The Bible In A Year
Lent – Pentecost Week 3 of 17
March 11-16, 2019
Readings for the Week
Theme of the week: Writings of Solomon
- Monday -Proverbs chapters 13, 14, 15, 16, & 17
- Tuesday -Proverbs chapters 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 & 23
- Wednesday -Proverbs chapters 24, 25, 26, 27 & 28
- Thursday -Ecclesiastes chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6
Note how this book’s tone varies from Proverbs. - Friday -Ecclesiastes chapters 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12
- Saturday -Proverbs chapters 29, 30 & 31
Notice that these three chapters are written by different people. Compare their themes to the ones attributed to Solomon.
The Bible In A Year
Lent – Pentecost Week 3 of 17
A Framework for Understanding
King Solomon
King Solomon was one of the sons of King David. Born by Bathsheba later in David’s reign, Solomon was anointed king just prior to the death of David. His reign was 968-928 B.C.E. Three books in the cannon of the Bible that are attributed to Solomon: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon (also known as “the Song of Songs”). It is unlikely that Solomon actually wrote any of them. The language use of the written documents points to a date originating 500 to 700 years after Solomon’s death.
The book of Proverbs is a collection of wisdom poems and sayings. Many of the sayings and even entire poems contained in Proverbs can be found in the writings of other cultures, particularly Egypt. King Solomon was reputed to be the wisest person ever to live, collecting the wisdom of the elders and that of other cultures, too. While the book was written after Solomon’s death, it could well be that some of his teachings survived orally, and were augmented to create this collection.
A major motif of the Proverbs is the personification of Wisdom as a woman, and the opposite of wisdom being portrayed as foolish and adulterous women. A major theme of the poems and proverbs is that God rewards the righteous and punishes the transgressor.
Ecclesiastes seems to struggle with the simplistic view of punishment and reward put forth in the proverbs.
Solomon was reported to have 700 wives and 300 concubines. The Song of Solomon is a series of love poems involving a man, a woman, and her companions. It is sensuous in nature, extolling the physical aspects of love. It was reportedly used during marriages, and later interpreted allegorically to be the relationship between God and Israel, or Jesus and the Church.