Solomon Writes Proverbs and Wisdom Literature

950 BCE (approximate)

King Solomon, son of David and third king of Israel, became legendary for his wisdom. Scripture attributes to him three books of wisdom literature—Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon—making him ancient Israel’s preeminent sage and the father of Hebrew wisdom tradition.

God’s gift of wisdom:

Early in Solomon’s reign, God appeared to him in a dream at Gibeon: “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

Solomon requested: “Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.”

God was pleased Solomon asked for wisdom rather than long life, wealth, or victory over enemies: “I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor” (1 Kings 3:12-13).

Solomon’s renowned wisdom:

Scripture records Solomon’s extraordinary intellectual achievements:

Legal wisdom: His famous judgment between two women claiming the same baby—proposing to cut the child in half and give each woman half—revealed the true mother when she chose to give up the child rather than see him killed (1 Kings 3:16-28).

Proverbial wisdom: “He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five” (1 Kings 4:32).

Natural science: “He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish” (1 Kings 4:33).

International reputation: “From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom” (1 Kings 4:34). The Queen of Sheba traveled from modern-day Yemen or Ethiopia to test his wisdom and was overwhelmed: “Not even half was told me” (1 Kings 10:7).

Book of Proverbs:

The Book of Proverbs presents itself as Solomon’s wisdom teachings:

“The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel” (Proverbs 1:1)

The book contains 31 chapters of pithy wisdom sayings addressing practical life:

Core theme: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7)

Topics covered:

Work and laziness: “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!” (6:6)
Speech: “The tongue has the power of life and death” (18:21)
Marriage and family: “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies” (31:10)
Friendship: “A friend loves at all times” (17:17)
Wealth and poverty: “Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice” (16:8)
Justice: “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice” (21:3)
Self-control: “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city” (16:32)

Structure:

Chapters 1-9: Extended wisdom poems, personifying Wisdom as a woman
Chapters 10-29: Short, memorable two-line proverbs
Chapter 30: Sayings of Agur
Chapter 31: Sayings of King Lemuel and the “wife of noble character” poem

Compilation note: Proverbs 25:1 states: “These are more proverbs of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah”—indicating the book was edited and compiled over time, with Solomonic core material supplemented by later wisdom.

Ecclesiastes:

The Book of Ecclesiastes (“The Preacher” or Qoheleth in Hebrew) presents itself as written by “the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem”—traditionally identified as Solomon in his old age.

Themes:

Life’s futility: “Meaningless! Meaningless!… Everything is meaningless!” (1:2)
Enjoyment within limits: “There is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work” (3:22)
Inevitability of death: “The same fate awaits them both” (wise and foolish) (2:14)
Final wisdom: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind” (12:13)

The book’s pessimistic tone (if taken literally) contrasts with Proverbs’ optimism. Some see it as Solomon’s reflections after squandering his blessings through idolatry and excessive wives. Others see it as a literary device—wisdom from a king’s perspective showing life “under the sun” (without God) is meaningless.

Song of Solomon:

Also called Song of Songs (“the greatest song”), this poetic book celebrates romantic and sexual love between a man and woman.

“Solomon’s Song of Songs” (1:1)

The book contains passionate poetry celebrating physical beauty, longing, and consummation. Interpretations vary:

Literal: Beautiful poetry celebrating marital love as God’s gift

Allegorical (Jewish): God’s love for Israel

Allegorical (Christian): Christ’s love for the church

Dramatic: A narrative about Solomon, a Shulammite woman, and possibly a shepherd rival

Scholarly debates:

Modern scholars question whether Solomon wrote these books:

Arguments for Solomonic authorship:

Ancient tradition unanimous until modern era
Books claim Solomonic authorship or association
Solomon’s wisdom was legendary
He had resources for literary production

Arguments against:

Language and style suggest later dates for some sections
Ecclesiastes’ Persian loanwords suggest post-exilic composition
Proverbs explicitly mentions later compilation (25:1)
Ancient Near Eastern practice often attributed wisdom literature to famous sages regardless of actual authorship

Moderate view: Solomon produced core wisdom teachings, but books were compiled, edited, and supplemented over centuries—similar to David and Psalms.

Wisdom literature genre:

Solomon’s (attributed) works represent ancient Israel’s contribution to international wisdom literature—a genre found throughout the ancient Near East (Egypt’s Instruction of Amenemope, Mesopotamian wisdom texts).

Distinctives of Israelite wisdom:

Grounded in “fear of the LORD” rather than mere pragmatism
Moral rather than merely utilitarian
Connected to covenant relationship with God
Accessible to all, not just elite scribes

Significance in Judaism:

Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon are in the Ketuvim (Writings), the third section of the Hebrew Bible. Proverbs is widely studied; Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon are read during festivals (Passover for Song of Solomon, Tabernacles for Ecclesiastes).

Significance in Christianity:

Proverbs: Widely used for moral instruction and practical wisdom

Ecclesiastes: Demonstrates life’s futility without God; philosophical reflections on meaning

Song of Solomon: Celebrated as affirming sexuality within marriage; allegorized as Christ and church

Jesus is called “greater than Solomon” (Matthew 12:42), and early Christians identified Jesus with the personified Wisdom of Proverbs 8.

Significance in Islam:

Islam honors Sulayman (Solomon) as a prophet blessed with wisdom, though the biblical wisdom books are not part of the Quran.

Legacy:

Whether Solomon personally authored these works or they represent a wisdom tradition attributed to him, his association with wisdom shaped Western civilization’s understanding of:

Practical ethics
Romantic love
Life’s meaning
The relationship between knowledge and piety

Proverbs’ sayings have entered common language (“Pride goes before destruction,” “Train up a child in the way he should go”). Ecclesiastes’ “To everything there is a season” has inspired countless sermons and songs. Song of Solomon’s poetry has stirred hearts for three millennia.

Solomon’s wisdom literature teaches that true wisdom begins with reverence for God, operates practically in daily life, celebrates creation’s good gifts (including romantic love), yet ultimately acknowledges life’s limitations and mysteries. The king who asked for wisdom and received it abundantly left a literary legacy that continues to instruct, challenge, and inspire.