He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005.
Scripture measures Solomon's reign here by output, not by battles or buildings: 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. The numbers raise two questions. Where did such output come from? And why does the Bible keep so little of it?
The Gift Behind the Numbers
One writer asks how a single man could write so many books. He points to what God gave him:
William KellyIt is not hard to imagine the Holy Spirit using the same vessel for His power in writing all these books. Nor did a man ever live who could be a more fitting instrument than Solomon, if God so pleased. For He gave him "wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore."
What Scripture Kept
The book of Proverbs is far shorter than three thousand sayings. That gap is deliberate:
William Kelly"Three thousand proverbs" covers far more than the inspired collection, just as the songs he uttered far exceed those meant to last. Inspiration selected by design.
The same writer applies this principle to the New Testament:
William KellyWhat we have is a selection made by the Holy Spirit — a principle just as true of the "signs" our Lord worked (John 20:30-31; John 21:24-25). Every Scripture is of God's special design.
One Song Out of a Thousand and Five
Of the songs, almost nothing survives:
Walter ScottSolomon was a Preacher (Ecclesiastes) and a Moralist (Proverbs). He was also a song-composer (Song of Solomon). He wrote 1,005 songs. All have perished except this one, which is called "The Song of Songs" because it stands above the rest. That is, unless we count inside the 1,005 the two Psalms, 72 and 127, credited to Solomon.
One writer explains why that surviving song carries such a title:
Andrew MillerWhy call this precious little book "The Song of Songs"? Just because it is Solomon's — or rather Christ's, who will in due time be King in Jerusalem, in true Solomon glory. On the same principle He is called "King of kings, and Lord of lords." Pre-eminence in all things is His. There are many sweet songs in Scripture... It is said of Solomon himself that "his songs were 1,005"; but this one he calls "The Song of Songs." It far surpassed them all.
A Gift He Had to Answer For
Vast knowledge is not the same as faithful use of it. One writer asks hard questions about what Solomon did with it:
The Bible TreasurySolomon is also responsible for the right use of the wisdom God gave him... He asked for wisdom and knowledge so that he might judge and rule God's people rightly, and God approved his request. And the Lord added riches, wealth and honour such as no other king had. He was wiser than all men. He spoke three thousand proverbs and one thousand and five songs. He spoke of trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of animals, birds, creeping things and fish. Amazing knowledge! But was this wealth of knowledge needed to govern Israel according to the law?... Did he not waste that power, that wisdom with which he was so richly endowed?
Another writer notes what Solomon was importing as his kingdom grew rich:
W. W. FeredayAs the material prosperity of his kingdom grew, we are told his imports were "gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks" (1 Kings 10:22)... For a man unrivalled on earth for wisdom, this is a descent from the sublime to the ridiculous... Apes stand for folly, and peacocks for vanity.
Where the Wisdom Rests
Solomon's wisdom points past him. One writer turns from Solomon to the One he calls the greater Solomon:
An Outline of Sound WordsNot a question brought to Jesus on earth puzzled Him. The wisdom of the true Solomon, the Greater than Solomon, could meet and answer every hard question. Nor is it different now, for Christ, risen from the dead and glorified in heaven, "became to us wisdom from God" (1 Cor. 1:30). There is not a question the troubled, anxious sinner can bring to Him that He will not answer in wisdom and in grace.
Summary
- Source. The 3,000 proverbs were not Solomon's own achievement. God gave him understanding "like the sand on the seashore." That made him a fitting instrument.
- Selection. Scripture keeps far less than he produced. Inspiration chose by design. The same principle decided which of Christ's signs John's Gospel records.
- Survival. Of 1,005 songs, only one remains. It is called "The Song of Songs" because it surpassed them all. One writer adds that Psalms 72 and 127 may belong inside that number.
- Stewardship. The gift left him accountable. Writers ask whether he used or wasted such wisdom, and note where he ended — importing apes and peacocks, folly and vanity.
- Substitute. Solomon's wisdom slipped into folly. Christ, the "Greater than Solomon," "became to us wisdom from God," and still answers every hard question brought to Him.