Topical Bible: Rulers: Wicked: Solomon, Oppressing the People

◄ Rulers: Wicked: Solomon, Oppressing the People ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba, is often remembered for his wisdom, wealth, and the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem. However, his reign also includes elements of oppression and wickedness, particularly in his later years. Solomon's oppressive policies and actions are documented in the biblical narrative, highlighting the complexities of his rule.

Heavy Taxation and Forced Labor

One of the primary ways Solomon oppressed the people was through heavy taxation and forced labor. To support his grand building projects, including the Temple and his own palace, Solomon imposed significant burdens on the Israelites. In 1 Kings 5:13-14 , it is recorded, "Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of thirty thousand men from all Israel. He sent them to Lebanon in shifts of ten thousand per month, so that they would spend one month in Lebanon and two months at home." This conscription was a form of forced labor, which placed a heavy burden on the people.

Excessive Wealth and Extravagance

Solomon's accumulation of wealth and his extravagant lifestyle also contributed to the oppression of the people. His wealth was legendary, as described in 1 Kings 10:14-15 : "The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents, not including the revenue from the merchants and traders, as well as all the Arabian kings and governors of the land." This excessive wealth was often amassed at the expense of the common people, who bore the brunt of the economic strain.

Idolatry and Spiritual Decline

In his later years, Solomon's heart turned away from the LORD, leading to spiritual decline and idolatry. 1 Kings 11:4-6 states, "For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been. Solomon followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD; unlike his father David, he did not follow the LORD completely." This spiritual apostasy not only affected Solomon personally but also had repercussions for the nation, leading them away from the covenant with God.

Consequences of Solomon's Oppression

The oppressive policies and spiritual decline during Solomon's reign had lasting consequences for the kingdom of Israel. After Solomon's death, the kingdom was divided as a direct result of his actions. In 1 Kings 12:4 , the people approached Solomon's son, Rehoboam, saying, "Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you." Rehoboam's failure to heed this request led to the division of the kingdom, fulfilling the prophecy given to Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:31-35).

Solomon's reign serves as a cautionary tale of how a ruler's departure from God's commandments and oppressive governance can lead to national decline and division. His account is a reminder of the importance of faithfulness to God and just leadership.

Nave's Topical Index

1 Kings 12:4
Your father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make you the grievous service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you.
Nave's Topical Index

1 Kings 4:7-23
And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

"They have Corrupted Themselves; their Spot is not the Spot of his ...
... no temptation, if our hearts were not wicked hearts ... comeliness, what majesty can
be in rulers or judicatures ... is crooked cannot be made straight," saith Solomon. ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon iv they have corrupted.htm

The Twelve Minor Prophets.
... corrupt and rapacious character of the Jewish rulers at that ... in peace, as in the
days of Solomon, they found ... and talked as if he favored the proud and wicked. ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxiii the twelve minor.htm

The Apocalypse of Baruch.
... contrasted with the times of David and Solomon; the revolt ... and its inhabitants and
upon its rulers confusion of ... be more than the rich, and the wicked shall be ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the apocalypse of baruch.htm

The Old Testament and Comparative Religion
... The twin pillars, which Solomon erected in the porch of ... has its guardian
angels.[23] The Babylonian rulers stood in ... in the land, to destroy the wicked and ...
/.../eiselen/the christian view of the old testament/chapter v the old testament.htm

The Seven Trumpets.
... of the temple the two cherubim, which Solomon made "of ... of the earth had set themselves,
and the rulers taken counsel ... The absence of all the wicked, with the ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the seven trumpets.htm

Exposition of the Moral Law.
... Gen.17:7). With reference to this, Solomon says, "The ... name is profaned with vain
and wicked abuse, because ... And, thirdly, that we may avoid oppressing those who ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 8 exposition of the.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... And hence Jeremiah, when he would set forth the condition of a wicked people, he
doth ... be a type of the heart of man before conversion; and so Solomon seems to ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm

part i
... immortal words are in use amongst the living, which were left by those who have
died long ago, and which sometimes still live in the mouths of a whole people! ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part i.htm