Get Affordable VMs - excellent virtual server hosting


browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

solomonmore about solomon

solomon


  4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Solomon  \Sol"o*mon\,  n. 
  One  of  the  kings  of  Israel,  noted  for  his  superior  wisdom  and 
  magnificent  reign;  hence  a  very  wise  man.  --  {Sol`o*mon"ic}, 
  a. 
 
  {Solomon's  seal}  (Bot.),  a  perennial  liliaceous  plant  of  the 
  genus  {Polygonatum},  having  simple  erect  or  curving  stems 
  rising  from  thick  and  knotted  rootstocks,  and  with  white 
  or  greenish  nodding  flowers.  The  commonest  European 
  species  is  {Polygonatum  multiflorum}.  {P.  biflorum}  and 
  {P.  giganteum}  are  common  in  the  Eastern  United  States. 
  See  Illust.  of  {Rootstock}. 
 
  {False  Solomon's  seal}  (Bot.),  any  plant  of  the  liliaceous 
  genus  {Smilacina}  having  small  whitish  flowers  in  terminal 
  racemes  or  panicles. 
 
  From  U.S.  Gazetteer  (1990)  [gazetteer]: 
 
  Solomon,  KS  (city,  FIPS  66275) 
  Location:  38.91971  N,  97.37142  W 
  Population  (1990):  939  (438  housing  units) 
  Area:  1.7  sq  km  (land),  0.0  sq  km  (water) 
  Zip  code(s):  67480 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Solomon 
  peaceful,  (Heb.  Shelomoh),  David's  second  son  by  Bathsheba, 
  i.e.,  the  first  after  their  legal  marriage  (2  Sam.  12).  He  was 
  probably  born  about  B.C.  1035  (1  Chr.  22:5;  29:1).  He  succeeded 
  his  father  on  the  throne  in  early  manhood,  probably  about 
  sixteen  or  eighteen  years  of  age.  Nathan,  to  whom  his  education 
  was  intrusted,  called  him  Jedidiah,  i.e.,  "beloved  of  the  Lord" 
  (2  Sam.  12:24,  25).  He  was  the  first  king  of  Israel  "born  in  the 
  purple."  His  father  chose  him  as  his  successor,  passing  over  the 
  claims  of  his  elder  sons:  "Assuredly  Solomon  my  son  shall  reign 
  after  me."  His  history  is  recorded  in  1  Kings  1-11  and  2  Chr. 
  1-9.  His  elevation  to  the  throne  took  place  before  his  father's 
  death,  and  was  hastened  on  mainly  by  Nathan  and  Bathsheba,  in 
  consequence  of  the  rebellion  of  Adonijah  (1  Kings  1:5-40). 
  During  his  long  reign  of  forty  years  the  Hebrew  monarchy  gained 
  its  highest  splendour.  This  period  has  well  been  called  the 
  "Augustan  age"  of  the  Jewish  annals.  The  first  half  of  his  reign 
  was  however,  by  far  the  brighter  and  more  prosperous;  the 
  latter  half  was  clouded  by  the  idolatries  into  which  he  fell, 
  mainly  from  his  heathen  intermarriages  (1  Kings  11:1-8;  14:21, 
  31). 
 
  Before  his  death  David  gave  parting  instructions  to  his  son  (1 
  Kings  2:1-9;  1  Chr.  22:7-16;  28).  As  soon  as  he  had  settled 
  himself  in  his  kingdom,  and  arranged  the  affairs  of  his 
  extensive  empire,  he  entered  into  an  alliance  with  Egypt  by  the 
  marriage  of  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh  (1  Kings  3:1),  of  whom 
  however,  nothing  further  is  recorded.  He  surrounded  himself  with 
  all  the  luxuries  and  the  external  grandeur  of  an  Eastern 
  monarch,  and  his  government  prospered.  He  entered  into  an 
  alliance  with  Hiram,  king  of  Tyre,  who  in  many  ways  greatly 
  assisted  him  in  his  numerous  undertakings.  (See  {HIRAM}.) 
 
  For  some  years  before  his  death  David  was  engaged  in  the 
  active  work  of  collecting  materials  (1  Chr.  29:6-9;  2  Chr. 
  2:3-7)  for  building  a  temple  in  Jerusalem  as  a  permanent  abode 
  for  the  ark  of  the  covenant.  He  was  not  permitted  to  build  the 
  house  of  God  (1  Chr.  22:8);  that  honour  was  reserved  to  his  son 
  Solomon.  (See  {TEMPLE}.) 
 
  After  the  completion  of  the  temple,  Solomon  engaged  in  the 
  erection  of  many  other  buildings  of  importance  in  Jerusalem  and 
  in  other  parts  of  his  kingdom.  For  the  long  space  of  thirteen 
  years  he  was  engaged  in  the  erection  of  a  royal  palace  on  Ophel 
  (1  Kings  7:1-12).  It  was  100  cubits  long,  50  broad,  and  30  high. 
  Its  lofty  roof  was  supported  by  forty-five  cedar  pillars,  so 
  that  the  hall  was  like  a  forest  of  cedar  wood,  and  hence 
  probably  it  received  the  name  of  "The  House  of  the  Forest  of 
  Lebanon."  In  front  of  this  house"  was  another  building,  which 
  was  called  the  Porch  of  Pillars,  and  in  front  of  this  again  was 
  the  "Hall  of  Judgment,"  or  Throne-room  (1  Kings  7:7;  10:18-20;  2 
  Chr.  9:17-19),  "the  King's  Gate,"  where  he  administered  justice 
  and  gave  audience  to  his  people.  This  palace  was  a  building  of 
  great  magnificence  and  beauty.  A  portion  of  it  was  set  apart  as 
  the  residence  of  the  queen  consort,  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh. 
  From  the  palace  there  was  a  private  staircase  of  red  and  scented 
  sandal  wood  which  led  up  to  the  temple. 
 
  Solomon  also  constructed  great  works  for  the  purpose  of 
  securing  a  plentiful  supply  of  water  for  the  city  (Eccl.  2:4-6). 
  He  then  built  Millo  (LXX.,  "Acra")  for  the  defence  of  the  city, 
  completing  a  line  of  ramparts  around  it  (1  Kings  9:15,  24; 
  11:27).  He  erected  also  many  other  fortifications  for  the 
  defence  of  his  kingdom  at  various  points  where  it  was  exposed  to 
  the  assault  of  enemies  (1  Kings  9:15-19;  2  Chr.  8:2-6).  Among 
  his  great  undertakings  must  also  be  mentioned  the  building  of 
  Tadmor  (q.v.)  in  the  wilderness  as  a  commercial  depot,  as  well 
  as  a  military  outpost. 
 
  During  his  reign  Palestine  enjoyed  great  commercial 
  prosperity.  Extensive  traffic  was  carried  on  by  land  with  Tyre 
  and  Egypt  and  Arabia,  and  by  sea  with  Spain  and  India  and  the 
  coasts  of  Africa,  by  which  Solomon  accumulated  vast  stores  of 
  wealth  and  of  the  produce  of  all  nations  (1  Kings  9:26-28; 
  10:11,  12;  2  Chr.  8:17,  18;  9:21).  This  was  the  "golden  age"  of 
  Israel.  The  royal  magnificence  and  splendour  of  Solomon's  court 
  were  unrivalled.  He  had  seven  hundred  wives  and  three  hundred 
  concubines,  an  evidence  at  once  of  his  pride,  his  wealth,  and 
  his  sensuality.  The  maintenance  of  his  household  involved 
  immense  expenditure.  The  provision  required  for  one  day  was 
  "thirty  measures  of  fine  flour,  and  threescore  measures  of  meal, 
  ten  fat  oxen,  and  twenty  oxen  out  of  the  pastures,  and  an 
  hundred  sheep,  beside  harts,  and  roebucks,  and  fallow-deer,  and 
  fatted  fowl"  (1  Kings  4:22,  23). 
 
  Solomon's  reign  was  not  only  a  period  of  great  material 
  prosperity,  but  was  equally  remarkable  for  its  intellectual 
  activity.  He  was  the  leader  of  his  people  also  in  this  uprising 
  amongst  them  of  new  intellectual  life.  "He  spake  three  thousand 
  proverbs:  and  his  songs  were  a  thousand  and  five  And  he  spake 
  of  trees,  from  the  cedar  tree  that  is  in  Lebanon  even  unto  the 
  hyssop  that  springeth  out  of  the  wall:  he  spake  also  of  beasts, 
  and  of  fowl,  and  of  creeping  things  and  of  fishes"  (1  Kings 
  4:32,  33). 
 
  His  fame  was  spread  abroad  through  all  lands,  and  men  came 
  from  far  and  near  "to  hear  the  wisdom  of  Solomon."  Among  others 
  thus  attracted  to  Jerusalem  was  "the  queen  of  the  south"  (Matt. 
  12:42),  the  queen  of  Sheba,  a  country  in  Arabia  Felix.  "Deep, 
  indeed,  must  have  been  her  yearning,  and  great  his  fame,  which 
  induced  a  secluded  Arabian  queen  to  break  through  the  immemorial 
  custom  of  her  dreamy  land,  and  to  put  forth  the  energy  required 
  for  braving  the  burdens  and  perils  of  so  long  a  journey  across  a 
  wilderness.  Yet  this  she  undertook,  and  carried  it  out  with 
  safety."  (1  Kings  10:1-13;  2  Chr.  9:1-12.)  She  was  filled  with 
  amazement  by  all  she  saw  and  heard:  "there  was  no  more  spirit  in 
  her."  After  an  interchange  of  presents  she  returned  to  her 
  native  land. 
 
  But  that  golden  age  of  Jewish  history  passed  away  The  bright 
  day  of  Solomon's  glory  ended  in  clouds  and  darkness.  His  decline 
  and  fall  from  his  high  estate  is  a  sad  record.  Chief  among  the 
  causes  of  his  decline  were  his  polygamy  and  his  great  wealth. 
  "As  he  grew  older  he  spent  more  of  his  time  among  his 
  favourites.  The  idle  king  living  among  these  idle  women,  for 
  1,000  women,  with  all  their  idle  and  mischievous  attendants, 
  filled  the  palaces  and  pleasure-houses  which  he  had  built  (1 
  Kings  11:3),  learned  first  to  tolerate  and  then  to  imitate  their 
  heathenish  ways.  He  did  not  indeed,  cease  to  believe  in  the  God 
  of  Israel  with  his  mind.  He  did  not  cease  to  offer  the  usual 
  sacrifices  in  the  temple  at  the  great  feasts.  But  his  heart  was 
  not  right  with  God;  his  worship  became  merely  formal;  his  soul, 
  left  empty  by  the  dying  out  of  true  religious  fervour,  sought  to 
  be  filled  with  any  religious  excitement  which  offered  itself 
  Now  for  the  first  time  a  worship  was  publicly  set  up  amongst  the 
  people  of  the  Lord  which  was  not  simply  irregular  or  forbidden, 
  like  that  of  Gideon  (Judg.  8:27),  or  the  Danites  (Judg.  18:30, 
  31),  but  was  downright  idolatrous."  (1  Kings  11:7;  2  Kings 
  23:13.) 
 
  This  brought  upon  him  the  divine  displeasure.  His  enemies 
  prevailed  against  him  (1  Kings  11:14-22,  23-25,  26-40),  and  one 
  judgment  after  another  fell  upon  the  land.  And  now  the  end  of 
  all  came  and  he  died,  after  a  reign  of  forty  years,  and  was 
  buried  in  the  city  of  David,  and  "with  him  was  buried  the 
  short-lived  glory  and  unity  of  Israel."  "He  leaves  behind  him 
  but  one  weak  and  worthless  son,  to  dismember  his  kingdom  and 
  disgrace  his  name." 
 
  "The  kingdom  of  Solomon,"  says  Rawlinson  "is  one  of  the  most 
  striking  facts  in  the  Biblical  history.  A  petty  nation,  which 
  for  hundreds  of  years  has  with  difficulty  maintained  a  separate 
  existence  in  the  midst  of  warlike  tribes,  each  of  which  has  in 
  turn  exercised  dominion  over  it  and  oppressed  it  is  suddenly 
  raised  by  the  genius  of  a  soldier-monarch  to  glory  and 
  greatness.  An  empire  is  established  which  extends  from  the 
  Euphrates  to  the  borders  of  Egypt,  a  distance  of  450  miles;  and 
  this  empire,  rapidly  constructed,  enters  almost  immediately  on  a 
  period  of  peace  which  lasts  for  half  a  century.  Wealth, 
  grandeur,  architectural  magnificence,  artistic  excellence, 
  commercial  enterprise,  a  position  of  dignity  among  the  great 
  nations  of  the  earth,  are  enjoyed  during  this  space,  at  the  end 
  of  which  there  is  a  sudden  collapse.  The  ruling  nation  is  split 
  in  twain,  the  subject-races  fall  off  the  pre-eminence  lately 
  gained  being  wholly  lost,  the  scene  of  struggle,  strife, 
  oppression,  recovery,  inglorious  submission,  and  desperate 
  effort,  re-commences.",  Historical  Illustrations. 
 
 
  From  Hitchcock's  Bible  Names  Dictionary  (late  1800's)  [hitchcock]: 
 
  Solomon,  peaceable;  perfect;  one  who  recompenses 
 




more about solomon