Isaac Kalimi, «King Solomon: His Birth and Names in the Second Temple Period Literature», Vol. 93 (2012) 481-499
In Chronicles Solomon is represented as one who was born under normal circumstances. He appears in the center of David’s nineteen descendants, and as the youngest of Bathsheba’s four sons, but still gained the kingship. The name «Solomon» was given to the child by God prior to his birth and He elected him as king. The root of the name was interpreted twice, but there is no mention of «Yedidyah». The allusions to or ignorance of the name «Yedidyah» in Psalms, Nehemiah, Chronicles, and Josephus, as well as the question if «Qoheleth» is Solomon’s third name, are also discussed.
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KING SOLOMON
person’s peaceful period. Thus, the name of the king refers to his
peaceful epoch. At the same time, it is also possible that the Chron-
icler borrowed this explanation from earlier scriptures, such as
1Kgs 5,4-5 (ET: 4,24-25):
xjbl larfyw hdwhy bvyw bybsm wyrb[-lkm wl hyh ~wlvw
hmlv ymy lk [bv rab-d[w !dm wtnat txtw wnpg txt vya
And he had shalom (peace) on all sides around him. And Judah and
Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree,
from Dan to Beersheba, all the days of Shelomoh.
See also Psalm 72, which is ascribed to Solomon, and where the name
is also derived from the word shalom (see particularly verses 3 and 7).
Nonetheless, the Chronicler made his explanation straight and clear.
The second explanation derives the name Shelomoh from the
word shalem (= “completeâ€, “perfectâ€). This explanation refers to
the king himself. It appears twice in Chronicles, both as puns: once
in 1 Chr 28,9:
hcpx vpnbw ~lv blb whdb[w $yba yhla-ta [d ynb-hmlv htaw
And you, Shelomoh, my son, know the God of your father, and serve
him with a shalem heart and a willing spirit.
And once again in 1 Chr 29,19:
$ytwcm rwmvl ~lv bbl !t ynb hmlvlw
And as for Shelomoh my son, give him a shalem heart that he may ob-
serve your commandments 39.
For the explanation of the name Solomon in the books of Kings and
39
Chronicles, see I. KALIMI, “Utilization of Pun/Paronomasia in the Chronistic
Writingâ€, An Ancient Israelite Historian, 67-81, esp. 77-78, 79.
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