Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Monarchy’

Image

Within the world of the biblical text there are often many different traditions and conflicting views about the same event within the history of Israel. In the passages of 1 Kings 9:15-20 and Deuteronomy 17:14-20 we are presented with such a dilemma.  On the one hand, we have the tradition of the Deuteronomistic Historians, and on the other hand, we have the tradition of Deuteronomy.  Both traditions provide us with two different interpretations on the reign of Solomon as King of Israel.  Was he a good king or a bad one?  Although 1 Kings presents him in a positive light, it is the argument of this paper that Deuteronomy makes the distinctive claim that Solomon was an uncovenantal king who made Jerusalem a second Egypt.

1 Kgs. 9:15-10:29 speaks of Solomon and his entire kingdom favorably, presenting Solomon as a pious, wise, and wealthy king. Solomon’s piousness is displayed in his ability to build an extravagant house for the Lord in Jerusalem, which was a seven year project. (1 Kgs. 9:15; 6:38).  His act of building the temple was not complete of course without his visits and sacrifices within the temple. The text states that Solomon would making burnt offerings and sacrifices of well-being on the altar that he had constructed for the Lord three times a year (1 Kgs. 6:38; 9:25). Not only is Solomon presented as devoted to the covenant by his piety, but every action of his is seen as a divine blessing of the wisdom that the Lord has granted him.[1] Solomon’s wisdom has helped him to create a kingdom which appears to be perfect in the eyes of a queen named Sheba. She proclaims that Solomon’s wisdom and his empire are greater than the reports she had heard, for Solomon’s wives and servants are happy! (1 Kgs. 10:7) The text presents this as true because God has delighted in Solomon and made him king to execute justice and righteousness (1 Kgs 10:9). And last but not least, Solomon’s immense wealth and copious amounts of Gold as presented in 10:14-22 are just astounding.  Surely, the Deuteronomistic Historians are trying to present him as a king which God has blessed within his covenant.

Despite the highly favorable language of 1 Kings concerning Solomon and his kingdom, in Deuteronomy 17:14-20 we find a very unsolomonic picture of Israel’s king. There are two main kinds of stipulations which define what the king of Israel is supposed to look like according to the author of Deuteronomy. First, there is a set of prohibitive stipulations. Second, there is a set of imperatives stipulations. Depending on how you count them, there are around ten, all of which the king of Israel is expected to measure up to. The question becomes: How does Solomon measure up with the Deuteronomical expectations of a king?  Well, he fails, explicitly breaking at least six of the stipulations and possibly implicitly breaking more.[2] The details of 1 Kings do not provide us with definitive evidence of Solomon having a copy of the law written for him in the presence of the levitical priests, nor are we ever told that he keeps the copy with him studying it all the days of his life (Deut. 17:18-19). 

In fact, it seems as though the writer of Deuteronomy is making a distinct and sharply focused claim about the kingship of Solomon.  In 1 Kings 11 the editors of the Deuteronomistic History claim that God rejects Solomon because of his many wives and his turning to worship their other Gods, but the Deuteronomy text of 17:14-20 is making the claim that God rejects Solomon on the basis of many things.  The author or Deuteronomy 17 is indicating that Solomon did many other things wrong, in fact, he came to look a lot like Pharaoh. Deuteronomy 17 says, reminds Israel that they are to never turn back toward Egypt again (Dtr. 17:16), but that’s exactly what Solomon does in 1 Kings.

 In light of Deuteronomy 17, parallels between Solomon’s reign and Pharaoh become very explicit.   It may not be too much of a stretch that Solomon is rejected theologically because he is so much like Pharaoh who is the enemy of God. Two very obvious parallels are as follows: The Pharaoh and Solomon were rulers over massive empires with massive building projects.  Pharaoh forced his resident aliens (Hebrews) to make bricks and do forced labor (Ex. 1:14).  Solomon, likewise, forced the resident Canaanites to build his vast empire (1 Kgs. 9:21).  Secondly, Pharaoh ruled and fought with a vast army of charioted soldiers (Ex. 14:23). Solomon is also attributed with have a vast army of chariots and horses to the extent that he has cities built for his chariots (1 Kgs 10:26-29)!  And not only are there direct parallels, but there are two direct connections with Egypt and the Pharaoh in 1 Kings. First, 1 Kings 9:16 in parenthetical notation adds that Solomon is married to the daughter of Pharaoh. Secondly, Solomon does direct business with the king of Egypt to get his horses and chariots (1 Kgs. 10:29).

In conclusion then, it is very easily inferred from the writings of Deuteronomy 17:14-20 that the author did not approve of king Solomon’s reign.  1 Kings presents Solomon as a grand king who is revered throughout the entire known world. Solomon is the wisest and richest and most honorable of them all, but the writer of Deuteronomy sharply disagrees.  It appears as though he actually uses Solomon’s rule as an example of what a covenantal kings should not look like.  The irony of the Deuteronomy text is that although Solomon is a king from the nation of Israel he does not rule like a king of Israel; rather, he is more akin to the ruler of Egypt, who was the very enemy of Israel.  In an odd way, the author of Deuteronomy is claiming that Solomon has brought Egypt to rest upon the holy place of Israel in Jerusalem.


[1] Solomon’s Wisdom is a large theme throughout chapters three through ten.  In 3:12-14 God promises wisdom, riches, and honor beyond all other kings to Solomon as long as he keeps the “statutes and commandments” of the covenant. In 3:28 the wisdom of God is said to be within Solomon. 4:29-34 tells of Solomon’s wisdom as greater than the sand of the seashores and that people from all nations will come to him because of what the wisdom that the Lord has given him. 5:12 God gives him wisdom which creates peace. 10:3 states that Solomon’s wisdom is endless. Lastly, 10:24 says, once again, that God has given him wisdom.

[2] The six that he breaks are: 1) He acquires many horses (1 Kgs. 10:25-29). 2) He returns to Egypt for horses (1 Kgs 10:29). 3) He acquires many wives (1 Kgs. 11:1-2). 4) He collects copious amounts of gold and silver (1 Kgs 10:14-22). 5) The very structure of his kingship exalts him above all of Israel and even above all other kingdoms. 6) He does not observe all the words of the law and its statues as is clear by the first five stipulations that he breaks.

Read Full Post »

JT Holderman

Encouraging You to Love the Lord

Alexandrian Theologian

Exploring Theology and Religion

WordPress.com News

The latest news on WordPress.com and the WordPress community.