What happened to the death of Solomon?

Answer 1

Solomon's father David was a warrior and had had a hard physical life in a time of almost continuous war and strife, whereas Solomon lived in peaceful times, had great riches and splendour, lived a life of ease, and could do as he liked: David wore himself out yet lived to 70, while Solomon had it easy: He should have lived for ages but he didn't. How old was he when he died? However, there is more to this than at first sight. Before King David died in 970BC (Ussher) he told his son Solomon to "shew thyself a man (KJV) or "be a man (BBE)" :-

1Ki 2:1-3 KJV Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, (v.2) I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; (v.3) And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:

1Ki 2:2-4 BBE I am going the way of all the earth: so be strong and be a man; (v.3) And keep the orders of the Lord your God, walking in his ways, keeping his laws and his orders and his rules and his words, as they are recorded in the law of Moses; so that you may do well in all you do and wherever you go, (v.4) So that the Lord may give effect to what he said of me, If your children give attention to their ways, living uprightly before me with all their heart and their soul, you will never be without a man to be king in Israel.

The implication is that he was not old enough, perhaps still a teenager. Albert Barnes says:-

"... Solomon's youth clearly constituted one of the chief difficulties of his position. If he was about nineteen or twenty, and known to be of a pacific disposition (see 1Ch_22:9), then to have to rule over the warlike and turbulent Hebrew nation, with a strong party opposed to him, and brothers of full age ready to lead it, was evidently a most difficult task. Hence, he is exhorted, though in years a boy, to show himself in Spirit "a man."

(Albert Barnes on 1Kings 2:2 in his Commentary "Notes on The Bible")

If he was 20 that would make him born in 990BC, and after reigning for 40 years he died in 931BC (Ussher):-

1Ki 11:42-43 BBE And the time Solomon was king in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. (v.43) And Solomon went to rest with his fathers, and was put into the earth in the town of David his father: and Solomon went to rest with his fathers and Rehoboam his son became king in his place.

Because the Hebrew and Greek calendars do not coincide and his birthdate is unknown, his age cannot be determined exactly. Accordingly, Solomon would have been either 60 or in his 6oth year when he died, even though God says a man is ordained to normally live to 70 but if he is blessed up to 80:-

Psa 90:10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten [ie 70 yrs]; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years [ie 80 yrs], yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

So why did Solomon die early at 60 and not later? He had a peaceful This implies that if a person dies earlier than 70 they have not been blessed by living longer, but have instead disobeyed God and been cursed accordingly.

God had promised David that if he did as he was told and obeyed Him then his descendants would continue to reign (ie as a "Dynasty of David") over Israel:-

2Sa 7:12-13 KJV [God telling David]:- "And when thy [ie David's] days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers [ie die], I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom [ie Solomon's]. (v.13) He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever".

Before he died David had told Solomon the same thing, that if he obeyed God and did as he was told then David's descendants would continue to reign (ie as a "Dynasty of David") over Israel: (note that "descendants" is plural ie not just Solomon but his descendants as well.):-

1Ki 2:3-4 GNB and do what the LORD your God orders you to do. Obey all his laws and commands, as written in the Law of Moses, so that wherever you go you may prosper in everything you do. (v.4) If you obey him, the LORD will keep the promise he made when he told me that my [ie David's] descendants would rule Israel as long as they were careful to obey his commands faithfully with all their heart and soul.

After David died God repeated it to Solomon:-

1Ki 6:11-13 KJV And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying, (v.12) Concerning this house [ie temple] which thou art in building,if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father: (v.13) And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.

Solomon did not do this: he did not obey the Lord as he had been told to do. Solomon's father David was a warrior and had had a hard physical life in a time of almost continuous war and strife, whereas Solomon lived in peaceful times, had great riches and splendour, lived a life of ease, and could do as he liked: David wore himself out yet lived to 70, while Solomon had it easy and did as he liked yet died earlier at 60 because of his disobedience, and after Solomon died here was a civil war and the nation was split into two. Obedience brings life but disobedience results in death.