Solomon’s sons and daughters are a question on the minds of Bible scholars and history buffs alike. The Biblical King Solomon was a charismatic and interesting person with divine wisdom. According to Biblical tradition, Solomon and Naamah had three children – two daughters and one son. But there are also legends from other cultures who claim to be Solomon’s sons.
Let’s discover seven fun facts about the sons and daughters of Solomon. The following questions would make great prompts for a Bible Q+A session at your Bible study group or Youth ministry. Each section has a question and then the answer is explained by looking at what the Bible says about it.
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The Wisdom of Solomon must have been passed on to his children
King David, the father of Solomon, is one of the most popular Bible characters. At the end of David’s life, he made preparations so that his son Solomon could take over his reign. According to the Bible, the God of Israel granted Solomon divine wisdom. So, Solomon, son of David, became the wisest person to ever live.
“That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king,therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. “
Solomon authored the book of Ecclesiastes, the book of Proverbs, and the book of Song of Solomon. All of these are part of the wisdom literature in the Bible.
Solomon passed his wisdom on to his sons and daughters
“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”
Proverbs 1:1-5
There is some confusion about whether this proverb was written for Solomon’s literal children or the children of Israel in general… (God’s children = His people). It sure reads like Solomon was dedicating the book of Proverbs to his son if we read the passage above.
2: What was the name of Solomon’s wife?
King Solomon had many wives and concubines
The Bible tells us that King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3). Solomon married foreign wives who brought the worship of foreign gods into his household.
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The people of Israel were continually going against God’s commands, and Solomon was no different from them. Solomon married foreign women who brought their own religions, cultures, and traditions into his home. He did so against the prophets’ warnings and God’s direct command to him when he was younger.
“King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.”
– 1 Kings 11:1-4
The Bible only mentions one of his wives by name. She was Naamah the Ammonite princess, who was the mother of Rehoboam. (2 Chronicles 14 and 1 Kings 14). How did Solomon only have 3 children if he had so many wives and concubines?
3: What Bible verse talks about Solomon’s children?
No singular verse mentions Solomon’s sons and daughters
Even though the Bible is made up of many books, written over many years, it tells one story. God’s big story. And so, the most relevant information to the coming Messiah is what the focus is on. Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the awaited Messiah from the Old Testament. People of other nations were not considered part of the Davidic bloodline that led to the Messiah. So, that might be why their details are not included.
Solomon’s sons and daughters are not mentioned in one single Bible verse. The next 2 facts will give more information on Solomon’s three children.
4: How many sons did Solomon have?
According to the Bible, Rehoboam is Solomon’s only son.
We read about Solomon’s son Rehoboam who became his successor in 1 Kings 11 and 2 Chronicles 9. These Biblical books are historical accounts of the time when Solomon was King of the nation of Israel. They offer insight into Solomon’s life.
The tribes of Israel split during Rehoboam’s reign and two separate kingdoms formed. Even though Solomon was harsh towards the northern tribe people, Rehoboam was more cruel towards them. After Solomon passed away, Jeroboam son of Nebat of the northern tribes came to Rehoboam asking for mercy. Instead of listening to wise counsel and showing them kindness, Rehoboam reacted in anger and evil. Ten of Israel’s tribes left Rehoboam’s reign, so only two remained, namely the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
But Rehoboam wasn’t all bad.
At a later stage (1 Kings 14:21-31), Rehoboam defended his father’s honor after the King of Egypt broke in and stole precious items like golden shields. Solomon’s son replaced the stolen items with bronze replicas and increased security to make sure nobody could steal them again. In the book of 1st Chronicles, chapter 11, we also read that Rehoboam was a good king who was known for fortifying cities and raising up leaders. Rehoboam, son of Solomon, married 18 wives and had 60 concubines, which meant he fathered 28 sons and 60 daughters (2 Chronicles 11:21).
“King Rehoboam established himself firmly in Jerusalem and continued as king. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.”
– 2 Chronicles 12:13-14
5: What were the names of Solomon’s daughters?
Solomon’s daughters, Taphath and Basemath, are mentioned very briefly
As mentioned before, there is not one singular Bible verse that states who the children of Solomon were. But it is when we study Biblical genealogies closely that we find something peculiar. In the book of 1 Kings, Solomon’s daughters’ names are tucked away in plain sight, in a list of King Solomon’s officers and chief officials.
“Ben-Abinadab—in Naphoth Dor (he was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon);
Baana son of Ahilud—in Taanach and Megiddo, and in all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah across to Jokmeam;
Ben-Geber—in Ramoth Gilead (the settlements of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead were his, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan and its sixty large walled cities with bronze gate bars);
Ahinadab son of Iddo—in Mahanaim;
Ahimaaz—in Naphtali (he had married Basemath daughter of Solomon)”
– 1 Kings 4:11-15
Biblical scholars assume that Taphath and Basemath had the same mother as Rehoboam, even though that is not stated in the text.
6: Did Solomon have any other sons and daughters that are not mentioned in the Bible?
An Ethiopian king named Menilek claimed to be Solomon’s son
There is a Biblical story where the queen of Sheba visits King Solomon to learn from him. Solomon’s wisdom meant that wealthy people traveled from far away to learn from him and see this great wisdom for themselves. “The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.” – 1 Kings 10:24. The book of 1 Kings tells of the queen of Sheba visiting King Solomon. She might have been from Yemen or Ethiopia. The Bible tells of the visit and how the queen of Sheba returned home after the visit.
“When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the Lord, she came to test Solomon with hard questions. Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.”
– 1 Kings 10:1-3 and 13
However, according to Ethiopian legend, the story does not end there… Solomon might have had another son…
According to Ancient Ethiopian tradition, the queen’s name was Mekada and she grew very close to Solomon during her time spent with him. Legend has it that Mekada and Solomon slept together on the last night of her visit before she returned home the next morning. Solomon handed her a ring after they’d been intimate and told her that if they had a child together, she was to send the child to him with the ring to prove it was truly his offspring.
The Ethiopian legend continues that Queen Mekada gave birth to Solomon’s first-born son and named him Menilek. Years later, Menilek visited Jerusalem and met his father. Today, the kings of Ethiopia are still called the Solomonic Dynasty. This might be true or it might be a fabricated tale, but either way, Solomon’s wisdom made him admirable even in faraway lands.
Photo by Europeana
7: Did Solomon have other children with his many wives and concubines?
Solomon’s other sons and daughters may have been sacrificed to the god Molech
We discovered earlier that Solomon had many wives who brought their own gods into his home…
“As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done. On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites.He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.”
– 1 Kings 11:4-8
When we read the Bible, without the context, it can seem like these other gods are just called detestable because they are different. The abomination of the Ammonites and the abomination of Moab are the gods that they worshiped. However, history reveals that the god Molech (Molek) and Chemosh was worshiped with human sacrifice, especially child sacrifice. The fact that Solomon’s many wives requested these altars means that they probably made offerings there – and possibly their own children.
Summary and reflection on Solomon’s sons and daughters
The list of seven fun facts above casts some light on the mystery of the Biblical King Solomon’s offspring. What all of these facts have in common is that they give insight into the time Solomon lived. So, Solomon was an interesting character from the Bible who was incredibly wise. But he had relationships with many different women and possibly fathered many children. All of his decisions were not honorable or correct – in the eyes of the Lord – but King Solomon was still able to use the divine wisdom granted to him to write books that are still being studied today.
When we reflect on the life of King Solomon, we are reminded of God’s warning in 2 Chronicles 7:17-20
“As for you, if you walk before me faithfully as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws,I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to rule over Israel.’“But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name.”
Solomon’s father, David, was a man after God’s own heart, but Solomon turned away from God and worshiped other gods because his wives led him astray. The life of Solomon and the legacy he left behind for his children is a powerful example for modern believers to guard their hearts against all kinds of evil.
Eljoh Hartzer is combining theology and art to nurture faith journeys across generations. She is a Masters-level Practical Theologian with the University of Stellenbosch. She is also a writer and editor in the niche of Christianity and children's content and she illustrates children's books. Eljoh resides in the Swartland area in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
You can follow Eljoh on LinkedIn or Instagram.
