Question 1

What is the main message of this passage about Solomon?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows Solomon at the height of his power, wealth, and honor. It lists the huge amount of gold that came to him each year, the golden shields and throne he made, and the rich items his ships brought back. It also says that other kings came to hear the wisdom God put in his heart and brought him gifts year after year. The main message is that God kept his promise to give Solomon riches, honor, and wisdom beyond other kings, and that this lifted Israel into a time of great peace and abundance.

Question 2

Why does the passage describe Solomon’s gold and throne in such detail?

Accepted Answer

The detailed list of gold, shields, the ivory and gold throne, and the golden cups is meant to show just how rich and honored Solomon became. The writer wants the reader to see that this was not ordinary wealth but something far beyond what other kings had. By naming the numbers of shields, the steps to the throne, and the lions beside it, the passage turns those promises of riches and honor into something you can picture. It underlines that God truly gave Solomon a glory in his kingdom that stood out from other nations at that time.

Question 3

What does it mean that Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom?

Accepted Answer

When it says Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom, it means he went beyond them. No other ruler around him matched him in wealth or in the kind of insight he had. The passage also explains that his wisdom came from God, not from himself. Other kings traveled to see him and to hear him speak, which shows how highly they thought of him. So this line is not just praise for Solomon; it also points back to God as the one who lifted him up and gave him these gifts.

Question 4

Why did other kings bring gifts to Solomon every year?

Accepted Answer

Other kings brought Solomon gifts like gold, silver, fine clothes, armor, spices, horses, and mules because they wanted his favor and his friendship. The passage also says they came to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. So their gifts were signs of respect and a way to keep good ties with him. These were not taxes he forced but offerings they chose to bring. This steady stream of gifts shows how far Solomon’s name had spread and how much other rulers valued a connection with him and his kingdom.

Question 5

What are the ships of Tarshish mentioned in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The ships of Tarshish were large trading ships used in long sea voyages. In this passage, they went out with the servants of Huram and came back every three years, carrying gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. This shows that Solomon’s kingdom was involved in wide trade and had access to distant goods. The mention of these ships helps explain how so much wealth flowed into his kingdom. It also shows that Solomon did not only receive wealth from nearby rulers but was deeply involved in international trade across the seas.

Question 6

What is the house of the forest of Lebanon and why are shields stored there?

Accepted Answer

The house of the forest of Lebanon was one of Solomon’s great buildings, named that way because of the many cedar pillars that made it look like a forest. In this passage, Solomon places the two hundred large targets of gold and the three hundred smaller golden shields there. Storing them in this house shows it was an important royal building, used for display and possibly for special state events. The golden shields were not common battle gear but signs of royal glory, so keeping them in such a grand hall fit their purpose as symbols of his splendor.

Question 7

What does this passage teach about the source of Solomon’s wisdom and success?

Accepted Answer

The passage is careful to say that the wisdom other kings came to hear was the wisdom that God had put in Solomon’s heart. So his insight, decisions, and sayings were not only the fruit of natural talent or effort. They were gifts from God. His wealth, ships, and large army of horses and chariots all grew under that God-given wisdom. This reminds the reader that, behind all the gold and glory, there is a God who gives and who keeps his word about lifting Solomon above other rulers of his time.

Question 8

How should readers today think about Solomon’s wealth and glory in this passage?

Accepted Answer

This passage invites readers to see how far God can raise a person and a nation, and that every gift, whether wisdom or riches, comes from God’s hand. It shows that outward glory can be very great, but it also hints, from the wider story, that such glory does not last forever. Remembering that Solomon later died and left it all behind helps keep this wealth in the right place. Readers today can respect what God did in his life while also holding earthly riches lightly and seeking the kind of wisdom that leads to pleasing God above all.

2 Chronicles 9:13

¶ Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;

Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor

metadata.crossReferences

2 Chronicles 9:13

¶ Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;

share.title

share.allVerses

share.verseWithContext

share.currentVerse

Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor

metadata.crossReferences