Solomon
Name Origin & Meaning
From 'shalom' (peace, wholeness), Solomon's name embodies the reign of peace for which his father David prepared. Where David was a man of war, Solomon was the man of peace who built what David could not. The root 'shalom' also connotes completeness and well-being — a wholeness of life that Solomon pursued in both wisdom and excess.
First Biblical Appearance
“And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.”
Solomon's birth and naming, with immediate divine endorsement: 'the LORD loved him.'
Biblical Significance
Solomon son of David was Israel's third king, famous for wisdom, wealth, and building the First Temple. God appeared to him at Gibeon and offered him a wish — he asked for wisdom, and God gave him both wisdom and riches. He wrote Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. His 700 wives led him to idolatry, and his oppressive taxation led to the kingdom's division. He stands as a warning that God's greatest gifts can be wasted.
Notable Bearers
- Solomon King of Israel
Personality & Character
Foundation and earthly order — the number of stability and God's four-cornered creation
Spiritual symbolism drawn from Scripture and tradition
Modern Variants
A Blessing for This Name
May you begin as Solomon began — asking not for wealth but for a wise and discerning heart. May the Temple you build with your life be worthy of the God who fills it with glory.