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King Solomon
You're wise, Solomon, but you must also be strong. Strong enough to overcome the tug of power. Show yourself a man. Keep the charge of the Lord your God. Walk in his ways. Keep his laws and commandments. Guard your heart with his testimonies. As Moses wrote them, if you hold fast to the word of God, you will prosper in all you do. He promised me, if my son walks in his ways, Israel will never lack a man on the throne.
Narrator
The cry spread like wildfire through the garden, through the courtyard, out into the streets. Servants, guards, singers, scribes. The voice of the city rising as one. Long live King Solomon. Long live King Solomon. He had been crowned king, but now Solomon had to prove that he was worthy of the appointment.
King Solomon
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Narrator
See terms.
Hillsdale College Professor Benedict Whan
For nearly 3,000 years, Homer's the Odyssey has shaped the Western imagination as one of the foundational works of Western literature. It explores permanent questions about courage, duty, loyalty, family, leadership, temptation and the search for home. In one of the epic's defining moments, Odysseus rejects the offer of immortality from the goddess Calypso, choosing instead the long and difficult journey home. His decision reveals one of the central themes of the Odyssey that a life of duty, family and home is greater than a life devoted to comfort or glory. That's why Hillsdale College has released its newest free online course, the Odyssey, taught by Professor Benedict Whan. The course reveals why Homer's masterpiece remains one of the greatest works of Western literature. Enroll today for free at hillsdale. Edu watch now read the classics study the west hillsdale. Edu watchnow.
Rehoboam (Solomon's son)
Stitch fix stop shopping. Get styled a plus on the outfit Ms. Turner, you are about to slay parent teacher conferences. Oh, these just the most perfect fitting
King Solomon
jeans my stylist sent me. Oh hello you who didn't set one foot in a mall and still looks amazing.
Rehoboam (Solomon's son)
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Narrator
The wind picked up speed as it traveled up the rise and torzled Solomon's hair, blasting cold air across his face, making him feel alive. From somewhere behind him, his young son Rehoboam giggled at the excitement of being so far above the city below. Solomon couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm of his childish belly laugh and turned to see him grinning from ear to ear as he broke free from his mother's hand to run ahead to where Solomon led the group. Solomon turned and waited for him, and when he reached the top, the two of them stood in awe at the sweeping panorama of the mountains and valleys that made up their home. In the heart of it was the City of David, its densely packed white streets winding and and cutting up the rise in the middle. It was nestled between terraced hills of olive and fig trees and pockets of golden grain in the narrow valleys that flowed between like rivers. Solomon crouched, playfully, scooped up a delighted Rehoboam, and placed him on his shoulders. Solomon pointed to the landmarks below, grounding his son in the land that would one day be his to rule.
King Solomon
See that high point above the City of David?
Rehoboam (Solomon's son)
That's where we live.
King Solomon
Yes. Yes, that's where we live until our new palace is complete.
Rehoboam (Solomon's son)
And the place for your Egyptian wife?
King Solomon
Well, not quite. I will build Princess Nefertari a palace outside the City of David, where she can worship her own gods. That high point you see over there will be the temple for the Lord. Your grandfather brought it and placed an altar there. You can't see it anymore, but the place where it stood will be the heart of the new temple.
Narrator
Even from this distance, the construction on the mount was an impressive and bustling scene. The massive foundation of pale stone had taken shape, its deep trenches and thick walls extending upwards beneath a skeleton of scaffolding.
King Solomon
Tell me, Rehoboam, do you know the history of that mountain? Have your tutors told you of Mount Moriah?
Narrator
Solomon peered up at his son's face above his head on his shoulders. Rehoboam's brow furrowed as he scrunched up his face in concentration, searching his memory.
Rehoboam (Solomon's son)
There's an altar there, just like here.
King Solomon
Yes, this is a high place too. But. But who put the altar over on Mount Moriah, Grandfather? Yes, I just told you that. And who else?
Rehoboam (Solomon's son)
Our father, Abraham, when the Lord asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac.
King Solomon
Good. And what did the Lord provide instead?
Rehoboam (Solomon's son)
A ram.
King Solomon
And where is your ram today?
Narrator
Solomon punctuated the question with a knowing glance upward. Before Rehoboam could respond, Solomon tightened his grip on the boy's legs and started marching toward the slope where the altars were being assembled.
King Solomon
Oh dear. No ram. I guess my boy Rehoboam will do.
Narrator
Rehoboam shrieked with laughter, kicking his legs in protest against his father's hold. Tears of laughter streaked down Solomon's cheeks as he gently lowered his staff, still giggling son to the ground. Though he carried the weight of a kingdom, wives and children, he was still a young man. And sometimes, on rare occasions, it felt freeing to lean into the boyhood he had left behind not so long ago. But moments like these were fleeting. There was always more to read, more to learn, more to study and memorize. Even if he lived a thousand years, it would never be enough. Solomon looked around. The fires had sprung to life and the priests were making their final preparations. Soon they would be waiting for him to begin. He and his entire royal entourage had traveled to the high place at Gibeon to worship the Lord, celebrating the long anticipated alliance sealed by his marriage to Pharaoh's daughter. Solomon spared her a glance down the mount. She stood stiffly, her nose wrinkled as if the very air offended her. Even from this distance, he could see her narrowed eyes, her crossed arms, the imperious way she surveyed the Israelite ceremony. Her expression made her opinion clear. To her, Israel was nothing more than a Podunk, upstart kingdom. Laughably Crude compared to the ancient grandeur of Tanis. Solomon sighed. He would need to charm her, distract her, flatter her something before her mood soured further. Before she made it everyone's problem.
King Solomon
Rehoboam, do me a favor.
Narrator
The boy looked up at him with a determined expression. Expression? He was eager to please his father.
King Solomon
Will you go watch over your baby sisters while I lead the ritual? Tell them everything you know about this place and observe everything you learn about the practice.
Rehoboam (Solomon's son)
Yes, Father. Will Mother sacrifice an animal for Milcom when you're done sacrificing to the Lord?
Narrator
Solomon blinked in surprise at his son's innocent question.
King Solomon
No. This is where we worship the God of Israel. I won't permit the worship of another God here in this holy place.
Rehoboam (Solomon's son)
But it looks just like where Mother worships the gods of her people, the Ammonites.
King Solomon
Well, it's not. And we won't worship here for long. Once the temple's complete, we won't need to come to this high place anymore.
Rehoboam (Solomon's son)
But you're building the Princess Nefertari a place where she can worship her gods. Will our temple be like that?
Narrator
Solomon struggled for a moment and tried to think of how he would explain the difference between worshipping their true God and the advantages of nurturing these complex political alliances to his five year old. When his mother and the prophet Nathan approached.
King Solomon
My king, they are ready for you.
Rehoboam (Solomon's son)
Rehoboam, my love, why don't you come with me? We'll go find your mother and your sister.
Narrator
Nathan's face was impossible to read, but his mother arched an eyebrow at him, which told him she heard most of their exchange. As they approached, Solomon sighed. A problem for another time. It was just Solomon and Nathan for a moment. Nathan pursed his lips and sighed.
King Solomon
A complicated thing, teaching a child the ways of the world. I'm afraid Rehoboam's world is more complicated than most children's. It is the world you're created for, my king. Remember that.
Narrator
Nathan bowed and left with that pearl of wisdom, as he was known to do. Nathan never lingered long enough for questions or protests. Later that night, Solomon was fast asleep in his tent. The world around him faded under the dark, warm embrace of his furs. As Solomon slept, he was whisked away in a dream, a vision, a visitation. He heard the Lord's voice break the peaceful silence.
The Lord (God)
Ask, what shall I give you?
Narrator
Solomon stirred. He pondered the Lord's question for a long while. What could he ask of the Lord? What should he ask of the Lord? He considered the kingdom he had inherited from his father, it was unified, stable for the most part, and their wealth had grown. Solomon considered asking for more of what they had already achieved. But then he considered what more he had to do in his lifetime. His father's words had loomed large in his memory in the years since his death.
King Solomon
You're wise, Solomon, but you must also be strong. Strong enough to overcome the tug of power. Show yourself a man. Keep the charge of the Lord your God.
Narrator
A pit formed in Solomon's stomach. Even in his dream, his father's words were still true. Even though Solomon had achieved so much in his short reign. Alliances formed, children born, including his heir. Allegiances shored up, debts paid, temple plans underway. And yet, for where Solomon wanted to take Israel, Solomon would have to be wise. The wisest king there ever was, to match the ambition he had for his beloved nation. Wise enough to protect his family and the children of the Israel. Wise enough to stay faithful to the Lord and all that he had been called to do.
King Solomon
You have shown my father, David, a love that is steadfast and unveiling because he walked before you in faithfulness, righteousness and integrity. You honoured him. You sustained him. And even now you've kept your promise by placing me on his throne. But, Lord, my God, you have made me king in his place. And I'm young. I've no experience in ruling a people, let alone a nation as vast as this one. They're yours. Too many to be counted. Too great to be led by a man who leads only himself. So I ask you, give your servant a heart that hears. Let me discern what is right. Teach me to distinguish between good and evil. Because who. Who in all the world is truly capable of governing a people as great as yours?
Narrator
Even from deep wounds within his subconscious, Solomon could sense that the Lord was pleased. Waves of warmth and approval caused him to sink deeper into the blankets and luxurious animal skins piled high on his bedroll.
The Lord (God)
Because you have requested this and did not ask for long life or riches for yourself or the death of your enemies, but you asked discernment for yourself to administer justice. I will therefore do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you before and never will be again. In addition, I will give you what you did not ask for, both riches and honor. So that no king will be your equal during your entire life. If you walk in my ways and keep my statutes and commands, just as your father David did, I will give you a long, long life.
Narrator
Solomon woke suddenly and realized it had been a dream. He sat up, invigorated, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting of the predawn. The sun's triumphant glow pressed gently against the outline of the tent's opening, beckoning like the hope and promise yet to come. Solomon grinned and arose. He would arrange for a feast of celebration and offer even more burnt offerings to the Lord to express his gratitude for this profound gift the Lord had bestowed upon him. Years passed, and Solomon wielded the wisdom he had been given. Often with wisdom came other tools. Diplomatic prowess, an engineering mind, and a scent for finding the truth hidden behind lies. He did his best to serve the Lord who had given it to him, as well as the people. On such an occasion, the great doors of the throne room groaned open and the final petition of the day was ushered in. They were two women dressed plainly, heads bowed low. Whispers rippled through the court of their presence. They were harlots. Yet Solomon did not stir, despite the obvious judgment being passed by the court at their being allowed to appear before the king. He gleaned that they would have only been permitted to do so if their need was dire. And so Solomon would listen. Who else would hear their case? For they were women of no standing, likely. No husbands to speak for them, no patrons present to plead their case. And they had come with a single child. The infant was held in the arms of one of Solomon's servants. The first woman wasted no time, stepping forward with the urgency of a mother in distress.
King Solomon
My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. We both bore sons days apart. But one night she rolled over onto her child and he died. And before the sun rose, she stole my son from my arms as I slept. She placed her dead child beside me and took mine as her own.
Narrator
The second woman, unable to contain herself, burst forward, interjecting, that's a lie.
Rehoboam (Solomon's son)
The boy is mine and the dead one is hers.
Narrator
No.
King Solomon
She lies. My son. My son.
Narrator
Furious, they shouted over each other, voices rising and becoming increasingly shrill and desperate with each round of insults. The women were clearly rivals of some kind, and some deep, entrenched history between them. The infant squirmed in the attendant's arms, his small face confused by the warring cries of the two women who both claimed to be his mother. Solomon exhaled slowly, steepling his fingers as the throne room waited. This was not a case of wealth or land, treaties or diplomacy. There were no witnesses, documents or proof. Just a child caught in the storm of two desperate women. He felt for the child. Solomon leaned forward.
King Solomon
Bring me a sword.
Narrator
The words Sent a jolt of doubt through the court. One of his guards hesitated. Solomon turned his gaze on him, sharp and unreadable.
King Solomon
Did I stutter?
Narrator
Solomon watched the the man's throat bob with uncertainty, but he stepped forward obediently, drawing his sword from its sheath. The polished blade gleamed in the torchlight of the throne room. The murmurs in the court ceased as the guard kneeled before his king, offering him his sword. Awaiting orders. The child let out a soft whimper in the stunned silence.
King Solomon
Divide the living child in two. Give half to one and half to the other.
Narrator
Gasps echoed through the chamber. The frozen women didn't move a muscle. They seemed suspended in this shocking moment as the full meaning of Solomon's words hit them.
Rehoboam (Solomon's son)
Surely you're joking.
King Solomon
This isn't a joke. Let's settle this now.
Narrator
Swiftly, the first leaped forward to collapse before the king with violent tears.
King Solomon
No. No, my lord. I beg you. Give her the child. Let him live. Do not kill him.
Narrator
There it was. Solomon never intended to kill the child. But he knew, in a swift moment between life and death, the real mother would spring forward. The second woman stood still as a stone. Her eyes then assessed the woman next to her. Solomon could see the scheming in her eyes as she calculated her options. Would she try the same plea as the first woman? Or play an entirely different hand? Solomon saw her eyes narrow. Indecision and a stubbornness set her features.
Rehoboam (Solomon's son)
Neither of us should have him divide him.
Narrator
Solomon's eyebrows raised, but her calloused words spurred more tears from the first woman. She would gamble with the child's life just to call his bluff. But in her desire to win, the truth was laid bare.
King Solomon
Do not harm the child. Give him to the first woman. She is his mother.
Narrator
As the whispers in the court faded, Solomon remained seated on his throne, watching the true cradle her child. Relief etched across her face. She wept in relief and beamed at him wordlessly. He nodded respectfully. Moments where he could simply be a father, or even just a man, were fewer and farther between. As his empire and ambitions grew, the weight of wisdom and the responsibilities it brought, often outpacing his heart and his humanity. There was always another deal to be made, plans to oversee. And all the while, his children and his wives grew up around him At a distance. He glanced to the side. Nathan stood among the advisors, his face unreadable. But as their eyes met, the old prophet gave him the smallest of nods. A gesture of approval, perhaps, or mere acknowledgement. Suspicion prickled on the back of Solomon's neck.
King Solomon
You disapprove? I didn't say that, but you thought it.
Narrator
The prophet's gaze softened, but Solomon couldn't tell if it was out of respect or resignation, or perhaps it was sympathy.
King Solomon
I try not to think too much, my king. I can spin myself in circles. Eventually I don't know which way is up or down.
Narrator
Then, without another word, Nathan turned and left the court. Solomon didn't know it then, but this would be the last time Solomon would see him. The weight of that departure would settle slowly over Solomon in light of the gift of wisdom bestowed upon Solomon from the Lord. The man who represented his voice was seemingly no longer needed. It would be up to Solomon to determine how well his ear was inclined to that soft, still, ever guiding voice. He stood, and the court quieted again as he addressed them.
King Solomon
Today, justice was done, but Israel's future would not be built on courtroom victories alone.
Narrator
He swept a hand toward the City of David palace windows where the outline of Mount Moriah rose against the sky.
King Solomon
Soon we will complete the house of the Lord, a temple unlike any the world has ever seen. And as long as I sit on this throne, Israel will be a kingdom of wisdom, peace, and prosperity.
Narrator
The court erupted in applause, but as Solomon sat back down, his gaze lingered on the mountaintop in the distance and then briefly on the empty space where Nathan had stood. Solomon allowed the applause to wash over him. The reunited mother's smile from earlier kindled satisfaction in his heart. He then recalled the day on the Mount in those years ago when he was first gifted with the Lord's wisdom, the boy on his shoulders, his family's legacy, secure the temple on the horizon. But even as he held it all in his hands power, wisdom, legacy he couldn't help but wonder for how long. This prey.com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Catina, Max Bard, Zach Shellavaga, and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of the Chosen People. Narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia zaradoch, Thomas Copeland Jr. Rosanna Pilcher and Mitch Leschinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by Aaron Salvato, Bree Rosalie, and Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey.com productions on the Pray.com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed the Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.
Podcast: The Chosen People
Host: Pray.com
Episode: Solomon’s Wisdom
Release Date: July 24, 2026
"Solomon’s Wisdom" is a captivating reimagining of the biblical story of King Solomon, exploring how he sought—and received—divine wisdom to rule over Israel. Through immersive storytelling and sharp dialogue, the episode delves into Solomon’s struggles as both ruler and father, his quest for discernment, and his legendary moment of judgment. The narrative highlights the complexities of leadership, the weight of legacy, and the enduring power of godly wisdom in human affairs.
“You're wise, Solomon, but you must also be strong. Strong enough to overcome the tug of power. Show yourself a man. Keep the charge of the Lord your God ... If you hold fast to the word of God, you will prosper in all you do.”
“When the Lord asked him [Abraham] to sacrifice his son Isaac … And what did the Lord provide instead? ... A ram.”
“Will Mother sacrifice an animal for Milcom when you're done sacrificing to the Lord?”
“So I ask you, give your servant a heart that hears. Let me discern what is right. Teach me to distinguish between good and evil. Because who … is truly capable of governing a people as great as yours?”
“Divide the living child in two. Give half to one and half to the other.”
As the court erupts in applause over Solomon’s judgment, the king reflects on the loneliness and heavy responsibility of leadership—how the very wisdom granted by God sets him apart, even as it secures the nation’s future. (24:14-24:58)
A bittersweet note: Nathan the prophet silently departs, symbolizing the transition from external guidance to Solomon’s own accountability before God.
“I try not to think too much, my king. I can spin myself in circles. Eventually I don't know which way is up or down.”
| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:01 | David (to Solomon) | “You're wise, Solomon, but you must also be strong. ... Walk in his ways.”| | 07:27 | Solomon | “Our father, Abraham, when the Lord asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac.”| | 10:14 | Solomon | “No. This is where we worship the God of Israel. I won't permit the worship of another God here in this holy place.”| | 12:19 | The Lord | “Ask, what shall I give you?” | | 14:00 | Solomon | “So I ask you, give your servant a heart that hears. Let me discern what is right.”| | 15:27 | The Lord | “Because you have requested this ... I will give you a wise and understanding heart.”| | 20:33 | Solomon | “Divide the living child in two. Give half to one and half to the other.”| | 22:08 | Solomon | “Do not harm the child. Give him to the first woman. She is his mother.” | | 23:38 | Nathan | “I try not to think too much, my king. I can spin myself in circles.” | | 24:44 | Solomon | “Soon we will complete the house of the Lord, a temple unlike any the world has ever seen…”|
The episode balances reverence and intimacy, coloring biblical figures with emotion and dialogue that feels relatable yet timeless. There is a deep focus on the struggles of leadership, the pain and privilege of wisdom, and the continuing need for God’s guidance—even as earthly victories mount.
"Solomon’s Wisdom" artfully blends narrative depth, biblical fidelity, and empathetic characterizations. Through Solomon’s journey—his insecurities, insights, and iconically clever judgment—the episode underscores the enduring relevance of ancient wisdom for modern listeners. Whether you’re familiar with the biblical account or seeking a fresh perspective, this episode offers a moving meditation on the responsibilities we inherit, the choices we make, and the divine wisdom always available for those wise enough to ask.