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One-sentence summary: Solomon asks God for wisdom, and his fame spreads to all nations.
Solomon makes a treaty with King Pharaoh of Egypt and marries his daughter and brings her to the city of David until he finishes building his own house, the house of the Lord, and the wall. Meanwhile, it says the people sacrifice at the high places because there is no house built for the name of the Lord. It says Solomon loves the Lord and walks in the statutes of David, except that he sacrifices and burns incense at the high places. He goes to Gibeah, the great high place, to offer 1,000 burnt offerings. There, God appears to him in a dream by night and says, "Ask, what shall I give you?" Solomon says that he is a "little child" and does not know "how to go out or come in," that he doesn't know how to lead all the people, too numerous to be counted. So he asks for an understanding heart to judge the people, that he may discern between good and evil, "for who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" he says. The Lord is pleased with his speech and grants his request, saying that because he did not ask for riches, a long life, or the life of his enemies, but only wisdom, that He will grant his request. He says that He has given him wisdom, there has never been anyone before him or will be after him with such understanding. He also says He will give him riches and honor more than any other king and that if he will walk in His ways as his father walked, he will lengthen his days. Solomon awakes and finds it was a dream, and he goes to Jerusalem and stands before the ark and offers offerings and has a feast for his servants.
Two prostitutes come before Solomon, asking him to judge between them. The first says that they both gave birth in the same house on the same day. She claims the other woman's son died and that she stole her own son from her and put the dead child in her arms by night, and that in the morning, she examined the child and that it was not hers. However, the other woman says the living one is hers. They argue this way, each claiming the living son is hers. Solomon asks for a sword and commands the child be cut in half to divide the child between the women. The real mother begs the king to give the other woman the living child, but the other one says to divide him and let neither have him. Solomon declares the child should be given to the first woman, because she is clearly the mother. All the people hear what he has done and fear him and recognize that the Spirit of God is in him to administer justice.
King Solomon's officials are listed. He also had governors, one named Ben-Hur. It says that Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing. It says Solomon had much provisions for each day and that he had peace on every side all around him. Judah and Israel dwell safely, "each man under his vine and fig tree all his days." He has 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots. It says God gave him "wisdom and exceedingly great understanding and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore." It says his wisdom was greater than the men of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt, and he was wiser than all men, even very well-known wisemen. His fame spreads to all surrounding nations. It says he spoke 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. It says he spoke of trees and animals, birds, creeping things, and fish, and "men of all nations from all the kings of the earth came to hear the wisdom of Solomon."
Thoughts/discussion questions:
It's incredible how much wisdom God gave Solomon! In his famous words: "Love wisdom, and she will love you!" May we seek an understanding heart above all else.