Solomon's Wisdom at Gibeon

The event

Early in his reign, Solomon traveled to Gibeon, where Israel's tabernacle and bronze altar still stood, and offered a thousand burnt offerings there. That night, the LORD appeared to him in a dream with an extraordinary open offer: 'Ask what I shall give you.' Solomon could have asked for wealth, long life, or victory over his enemies. Instead he asked for 'an understanding mind... to discern between good and evil,' so he could govern God's people well.

God's response was generous beyond the request itself: because Solomon asked for wisdom rather than selfish gain, he would receive not only unmatched wisdom but also riches and honor beyond any king of his time. The famous test case that follows almost immediately — two women each claiming the same infant, and Solomon's proposal to divide the living child in two, which flushed out the true mother's love — became the proof that the gift was real, and 'all Israel... stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him.'

Solomon's wisdom would go on to produce much of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs, and would draw visitors from distant lands eager to hear him for themselves. It's a striking start to his reign, around 970 BC — a king who begins by asking God for exactly the right thing, which makes his later drift all the more sobering to read.

Scripture references

• 1 Kings 3:1-28
• 2 Chronicles 1:1-13