וַֽיְהִי֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה מֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ס)
King Solomon was now king over all Israel.
וְלִשְׁלֹמֹ֞ה שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֤ר נִצָּבִים֙ עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְכִלְכְּל֥וּ אֶת־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ וְאֶת־בֵּית֑וֹ חֹ֧דֶשׁ בַּשָּׁנָ֛ה יִהְיֶ֥ה עַל־אחד [הָאֶחָ֖ד] לְכַלְכֵּֽל׃ (ס)
Solomon had twelve prefects governing all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household; each had to provide food for one month in the year.
What do the prefects correspond to?
The twelve prefects correspond to the twelve months in the year, as they each governed for one month. They also correspond to the twelve tribes of Israel. It is likely that they each governed one tribe.
The twelve prefects correspond to the twelve months in the year, as they each governed for one month. They also correspond to the twelve tribes of Israel. It is likely that they each governed one tribe.
יְהוּדָ֤ה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ רַבִּ֔ים כַּח֥וֹל אֲשֶׁר־עַל־הַיָּ֖ם לָרֹ֑ב אֹכְלִ֥ים וְשֹׁתִ֖ים וּשְׂמֵחִֽים׃
Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sands of the sea; they ate and drank and were content.
Cite any connecting/related sources/verses to this moment.
"I will make your heirs as numerous as the stars of heaven, and assign to your heirs all these lands, so that all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your heirs"—
Genesis 26:4
"I will make your heirs as numerous as the stars of heaven, and assign to your heirs all these lands, so that all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your heirs"—
Genesis 26:4
וּשְׁלֹמֹ֗ה הָיָ֤ה מוֹשֵׁל֙ בְּכָל־הַמַּמְלָכ֔וֹת מִן־הַנָּהָר֙ אֶ֣רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וְעַ֖ד גְּב֣וּל מִצְרָ֑יִם מַגִּשִׁ֥ים מִנְחָ֛ה וְעֹבְדִ֥ים אֶת־שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה כָּל־יְמֵ֥י חַיָּֽיו׃ (פ)
Solomon’s rule extended over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and the boundary of Egypt. They brought Solomon tribute and were subject to him all his life.
Find a map online that shows this territory and link it here, or, create your own and upload it here. (Click "media" to upload a pic)
וַיְהִ֥י לֶֽחֶם־שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לְי֣וֹם אֶחָ֑ד שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים כֹּר֙ סֹ֔לֶת וְשִׁשִּׁ֥ים כֹּ֖ר קָֽמַח׃
Solomon’s daily provisions consisted of 30 kors of semolina, and 60 kors of [ordinary] flour,
How much is a kor?
49.94 gallons
49.94 gallons
עֲשָׂרָ֨ה בָקָ֜ר בְּרִאִ֗ים וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים בָּקָ֛ר רְעִ֖י וּמֵ֣אָה צֹ֑אן לְ֠בַד מֵֽאַיָּ֤ל וּצְבִי֙ וְיַחְמ֔וּר וּבַרְבֻּרִ֖ים אֲבוּסִֽים׃
-10 fattened oxen, 20 pasture-fed oxen, and 100 sheep and goats, besides deer and gazelles, roebucks and fatted geese.
What are roebucks?
Roebucks are male roe deer.
Roebucks are male roe deer.
כִּי־ה֞וּא רֹדֶ֣ה ׀ בְּכָל־עֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֗ר מִתִּפְסַח֙ וְעַד־עַזָּ֔ה בְּכָל־מַלְכֵ֖י עֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֑ר וְשָׁל֗וֹם הָ֥יָה ל֛וֹ מִכָּל־עֲבָרָ֖יו מִסָּבִֽיב׃
For he controlled the whole region west of the Euphrates—all the kings west of the Euphrates, from Tiphsah to Gaza—and he had peace on all his borders roundabout.
Who were some of the other kings that Solomon controlled?
וַיֵּשֶׁב֩ יְהוּדָ֨ה וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל לָבֶ֗טַח אִ֣ישׁ תַּ֤חַת גַּפְנוֹ֙ וְתַ֣חַת תְּאֵֽנָת֔וֹ מִדָּ֖ן וְעַד־בְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֥י שְׁלֹמֹֽה׃ (ס)
All the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba dwelt in safety, everyone under his own vine and under his own fig tree.
Find at least two references to this verse in popular culture or historical culture.
וַיְהִ֣י לִשְׁלֹמֹ֗ה אַרְבָּעִ֥ים אֶ֛לֶף אֻרְוֺ֥ת סוּסִ֖ים לְמֶרְכָּב֑וֹ וּשְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֥ר אֶ֖לֶף פָּרָשִֽׁים׃
Solomon had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariotry and 12,000 horsemen.
Can you find any historical evidence for where these horses were kept/what the location was?
וְכִלְכְּלוּ֩ הַנִּצָּבִ֨ים הָאֵ֜לֶּה אֶת־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֗ה וְאֵ֧ת כָּל־הַקָּרֵ֛ב אֶל־שֻׁלְחַ֥ן הַמֶּֽלֶךְ־שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ חָדְשׁ֑וֹ לֹ֥א יְעַדְּר֖וּ דָּבָֽר׃
All those prefects, each during his month, would furnish provisions for King Solomon and for all who were admitted to King Solomon’s table; they did not fall short in anything.
וְהַשְּׂעֹרִ֣ים וְהַתֶּ֔בֶן לַסּוּסִ֖ים וְלָרָ֑כֶשׁ יָבִ֗אוּ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִֽהְיֶה־שָּׁ֔ם אִ֖ישׁ כְּמִשְׁפָּטֽוֹ׃ (ס)
They would also, each in his turn, deliver barley and straw for the horses and the swift steeds to the places where they were stationed.
וַיִּתֵּן֩ אֱלֹהִ֨ים חָכְמָ֧ה לִשְׁלֹמֹ֛ה וּתְבוּנָ֖ה הַרְבֵּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וְרֹ֣חַב לֵ֔ב כַּח֕וֹל אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת הַיָּֽם׃
God endowed Solomon with wisdom and discernment in great measure, with understanding as vast as the sands on the seashore.
Explain what this verse means in a literal sense, and then add what its symbolic meaning is.
This means that God gave Solomon wisdom and great understanding.
This means that God gave Solomon wisdom and great understanding.
וַתֵּ֙רֶב֙ חָכְמַ֣ת שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה מֵֽחָכְמַ֖ת כָּל־בְּנֵי־קֶ֑דֶם וּמִכֹּ֖ל חָכְמַ֥ת מִצְרָֽיִם׃
Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the Kedemites and than all the wisdom of the Egyptians.
Who were the Kedemites?
וַיֶּחְכַּם֮ מִכָּל־הָֽאָדָם֒ מֵאֵיתָ֣ן הָאֶזְרָחִ֗י וְהֵימָ֧ן וְכַלְכֹּ֛ל וְדַרְדַּ֖ע בְּנֵ֣י מָח֑וֹל וַיְהִֽי־שְׁמ֥וֹ בְכָֽל־הַגּוֹיִ֖ם סָבִֽיב׃
He was the wisest of all men: [wiser] than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalkol, and Darda the sons of Mahol. His fame spread among all the surrounding nations.
Who are all of these people? Give a one/two sentence bio of each.
וַיְדַבֵּ֕ר שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֖ים מָשָׁ֑ל וַיְהִ֥י שִׁיר֖וֹ חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה וָאָֽלֶף׃
He composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered one thousand and five.
Provide at least 5 quotes of psalms, songs, or writings authored by Solomon. Include the citations.
וַיְדַבֵּר֮ עַל־הָֽעֵצִים֒ מִן־הָאֶ֙רֶז֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּלְּבָנ֔וֹן וְעַד֙ הָאֵז֔וֹב אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֹצֵ֖א בַּקִּ֑יר וַיְדַבֵּר֙ עַל־הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה וְעַל־הָע֔וֹף וְעַל־הָרֶ֖מֶשׂ וְעַל־הַדָּגִֽים׃
He discoursed about trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall; and he discoursed about beasts, birds, creeping things, and fishes.
וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ מִכָּל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים לִשְׁמֹ֕עַ אֵ֖ת חָכְמַ֣ת שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה מֵאֵת֙ כָּל־מַלְכֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁמְע֖וּ אֶת־חָכְמָתֽוֹ׃ (ס)
Men of all peoples came to hear Solomon’s wisdom, [sent] by all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.
Find and link to a midrash about someone who came to Solomon seeking his wisdom.