Read & explore together
Solomon's Works and Wealth
These reign records summarise Solomon’s building, labour systems, sea trade, royal wealth, and reputation for wisdom. They read like reference material, naming places, goods, and officials rather than telling one continuous story.
Understanding the passage
Understanding this record
The material begins after twenty years in which Solomon built Yahweh’s house and his own house. Kings notes an exchange with Hiram, then lists labour, worship, and ships. Kings and Chronicles later record yearly gold, royal items, tribute, horses, trade, and Solomon’s fame for riches and God-given wisdom.
1 Kings 9:10–28; 1 Kings 10:14–29; 2 Chronicles 8:1–18; 2 Chronicles 9:13–28Main takeaway
These passages describe Solomon’s reign through recorded works, resources, and God-given wisdom.
Explore the record
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01After twenty yearsKings opens with Solomon’s two major building projects completed, then records his exchange with Hiram of Tyre.
Explanation
Kings opens with Solomon’s two major building projects completed, then records his exchange with Hiram of Tyre. Hiram had supplied timber and gold, and Solomon gave him twenty cities in Galilee. Hiram was not pleased and called the area Cabul.
02Building and labourThe records list major sites such as Hazor, Megiddo, Gezer, Beth Horon, Baalath, Tadmor, storage cities, and chariot cities.
Explanation
The records list major sites such as Hazor, Megiddo, Gezer, Beth Horon, Baalath, Tadmor, storage cities, and chariot cities. They also explain labour arrangements. Remaining non-Israelite peoples were conscripted for forced labour, while Israelites served as soldiers, captains, rulers, and officers.
03Worship and sea tradeAlongside building and administration, the passages mention worship and shipping. Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and Chronicles adds the regular pattern of Sabbaths, new moons, and set feasts.
Explanation
Alongside building and administration, the passages mention worship and shipping. Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and Chronicles adds the regular pattern of Sabbaths, new moons, and set feasts. At Ezion Geber and Eloth, ships worked with Huram’s servants and brought gold from Ophir.
04Gold, tribute, and reputationBoth books record 666 talents of gold in one year, along with gold shields, gold vessels, an ivory throne overlaid with gold, tribute, horses, and chariots.
Explanation
Both books record 666 talents of gold in one year, along with gold shields, gold vessels, an ivory throne overlaid with gold, tribute, horses, and chariots. The summary claim is that Solomon exceeded other kings in riches and wisdom, and that God had put wisdom in his heart.
Read the accounts alongside one another
Keep each reading’s setting and wording in view.
Scroll across to compare the readings.
| Book | Included readings | Explore in this guide |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Kings | 1 Kings 9:10–28 1 Kings 10:14–29 | After twenty years Building and labour Worship and sea trade Gold, tribute, and reputation |
| 2 Chronicles | 2 Chronicles 8:1–18 2 Chronicles 9:13–28 | Building and labour Worship and sea trade Gold, tribute, and reputation |
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What does the exchange with Hiram add to this record of Solomon’s reign?
Notice that the account includes both Hiram’s earlier support and his dissatisfaction with the cities Solomon gave him.
02How are Solomon’s workers and leaders divided into different groups?
Compare the forced labour drawn from remaining peoples with the Israelite roles in war, rule, and oversight.
03Which details most clearly show wealth and international links?
Use the text’s concrete examples such as yearly gold, ships to Ophir, tribute, horses, and imported chariots.
Read the Bible passages
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
1 Kings 9:10–28
10At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, Yahweh’s house and the king’s house
11(now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and cypress trees, and with gold, according to all his desire), King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.
12Hiram came out of Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they didn’t please him.
13He said, “What cities are these which you have given me, my brother?” He called them the land of Cabul to this day.
14Hiram sent to the king one hundred twenty talents of gold.
15This is the reason of the forced labor which King Solomon conscripted: to build Yahweh’s house, his own house, Millo, Jerusalem’s wall, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
16Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, taken Gezer, burned it with fire, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and given it for a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.
17Solomon built in the land Gezer, Beth Horon the lower,
18Baalath, Tamar in the wilderness,
19all the storage cities that Solomon had, the cities for his chariots, the cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.
20As for all the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the children of Israel—
21their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel were not able utterly to destroy—of them Solomon raised a levy of bondservants to this day.
22But of the children of Israel Solomon made no bondservants; but they were the men of war, his servants, his princes, his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen.
23These were the five hundred fifty chief officers who were over Solomon’s work, who ruled over the people who labored in the work.
24But Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of David’s city to her house which Solomon had built for her. Then he built Millo.
25Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he built to Yahweh three times per year, burning incense with them on the altar that was before Yahweh. So he finished the house.
26King Solomon made a fleet of ships in Ezion Geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.
27Hiram sent in the fleet his servants, sailors who had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.
28They came to Ophir, and fetched from there gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to King Solomon.
1 Kings 10:14–29
14Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold,
15in addition to that which the traders brought, and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of the mixed people, and of the governors of the country.
16King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of gold went to one buckler.
17He made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went to one shield; and the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
18Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold.
19There were six steps to the throne, and the top of the throne was round behind; and there were armrests on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.
20Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps. Nothing like it was made in any kingdom.
21All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver, because it was considered of little value in the days of Solomon.
22For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the fleet of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
23So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.
24All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart.
25Year after year, every man brought his tribute, vessels of silver, vessels of gold, clothing, armor, spices, horses, and mules.
26Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen. He kept them in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.
27The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and cedars as common as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland.
28The horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt. The king’s merchants received them in droves, each drove at a price.
29A chariot was imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty shekels; and so they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria.
2 Chronicles 8:1–18
1At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built Yahweh’s house and his own house,
2Solomon built the cities which Huram had given to Solomon, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.
3Solomon went to Hamath Zobah, and prevailed against it.
4He built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the storage cities, which he built in Hamath.
5Also he built Beth Horon the upper and Beth Horon the lower, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars;
6and Baalath, and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots, the cities for his horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.
7As for all the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel—
8of their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel didn’t consume—of them Solomon conscripted forced labor to this day.
9But of the children of Israel, Solomon made no servants for his work, but they were men of war, chief of his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen.
10These were the chief officers of King Solomon, even two-hundred fifty, who ruled over the people.
11Solomon brought up Pharaoh’s daughter out of David’s city to the house that he had built for her; for he said, “My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places where Yahweh’s ark has come are holy.”
12Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to Yahweh on Yahweh’s altar which he had built before the porch,
13even as the duty of every day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, three times per year, during the feast of unleavened bread, during the feast of weeks, and during the feast of booths.
14He appointed, according to the ordinance of David his father, the divisions of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their offices, to praise and to minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required, the doorkeepers also by their divisions at every gate, for David the man of God had so commanded.
15They didn’t depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter or concerning the treasures.
16Now all the work of Solomon was accomplished from the day of the foundation of Yahweh’s house until it was finished. So Yahweh’s house was completed.
17Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and to Eloth, on the seashore in the land of Edom.
18Huram sent him ships and servants who had knowledge of the sea by the hands of his servants; and they came with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and brought from there four hundred fifty talents of gold, and brought them to King Solomon.
2 Chronicles 9:13–28
13Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold,
14in addition to that which the traders and merchants brought. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold. Six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one large shield.
16He made three hundred shields of beaten gold. Three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
17Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
18There were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and armrests on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.
19Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps. There was nothing like it made in any other kingdom.
20All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. Silver was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon.
21For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with Huram’s servants. Once every three years, the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
22So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
23All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
24They each brought tribute: vessels of silver, vessels of gold, clothing, armor, spices, horses, and mules every year.
25Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen that he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.
26He ruled over all the kings from the River even to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.
27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars to be as abundant as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland.
28They brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands.