, and Solomon was no exception. With his many marriages and worshiping of false gods, he had blatantly disobeyed God’s spoken words to him. Here is what God said to him about his disobedience:

1 Kings 11:11-13 “Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.” (KJV)

God had mercy on Solomon since He allowed Solomon to keep the united tribes of Israel throughout his lifetime. But, just as God said, after Solomon’s death the nation of Israel was divided. This happened during the reign of Solomon’s son Rehoboam.

Sons of Solomon in the Bible — Rehoboam’s Reign

Of all the sons of Solomon, Rehoboam became king after Solomon’s death, and his reign was not a good one. After he ascended the throne, representatives of the people of Israel requested that he would not be as strict with the people of Isarel like his father King Solomon was, and that he lift the “heavy yoke” that Solomon imposed upon them. But Rehoboam rejected this counsel, and told the people of Israel that he intended to be much harder on them than even his father Solomon was.

This arrogant declaration of King Rehoboam resulted in a civil war that split the nation of Isarel, just as God told Solomon. Of the twelve tribes of Israel, only the tribe of Judah followed Rehoboam. The other tribes made Jeroboam, son of Nebat, king over them. This division of the nation of Israel resulted in the southern tribes known as “Judah,” with the city of Jerusalem (also called the City of David) being their capital, and the northern tribe, known as “Israel,” with Samaria as their capital.

1 Kings 12:20 “And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.” (KJV)

Sons of Solomon in the Bible — Honorable Descendants of Solomon

After Rehoboam, his son Abijah became king of Judah. Like his father, but not his grandfather, Solomon, he was an evil king. All of the descendants of King Rehoboam were descendants of Solomon. Biblical history records the kings of the northern tribes — Israel – the northern kingdom — were all evil, and continually rejected the God of Israel. Most, but not all of the kings of Judah, descendants of Solomon, were evil kings. Of the good kings who were descendants of Solomon were:

King Asa — 1 Kings 15:11 “And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.” (KJV) See also 2 Chronicles 14:2.

King Jehoshaphat — 2 Chronicles 17:3 “And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim” (KJV)

King Jehoash (also called Joash) — 2 Kings12:2 “And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.” (KJV)

King Amaziah and his son King Azariah (also called Uzziah) — 2 Kings 15:3 “And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;” (KJV)

King Jotham — 2 Chronicles 27:6 “So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.” (KJV)

King Hezekiah — 2 Chronicles 31:20 “And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God.” (KJV)

King Josiah — One of the most godly kings of Judah, who undid the idolatry that his ancestor, King Solomon, had started. King Josiah destroyed the high places, the places of idol worship that King Solomon had built a few centuries earlier.

This action of King Josiah is recorded in 2 Kings 23:13 “And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.” (KJV)

Sons of Solomon in the Bible — Jesus Christ

It was from the line of Solomon that the best, the sinless, and the eternal King came — Jesus Christ, one of the sons of Solomon. He was and is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This coming king, foretold by prophets, both was and is the most honorable of all of the sons of Solomon in the Bible.

For another article about Bible personalities, check out Elisheba.

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