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Gleanings from Kings

John Olley

From the beginning, by placing the call of Abraham after Genesis 1–11, the Bible situates the life of God’s people in the midst of God’s purposes for the whole of creation, including all humanity. The call of Abraham culminates in a promise of blessing for “all the families of the earth.”9 The next mention of blessing to “all nations on earth through him” is immediately followed by “for I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”10 Blessing comes to the nations through the God-like lifestyle of his people. In contrast to the lifestyle of Babel/Babylon which is concerned for issues of security and self-protection (a “city” is walled), and of reputation and remembrance through a building (“a name”),11 Abraham is promised a name and God’s protection through a journey of trusting, risk-taking obedience.12

The rest of the Old Testament tells the story of God’s people in the midst of the “peoples” and “nations.” The narrative provides many examples of common occurrence: God’s people do not always experience blessing, nor do they always bring blessing to others! The Old Testament is nevertheless an account of God’s ongoing presence working out divine purposes for all the earth in and through imperfect people. The twofold combination of God’s presence and provision and his people’s lifestyle amongst the nations is explicit in the exhortation before entry into the land:

See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? (Deut 4:5–8)

The Old Testament provides a rich resource that can be a mirror for exploring features of Christian life and witness today around the globe. For several centuries following Abraham, the people lived as a minority in the land of Canaan and then in Egypt, and even later with some measure of political autonomy there was continual influence from surrounding nations, not always benign. Importantly, the accounts of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah as we now have them are addressed initially to people in exile under the dominance of wealthy, powerful Babylon (1 and 2 Kings) or living in a province of the even greater Persian Empire (1 and 2 Chronicles).13 The final bringing together of what we now call the Old Testament was by people who lived under foreign rule, as were the early Christians who have given us the New Testament. Indeed, in contradistinction to much reading of the Bible in past centuries within “Christendom,” the whole Bible is best read as God’s word to a minority people living in the midst of larger communities and under pagan rule—the context of most Christians today.

First and Second Kings is that part of the Bible which most tells of situations familiar in the world today: a mixture of material prosperity, political maneuvering, dominant military powers, pragmatic national alliances and international trade, mixed religious affiliations with compromised worship, violent coup d’états, famine, wars, oppressive rule, children dying. With these topics often dominating news, Kings becomes a major resource to explore how to live as God’s people in the arena of everyday life, the place where God is present fulfilling his mission. Here we consider only two broad topics: a focus on lifestyle, not temple or wealth or political astuteness, and two instances of blessing to non-Israelites. These are aspects that are explicitly taken up in the New Testament.14

Putting the Temple and “Success” in their Place

The early readers were exiles in Babylon, surrounded by splendid palaces and impressive temples that would have made the Jerusalem royal buildings and temple seem insignificant even if they had not been recently demolished by the Babylonians! Present readers in Western countries might see some similarities in our own context: previously church buildings were the focal point of towns, their spires dominating the skyline, but now they are dwarfed by towers of financial institutions and alluring large shopping complexes. The ever-visible dominant symbols are those of the gods of the empire of commerce and pleasure. How are the people of God to live in this new context? An answer comes in the place of the temple and Solomon’s buildings in the narrative of Kings and the ways in which their importance is relativized. There are potent narrative illustrations of what happens when people seek to serve both God and the counterfeit gods of money, sex, and power, rather than following God’s ways wholeheartedly.15

Throughout the ancient Near East, kings as a priority built and funded temples for the nation’s or the capital’s god. David had thus been acting like any king of “the nations” in seeking to build an appropriately magnificent temple for the Lord in his capital Jerusalem. Surprisingly God seems to be unenthusiastic, being more interested in promising a “house” (dynasty) for David than in a “house” (temple) for himself. Nevertheless, he does tell David that his son will build a temple (2 Sam 7:1–16). With this background it may surprise readers that David’s final charge to Solomon says nothing about a temple, but rather enjoins, “Observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses.” The path that will “prosper”16 for David’s successors is to “walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul” (1 Kgs 2:3).

The first mention in Kings of a temple is in the introductory setting of the scene after Solomon is established as king. Again, contrary to what we may expect, even after the comment that “a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the Lord” (1 Kgs 3:1, 2), when God appears to Solomon there is silence concerning a temple. Rather the focus is “a wise and discerning heart to administer justice” (3:11–12). Immediately follows an account of justice being given in the case of two prostitutes and their children, and the concluding statement is that “all Israel . . . saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice” (3:16–28). Not until Hiram of Tyre sends envoys to Solomon does Solomon’s return message center on his intention to “build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God” (5:5). Obeying God and doing justice come first in the telling of the reign of Solomon.

A related motif in the opening chapters is “wisdom.” Solomon asked God for “a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between good and bad”17—God adds the word “wise” (3:9, 12). Previously, like a movement from the idealism and piety of a Sunday sermon to the Realpolitik of weekday life, David’s words to Solomon switched dramatically after the charge to obey God’s commands. He instructed Solomon to remove certain people who might be threats: “deal according to your wisdom . . . you are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do” (2:6, 9). Solomon ensured the death of these and more, removing “adversaries.” There is thus a certain irony in God’s subsequent words that Solomon had “not asked for the death of your enemies” (3:11), and that later Solomon links building the temple with his now having “no adversary” (5:4).18 The wisdom given by God for the administering of justice, discerning good and bad, stands over against Solomon’s pragmatic wisdom that removes opposition. Here is a stark example of the contrast James describes between wisdom that is “earthly, unspiritual, demonic” and “the wisdom that comes from heaven” that is “first pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” It is “peacemakers who sow in peace (who) reap a harvest of righteousness” (Jas 3:13–18). It is as Solomon proposes equitable friendly arrangements with the Tyrian Hiram for the supply of timber for temple-building, that Hiram responds by praising God “for he has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation” (5:7).

The temple building and dedication is described in much detail, with four chapters (5–8) in the center of chapters 1–11. Its beauty is evident. God authenticates by the presence of “the glory of the Lord” as at the time of completion of the tabernacle (8:10–11; cf. Exod 40:34–45), and affirms by a word to Solomon in a vision (9:3). Features of the account, however, provide a tempering perspective.

As Solomon begins to build, the word of the Lord came to Solomon: “As for this temple you are building,” and then God says nothing about the temple! Rather the word is a promise that God’s presence depends not on a temple but on “following my decrees and observing my laws” (6:11–13). God appears again to Solomon after the temple dedication. As the message moves through three components there is an ominous doubling in length: one verse is a statement regarding the temple, two verses deal with obedience “with integrity of heart and uprightness,” and then four verses are a warning of destruction and exile if the people worship other gods (9:3–9). The temple is no substitute for obedience in life.

The priority and the implied criticisms in the warning of 9:6–9 suggest another look at the preceding account of the temple building. Crane has commented that detail is mainly of “the ornateness and splendor of the temple” rather than features “having cultic value.” Further, when Solomon responds to the presence of “the glory of the Lord” (8:11), his early words are “I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you” (8:13) and in the following prayer he “frequently mentions that he built the Temple (8:20, 27, 44, 48).”19 Solomon’s focus appears to be on the magnificence of the building under his patronage rather than its worship aspects.

The writer suggests Solomon’s priorities also by the surprising center of the temple narrative mention of Solomon’s building his own palace.20 In contrast to later chapter divisions, the Hebrew Masoretic Text sharpens the contrast in having no division between 6:38 and 7:1:

. . . the house21 was completed according to all its matters and specifications and he built it in seven years and his house Solomon built in thirteen years and he completed all his house [my translation].

The parallel between two houses is reinforced by the central section ending which points to similar structures (7:12). The priority is hinted at earlier: in 3:1 Solomon’s “house” is mentioned before the “temple.” Is this a clue as to why, on the several later occasions when temple wealth is given to, or taken by, invading kings, God apparently does nothing to protect such wealth?22 The writer is saying to people in exile, and beyond, that God’s interest is not in the material wealth supplied but in heart allegiance shown in obedience.

A further dimension of what is important to God in his relationship with his people is evident in other features of the narrative structure. The central account of Solomon’s building of his palace mentions his building a palace for “Pharaoh’s daughter” (7:8), and two other key locations mention “Pharaoh’s daughter” (3:1–3; 9:24–25). What is the writer communicating in this structure? Associated is reference to the exodus “out of Egypt” framing the temple narrative: “In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt . . . he began to build the temple” (6:1) is matched by the account of temple dedication, “since the day I brought my people out of Egypt” (8:16), “the covenant of the Lord that he made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt” (8:21), “they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt” (8:51), and “you sovereign Lord brought our ancestors out of Egypt” (8:53). Sadly, after his death, Solomon’s subjects describe his rule in language echoing Pharaoh’s oppression of the Israelites, a “heavy yoke and harsh labor” (12:4).23 What is going on here?

Positively, we see repeated affirmation that the temple is secondary to the covenantal relationship evident in the exodus, a powerful message to people in exile after the temple has been destroyed. Negatively, there is a contrast between the Lord who brought the people out of Pharaoh’s bondage in Egypt and Solomon who sealed an alliance with Pharaoh by marrying his daughter and whose own buildings are made possible by oppression that is the opposite of the justice seen earlier in his reign. Solomon’s apparent “success” is described as a reversal of the exodus.

Where is Solomon’s Heart?

Intertwined with the relativizing of the temple, with priority given to the exodus and formation of a redeemed people who are to live according to covenantal laws, there is critique of material prosperity evidenced in buildings, military power, and trade.

The detail within 1 Kings 9:10–19 is often seen as a catalog of “Solomon’s Other Activities,”24 a miscellany of projects in international relationships, buildings in Jerusalem and beyond, efficient organization of non-Israelite labor, fulfillment of temple obligations, and trade.

On the face of it, the text is a celebration of the king and his remarkable achievements. If we remember that Israel, only two generations before, was a disadvantaged hill country with a peasant population, the work of Solomon must necessarily be received as exotic and astonishing.25

It is this which attracts the Queen of Sheba; is this how Israel is to be a blessing to the nations? One might compare the material splendor of many centers of “Christendom.”

The context provides a different perspective. It is common to speak of Solomon being led astray by “foreign women” (11:1, 4),26 but here are signs that he is being led astray by material wealth and power, with “conspicuous consumption”27 that enhances his status. In 9:1 it states more than “when Solomon had finished building the temple of the Lord.” It continues “and the royal palace and had achieved all he had desired to do” [lit., “and every desire (ḥēšeq) of Solomon which he delighted (ḥāpēṣ) to do/make”]. The noun ḥēšeq is rare28 but the related verb (used along with the noun in v. 19) is a strong word describing strong affection towards a person or God.29 In contrast, Solomon’s “desire” is towards things: the listing in verses 10–19a is summarized as “Solomon’s desire (ḥēšeq) which he desired (ḥāšaq) to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled” (v. 19b). He is able to build “all” he desires (9:1) and his “desires” are all matters of status, power, and wealth. Later the Queen of Sheba will say of Solomon’s wealth and wisdom that “the Lord has delighted (ḥāpēṣ) in you.” God has kept his promise, but 9:1–19 shows that Solomon’s “delight” is not in God but in his magnificent buildings. At what cost? The people themselves experienced oppressive labor policies (12:4).

Reading the listing (vv. 10–19) after God’s words of promise and warning (vv. 2–9) is salutary. God provides his criteria for success (vv. 3–9) which include “nothing about trade or buildings or alliances or organization. It all turns on the single point of Torah obedience . . . If Torah has to do with love of God and love of neighbor, then the massive expansionist enterprise of Solomon is to be judged harshly as a deep failure.”30 Verses 1–9 provide a piercing light to reveal what may be overlooked in the dazzling list of accomplishments. Solomon’s chosen path led initially on his death to the division of the kingdom and ultimately to the end of the Davidic dynasty.

How is Israel to be a blessing to the nations? Solomon begins with much that is commendable. His early actions were praised by Hiram, but later Hiram complains about shoddy treatment (9:11–14).31 The Queen of Sheba is attracted, most likely by the possibilities of a lucrative trade, yet readers will see unexpected irony in her words. After praising Solomon’s achievements, evidenced by the wealth of the court, and his wisdom, as seen in his answers to her questions, she praises “the Lord your God . . . Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness” (10:9; cf. Gen 18:19). She affirms God’s intention, but the preceding narrative has shown how far Solomon has departed from “justice and righteousness.”

The rest of chapter 9 and chapter 10 detail a clear negative parallel to the Deuteronomic laws relating to the king (Deut 17:16–17):

The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.

The details of horses—the acquisition of military resources—including trade with Egypt, and “much gold” are given before we come to the wives.

People in exile, feeling insignificant and powerless amongst the material grandeur and economic strength of Babylon are reminded that Solomon’s “glory” was the path to failure. The allure of material grandeur of places of worship, of great political structures and economic power through trade, and of this being achieved through pragmatic wisdom, continues today.

A New Testament perspective is evident in its explicit references to Solomon. Matthew 6:29, “not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these,” is part of 6:19–34 commencing “do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth” and warning that “you cannot serve both God and money”; rather God supplies what is needed and so our priority is to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” The parallel comparison in Luke 12:27 is in a block (12:13–34) which commences with the parable of the rich fool, and goes on to enjoin “sell your possessions and give to the poor,” concluding “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Solomon’s glory becomes warning, with the implication that in the end he was a “rich fool.”

Other references to Solomon in the Gospels are in the genealogy of Jesus (Matt 1:6–7), pointing to Jesus as the fulfillment of the promise concerning the Davidic king, reinforced by the statement that the “Queen of the South” came to “listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here” (Matt 12:42; Luke 11:31). The only other New Testament mention of Solomon is in Stephen’s provocative retelling of the history of God’s people: his inclusion of Solomon’s building the temple is immediately followed by “however, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands” (Acts 7:47–48). In saying “made by human hands,” Stephen may be deliberately echoing the LXX’s derogative description of idol worship,32 as well as the quoted words of Jesus, “I will destroy this temple made by human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands” (Mark 14:58).33

The New Testament endorses features of the Kings narrative: the primacy of wholehearted following of God’s ways, the dangerous allure of wealth and desire for security and status symbols, and the secondary position of places of worship and associated ritual. How often are these aspects of Solomon referred to in preaching? New Testament allusions direct us to pay attention to the Solomon narrative and so reflect on the complexities of decisions to be made in everyday life and to see clearly the temptations to misuse God’s good gifts, turning aside after counterfeit gods.

Early in his reign Solomon is commended for his “love” of God (1 Kgs 3:3) and for his answer to God’s question, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you” (3:5), but later “all he had desired to do” (9:1) is related to royal buildings and “he held fast to them (foreign women) in love” (11:2). A thousand years later Christ says to his disciples, “Ask and it will be given to you” (Matt 7:7), significantly in the context of the Sermon on the Mount which contrasts the priorities of Solomon (6:29), a reminder of ways in which Solomon misused the generous gifts of God. How will Christ’s followers respond to that generous offer today? We are promised all that we need so that our “good works” lead others to “glorify your Father in heaven” (5:16).34

Blessing to Other Nations

Apart from Solomon, Jesus refers to only two incidents from 1 and 2 Kings, both telling of blessing to someone outside God’s people: Elijah and provision for a widow in Zarephath, and Elisha and the healing of Naaman.35 These reminders were a scandal to the hearers in the Nazareth synagogue (Luke 4:25–30): behavior and attitudes that are commended by God often are controversial and unwelcome.

God’s Grace in Unexpected Places

Elijah boldly confronts King Ahab, but the first person to whom God tells Elijah to “go” is not the king but a non-Israelite widow (1 Kgs 17:1, 8–9). The God who had “directed the ravens to supply you with food there” (v. 4) now “directed a widow there to supply you with food” (v. 9). Here is a claim to sovereignty outside the land and his people—“Zarephath in the region of Sidon” is the home not only of Jezebel but of her god!—and a widow outside of Israel will learn to her life-continuing gain that indeed “the Lord your God lives” (v. 12). Far away from centers of power and wealth she will be the first to affirm that “the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth” (v. 24).

Jesus’s introduction, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown” (Luke 4:24), shows that he has more in view than simply pointing to God’s grace to gentiles, although that aspect is important. The widow is an example of an “outsider,” someone on the fringe, who, when given opportunity to respond to God’s gracious saving provision, believes and lives, whereas “insiders” are not willing to believe or have a compromised faith and may be critical when “outsiders” are welcomed. How ready is the church today to see God graciously at work in people outside certain boundaries and perhaps to see that as a challenge to our own actions and attitudes? Konkel36 tells of Lamin Sanneh, an Islamic scholar, originally from Gambia, who became a follower of Christ but met suspicion and skepticism from various churches. He persevered because “Jesus was for real in spite of the prevarications of the church” and from 1989 until his death in 2019 was Professor of Missions and World Christianity at Yale Divinity School. The story of the widow of Zarephath encourages us to open our eyes and hearts to God’s grace in unexpected people and places, and to allow their response to challenge our own.

Here is also a story where the person of God does not come with all the resources but rather depends on help from the “outsider.” A striking comparison is Jesus asking for a drink of water from the woman at the well in Samaria, and she too, an “outsider,” became the first to see that he could be the Messiah and told others (John 4:7, 25–29).37

Naaman is Also a Human Being Like Us

The story of Naaman and his cleansing from a skin disease (2 Kgs 5) is familiar and Christians have seen many analogies with the gospel of Jesus Christ and cleansing from sin. Is this the main reason for the story being here? A number of features aid reflection on varying responses of God’s people in living amongst the nations.

From the start it challenges self-centered (or rather God’s people-centered) attitudes. It opens with simple, but unexpected, statements: “Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram” (2 Kgs 5:1). How might an Israelite receive these words? “Here is an archenemy. It can’t be true that the Lord gave Aram victory; God is supposed to give us victory.” Yet the narrator asserts God’s sovereignty and freedom to act on the side of Aram against Israel and continues to praise Naaman, “he was a valiant soldier” but he “had leprosy” (one of a number of possible skin diseases). An Israelite could give three reasons for detesting Naaman: a foreigner, head of the army that has defeated them, and a leper. Further, as a result of raids, a captured Israelite girl is now servant of Naaman’s wife. An Israelite might hope and pray for the freeing of the slave girl through the defeat of Aram. The narrator sees differently.

First, we read of the captive girl, a person on the fringe, seemingly insignificant as a member of God’s people. Yet here shines an example of concern for the enemy that leads ultimately to his full participation in communal life. Surprising inversions of human expectations continue: an Aramean king is genuinely and generously open to the possibility of an Israelite prophet healing, while the king of Israel is fearfully concerned for his own security. Next we read how Elisha is not overawed by the importance and possible generosity of this foreign army commander, simply sending a message as to the way to wholeness. He later refuses a very large gift of thanks, sending Naaman away “in peace” (v. 19).

We might expect the story to end there, but the narrator turns to Gehazi, Elisha’s assistant. The principle that a laborer is worthy of their hire is biblical (Matt 10:10; 1 Tim 5:18), and prophets relied upon the gifts of people (e.g., 1 Sam 9:8). Like Paul much later (1 Thess 2:9), Elijah however knows that claiming personal rights and material advantage is not as important as seeing people grow in faith in the life-giving God. Gehazi thinks otherwise. He sees an opportunity to live much more comfortably. He may well have justified his actions (as have many since), but the use of a lie and asking for only some of the gift is a standard form of graft. Elisha pinpoints not only Gehazi’s deceit, but his self-seeking at a time of hardship for others (v. 26).

Gehazi’s attitude to Naaman is evident in his “Naaman, this Aramean” (v. 20). He fails to have the breadth of compassion of Elisha—and God. Further, “with the derogatory epithet, ‘this Aramean,’ Gehazi impugns the man who has declared his faith in YHWH and who is about to act on it.”38 Naaman’s seed of faith is belittled rather than nurtured. By branding Naaman as “this Aramean,” Gehazi lessens his responsibility to care for a fellow human being, also made in the image of God. Gehazi’s attitude is reflected in countless contexts of human relationships, the labelling of the other in a way that regards them as of less worth than one’s own kind. This becomes particularly relevant in times of conflict or hardship, when all too readily there is division between “us” and “them.”

The story of Naaman involves four members of God’s people. The Israelite king saw Naaman as a threatening enemy while Gehazi saw an outsider to be used for personal advantage. A servant girl and Elisha were agents of God’s compassion so bringing blessing. Here “the other” came to Elisha, while Elijah was sent to the widow of Zarephath. In both cases the result was wholeness, and the stories are told to shape the attitude and actions of exiles amongst the nations.

When Jesus highlighted the otherness of the widow of Zarephath and of Naaman the Syrian as recipients of God’s favor, the people in the synagogue of Nazareth were “furious” and wanted to throw Jesus off the cliff (Luke 4:28–29). To show compassion and understanding to those who are “different from us” is risky! If this is how Christ was treated, should we be surprised?

In Light of the Past, Living in the Present among the Nations

It is easy to say in abstract that God’s people are to be a means of blessing to the nations by doing what is right and just. Biblical narrative provides stories of success and failure in doing so in the complexities of daily life at personal, family, and community levels. As the exiles in Babylon struggled to make sense of their current position and sought a way forward, the Kings narrative was more than a reminder of the past. As the story was told of the golden period of Solomon’s reign hearers found their gaze was turned from the temple, magnificent buildings, wealth, and brilliant wisdom to look rather at the cost to the community of the failure to have at the center, obedience to God’s covenantal requirements. They also saw in other stories examples of how it was possible to show God’s compassion for those outside his people and of how they too might come to faith in him.

We have had occasion already to refer to Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, to which could be added other blocks of teaching in Matthew. Significantly, the final words in Matthew are Jesus’s commission to “make disciples of all nations,” linked with “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt 28:19–20). God’s purpose to bless all nations still places at the center his people’s priorities in living his way, showing in their lives his own character of compassion and justice.

Bibliography

Brueggemann, Walter. 1 and 2 Kings. Smyth and Helwys Bible Commentary. Macon, GA: Smyth and Helwys, 2000.

Cohn, Robert L. 2 Kings. Berit Olam. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2000.

Crane, Ashley. “Solomon and the Building of the Temple.” In Text and Task: Scripture and Mission, edited by Michael Parsons, 33–49. Milton Keynes: Paternoster, 2005.

Gordon, Robert P. “A House Divided: Wisdom in Old Testament Narrative Traditions.” In Wisdom in Ancient Israel, edited John Day, Robert P. Gordon, and H. G. M. Williamson, 94–105. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.

Keller, Tim. Counterfeit Gods. New York: Dutton Adult, 2009.

Konkel, August H. 1 and 2 Kings. NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006.

Marshall, I. Howard. Acts. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Leicester: Inter-Varsity, 1980.

Olley, John W. The Message of Kings. The Bible Speaks Today. Nottingham: Inter-Varsity, 2011.

———. “Pharaoh’s Daughter, Solomon’s Palace and the Temple: Another Look at the Structure of 1 Kings 1–11.” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 27 (2003) 355–69.

———. “‘You are Light of the World’: A Missiological Focus for the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew.” Mission Studies 20, no. 1 (2003) 9–28.

Veblen, Thorstein. The Theory of the Leisure Class. New York: Macmillan, 1899.

Wiseman, Donald J. 1 and 2 Kings. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Leicester: InterVarsity, 1993.

9. Gen 12:3; mišpāḥôt “extended families, clans” is also in the table of nations, 10:5, 18, 20, 31, 32, and the description of creatures that came out of the ark, 8:19 (NIV “peoples,” “clans,” and “kind” respectively). ‘ădāmāh “earth, ground” features prominently throughout Gen 1–11 (28 times), echoing the commonality of all people as ‘ādām, more basic than any family or ethnic identity. Bible quotations are from the NIV unless otherwise specified.

10. Gen 18:18–19; here the terminology is the more common “nations” (gôyim) and “earth, land” (‘ereṣ).

11. Gen 11:1–9; English versions transliterate the Hebrew bābel only in v. 9, elsewhere using the later Greek form “Babylon.”

12. Gen 12:2; 15:1.

13. While recognizing incorporation of earlier material, implying selection and editing, our attention is the context of recipients of the present form of the books: what is the writer/editor communicating in that setting?

14. In Olley, Message of Kings, I explore several ways in which Kings shines light into current faith and lifestyle issues.

15. Keller, Counterfeit Gods.

16. So NIV. The verb hiśkîl may also be translated “be successful” (as in Josh 1:7–8) or “understand, gain insight” (so LXX; cf. Gen 3:6). Success and wisdom, along with prosperity, flow from trusting obedience.

17. My translation; NIV’s “right and wrong” obscures the echoes of the narrative of Genesis 3 and the “tree of the knowledge of good and bad,” with its fruit “desirable for gaining wisdom” (hiśkîl).

18. Gordon, “A House Divided,” 94–105. Gordon notes also that the last recorded activity of Solomon is seeking the life of his rival Jeroboam (11:40). The narrator there pointedly says ‘the Lord raised up adversaries’ (11:14, 21).

19. Crane, “Solomon,” 34, 40.

20. It is also the centre of the chiastic structure of the whole narrative, chs. 1–11. See Olley, “Pharaoh’s Daughter,” 355–69.

21. bāyit “house” is commonly translated “palace” when it is a king’s “house” and “temple” when reference is to God or a god.

22. The first such instance is as early as the fifth year of the reign of Solomon’s son, Rehoboam (1 Kgs 14:25–26); cf. 1 Kgs 15:18; 2 Kgs 12:18; 14:14; 18:14–16.

23. Cf. Exod 1:14; 2:23; 5:9; 6:6, 9 with “yoke” used in Lev 26:13.

24. The heading in NIV; also Wiseman, 1 and 2 Kings, 125.

25. Brueggemann, 1 and 2 Kings, 127–28.

26. Cf. NIV’s insertion of “however” in 11:1 (not in Hebrew), so suggesting that the marriages were the sole factor in Solomon’s failure.

27. The term was coined by Veblen to describe the use of money or resources to display a higher status than others; see Leisure Class.

28. The noun is only here in v. 19 (par. 2 Chr 8:6) and in Isa 21:4, “longing for” twilight, probably as relief.

29. A person “desiring” a woman (Gen 34:8; Deut 21:11) or God (Ps 91:14; NIV “love”) and God “setting his affection on” Israel (Deut 7:7; 10:15).

30. Brueggemann, 1 and 2 Kings, 128.

31. There is also a reversal of the exodus and settlement of the land in that Solomon gives some of the land away to a foreign ruler.

32. Greek cheiropoiētos is in LXX Lev 26:1, 30; Isa 2:18; 10:11; 19:1; 21:9; 31:7, etc., overwhelmingly of idols.

33. Marshall, Acts, 146. See also Acts 17:23; Heb 9:11, 24.

34. I have developed this in Olley, “Light of the World,” 9–28.

35. The only other New Testament allusion to Kings is Elijah’s prayer for rain (James 5:17–18; cf. 1 Kgs 18:41–46).

36. Konkel, 1 and 2 Kings, 317–19.

37. Cf. the crucial role of the “worthy person” or “someone who promotes peace” who supplies the needs of the itinerant disciples who take nothing with them (Matt 10:11; Luke 10:6).

38. Cohn, 2 Kings, 40.