And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.
Solomon's reign began with a gift of wisdom no one else has ever received. It ends here in one sentence: death, burial, and a son on the throne. The verse records no repentance and no recovery, so commentators ask what forty years of such privilege produced, and what Solomon passed on.
The Wording of the Verse
The verse says two things, not one: Solomon "slept with his fathers," and he "was buried." Commenting on another king, one writer explains the difference:
C KnappThe words "So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers" simply state that he died. In Scripture that is a different expression from "buried with his fathers," as a comparison of 2 Kings 15:38 and 16:20 easily shows.
Forty Years, and What He Left Behind
Solomon's reign lasted as long as his father's. The comparison turns painful when you ask what each man passed down.
Leslie M. GrantSolomon reigned the same length of time as did his father David — 40 years. Yet despite his great wisdom and the splendor of his kingdom, he did not leave his son a legacy nearly as valuable as the one David left him. David had left Solomon a true regard for the living God. Solomon did not follow his father's path of obedience to God. What kind of an example was this to Rehoboam? Why did Solomon not wisely consider that his days were numbered, just as David's had been? In Ecclesiastes 12 he wrote about how short life is. He ended by saying, "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil." Why did he not take for himself the advice he gave to others?
The Wisest Man's Shipwreck
Solomon is remembered worldwide for wisdom. That is precisely what makes his ending so pointed, and it puts every reader on notice.
W. W. FeredayWherever people know the Bible, Solomon is famous for his exceptional wisdom. How sad that a man so deeply wise turned into a great fool. He wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes. In it he feared that his son might be a fool — as indeed he was — but he did not seem worried about himself. Well does the Apostle say, "Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall."
The same lesson is drawn from the death notice itself:
Leslie M. GrantBut how solemn a lesson for us is the fact that the wisest man who ever lived made shipwreck of his personal life! May God preserve us from the pride of knowledge!
The Closing Years Were Not Peaceful
God's discipline reached Solomon near the end of his reign. One commentator watches how he answered it:
H. L. RossierSolomon seeks to kill Jeroboam. Such are the feelings produced in his heart by this discipline! The obstacle God had raised up did not bring him bowed into God's presence, humbly submitting to the chastening. It only irritates him and drives him to try to free himself of it. How sad the heart that has lost its communion with God and that does not judge itself. What has Solomon, the king of righteousness, come to? His heart is no longer upright before God. How far he is from his beginnings!
Rehoboam Inherits a Kingdom About to Split
The succession sounds orderly. It was not. Solomon's death released a division that has never been healed.
W. W. FeredayThen the nation will be one once more. They have been a divided people since the days of Rehoboam. Solomon's serious turning away from the Lord tore the nation apart after his death. God allowed Jeroboam to lead ten tribes away from their loyalty to the house of David. They have never been united since that day.
The Promise Outlives the King
If everything rested on Solomon, his death would be the end of the story. Commentators point out that it never did rest on him — his life was the test case for a bigger question.
The Bible TreasurySolomon's greatness and his later fall answer an all-important question. God gave him the highest favour and dignity possible as a direct gift. Can a man hold himself in that position by his own strength? Let Solomon's fall answer. But was God's promise resting on Solomon's faithfulness? No. God's kingdom does not depend on Solomon's faithfulness. It rests on One greater than Solomon, Who will certainly establish it at the right and appointed time.
Summary
- Gift — God gave Solomon the highest position and honour possible as a direct gift. His life tests one question: can a man hold such a place by his own strength?
- Drift — The wisest man alive ended a fool. Knowledge did not protect him. The warning stands for anyone who thinks he is standing firm.
- Discipline — God raised up adversaries in the closing years. Solomon did not bow. He struck back at Jeroboam — the mark of a heart that had lost communion with God and would not judge itself.
- Legacy — David handed Solomon a true regard for God. Solomon handed Rehoboam an example of disobedience. He preached "fear God and keep his commandments" and did not take his own advice.
- Grace — His death split the nation, and it has stayed split. Yet God's promise never depended on his faithfulness. It rests on One greater than Solomon, Who will establish the kingdom at the appointed time.