- Solomon son of David took firm control of his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him very powerful.
- Solomon called together all the leaders of Israel—the generals and captains of the army,[1] the judges, and all the political and clan leaders.
- Then he led the entire assembly to the place of worship in Gibeon, for God's Tabernacle[2] was located there. (This was the Tabernacle that Moses, the Lord's servant, had made in the wilderness.)
- David had already moved the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the tent he had prepared for it in Jerusalem.
- But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri and grandson of Hur was there[3] at Gibeon in front of the Tabernacle of the Lord. So Solomon and the people gathered in front of it to consult the Lord.[4]
- There in front of the Tabernacle, Solomon went up to the bronze altar in the Lord's presence and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings on it.
- That night God appeared to Solomon and said, "What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!"
- Solomon replied to God, "You showed faithful love to David, my father, and now you have made me king in his place.
- O Lord God, please continue to keep your promise to David my father, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth!
- Give me the wisdom and knowledge to lead them properly,[5] for who could possibly govern this great people of yours?"
- God said to Solomon, "Because your greatest desire is to help your people, and you did not ask for wealth, riches, fame, or even the death of your enemies or a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge to properly govern my people—
- I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested. But I will also give you wealth, riches, and fame such as no other king has had before you or will ever have in the future!"
- Then Solomon returned to Jerusalem from the Tabernacle at the place of worship in Gibeon, and he reigned over Israel.
- Solomon built up a huge force of chariots and horses.[6] He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities and some near him in Jerusalem.
- The king made silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah.[7]
- Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt[8] and from Cilicia[9]; the king's traders acquired them from Cilicia at the standard price.
- At that time chariots from Egypt could be purchased for 600 pieces of silver,[10] and horses for 150 pieces of silver.[11] They were then exported to the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.
Solomon Asks for Wisdom
- Hebrew 'the commanders of thousands and of hundreds.'
- Hebrew 'Tent of Meeting;' also in 1:6, 13.
- As in Greek version and Latin Vulgate, and some Hebrew manuscripts. Masoretic Text reads 'he placed.'
- Hebrew 'to consult him.'
- Hebrew 'to go out and come in before this people.'
- Or 'charioteers;' also in 1:14b.
- Hebrew 'the Shephelah.'
- Possibly 'Muzur,' a district near Cilicia; also in 1:17.
- Hebrew 'Kue,' probably another name for Cilicia.
- Hebrew '600 shekels of silver,' about 15 pounds or 6.8 kilograms in weight.
- Hebrew '150 shekels,' about 3.8 pounds or 1.7 kilograms in weight.