SUMMARY
Solomon’s plentiful economic wealth is paraded before the reader’s imagination.
ANALYSIS
In exquisite detail, this section outlines the extraordinary wealth held by King SolomonThird king of Israel who was known for wisdom and building the first Temple. More. From the weight of the annual tribute of gold to the throne of ivory; from the exotic animals received periodically from Tarshish to the chariots and horses stationed in his kingdom, Solomon excels in wealth of every kind.
The abundant splendor of this section serves certain rhetorical purposes. The goal is not merely to point out that Solomon was wealthy. The specific kinds of wealth he obtained both spoke to his status and foreshadowed his downfall. Attentive readers will note not only what Solomon received, but what he did – and did not do – with his loot. Previous chapters have spent painstaking detail outlining the gold trappings of the inner sanctuaryA sanctuary is the consecrated area around the altar of a church or temple. It also means a place of safety where one can flee for protection. In the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms, God is referred to as a sanctuary, a refuge from... More of the TempleThe Jerusalem temple, unlike the tabernacle, was a permanent structure, although (like the tabernacle) it was a place of worship and religious activity. On one occasion Jesus felt such activity was unacceptable and, as reported in all four Gospels, drove from the temple those engaged... More that he built. The Temple was not the only recipient of a luxurious amount of gold. As Solomon received gold as tribute, he also used it to create military armor that he then displayed in the royal palace. With more gold, he fashioned his cups and utensils, but he did not add anything to the utensils and tools of the Temple. Solomon established an enormous military presence (in ancient times horses were the equivalent of tanks or other armored vehicles), but he did so specifically against the instructions of Deuteronomy 17:14-20, which warned against kings amassing horses and gold. The overall picture is not merely one of a king swimming in wealth like Scrooge McDuck; Solomon is presented as a king who hoarded splendor for himself. More importantly, Solomon appears to be dazzled by the golden luster surrounding him, and he fails to see the ways his feet are starting to stray from God’s path.
