“King Solomon; Man of Wisdom, Man of Foolishness.” 1 Kings 3; 5-11

Keywords

Solomon’s kingship, covenant obedience, wisdom, folly

Abstract

Solomon, the king of peace, ((The name Solomon comes from the Hebrew shlomo which derives from the Hebrew word shalom meaning peace.)) ascended the throne during Israel’s golden age taking the place of his father, David the beloved. ((David means “beloved” in Hebrew.  This name was also passed onto Solomon at the time of his birth.  According to 2 Samuel 12:25 when David presented the newborn Solomon to the prophet Nathan, the prophet called him “Jedidiah,” which in Hebrew means “beloved of Jehovah.”))  Before David died however, he left a charge upon Solomon much like other righteous fathers have done for their children throughout the ages. ((Before his death, Lehi left blessings upon each of his children (see 2 Nephi 1-4).  This follows the patriarchal pattern first established by Adam and later practiced by such notables as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.))  David counseled his regal son

I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; And keep the charge of the Lord they God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself. 1 Kings 2:2-3

This counsel echoes that of Lehi who said to his sons:

And now that my soul might have joy in you, and that my heart might leave this world with gladness because of you, that I might not be brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave, arise from the dust, my sons, and be men, and be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity. 2 Nephi 1:21

Lehi’s own experience with the redeeming power of Christ’s atonement was the basis for such loving counsel:

But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love. 2 Nephi 1:15

And thus desiring that his family partake of the same beautiful blessing from the Lord, Lehi counseled them to stand firm in righteousness:

I desire that ye should remember to observe the statutes and the judgments of the Lord; behold, this hath been the anxiety of my soul from the beginning. 2 Nephi 1:16

The blessing of living worthy and committed to the statues of the Lord was the same in the Old Testament as well as the Book of Mormon:

Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence. 2 Nephi 1:20

Herein is the foundation of wisdom and folly.  Those who keep God’s commandments are wise while those who do not are foolish.  Solomon, lamentably, is representative of both extremes.

Original Publication Citation

“King Solomon; Man of Wisdom, Man of Foolishness: 1 Kings 3; 5-11.” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. 2014.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2014

Publisher

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Language

English

College

Marriott School of Business

Department

Marketing

University Standing at Time of Publication

Associate Professor

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