Solomon continued his prosperous and indeed glorious reign, adding a little to David's conquests and settling the children of Israel in new and rebuilt cities. Under him the kingdom was in peace (the meaning of his name, Solomon, is peace); the remnant of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites who were found in the land in the days of Joshua, and were not dispossessed (see Deut. 20:16-1816But of the cities of these people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: 17But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee: 18That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 20:16‑18) and Judges 1) were allowed to remain, but as subject peoples. The children of Israel were none of them bondmen, but soldiers and officers of Solomon's army.
Pharaoh's daughter (verse 11) whose connection with Solomon as his bride, told of in 1 Kings 3:11And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. (1 Kings 3:1) gives an illustration of what will be true of David's greater Son, when in the establishment of Christ's kingdom, the Gentiles will be brought into blessing with Israel (Micah 4; Zechariah 8:20-2320Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: 21And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also. 22Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. 23Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you. (Zechariah 8:20‑23); Isaiah 56:6-86Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; 7Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. 8The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him. (Isaiah 56:6‑8)). It is believed that Pinetam II of the 21St dynasty was the Pharaoh whose daughter Solomon married, and who is referred to in 1 Kings 9:1616For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon's wife. (1 Kings 9:16).
All was in order, according to the commandment of Moses (verse 13), and the ordinance of David (verse 14), in these happy days of Solomon's wise and beneficent rule. It was a scene of marvelous blessing, but not characterized by faith; the position of Israel under Solomon was after all far below that of the believer of this present dispensation of grace. Neither does it appear that Solomon's heart, nor the people's, rose to the height of David's, particularly when in his rejection, David reckoned habitually upon God, so that in verse 14 he is called "the man of God". No such term was applied to Solomon, though he loved God, and walked in His statutes.
Is not Solomon, as we see him in God's Word, much like many Christians who do not go on habitually in sin, but do not seek in Christ the deeper knowledge of His will, growing up to Him in all things (Ephesians 4:1515But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: (Ephesians 4:15)).
Solomon went to the seaports at the northern extremity of the Gulf of Akaba (verse 17), and thence ships were sent, which Hiram, king of Tyre, had supplied, to Ophir for gold. It does not appear that this was an act of dependence upon God; he was already very rich, for God had given him as He had promised, but he was now enriching himself, to reap, sorrow in his old age.