How did Solomon become king?

Answer 1

He was King David's son, so he, like any sons of kings, became the king when David died.

True, but he was not David's firstborn. Amnon was David's oldest son. Why didn't he become king?

Answer 2

Solomon became king of Israel after his father, King David, appointed him as his successor and made arrangements for his coronation before David's death. Solomon's older brother, Adonijah, tried to usurp the throne but was ultimately unsuccessful. Following David's death, Solomon was anointed and officially crowned as king.

Answer 3

He was divinely selected to replace Saul after Saul didn't follow G-d's instructions in the war against the amalekites. The message was delivered prophet Samuel who then annointed David as the next king. However, David did not take over the kingship from Saul immediately. Saul sought to kill David suspecting he was going to succeed him as king. David fled and continued to honor Saul as the king. After Saul was killed in battle, David became the king of his own tribe, Judah. The rest of Israel had taken Ish Boshet, the son of Saul as a king. For 7 years and 6 months he was king of Judah, until he became king of all of Israel.

1Sa 16:1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing Ihave rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

(v.4) And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem....(v.5) ... And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. (v.7) But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; ... for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. (v.10) Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these. (v.11) And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him:...(v.12) And he sent, and brought him in. ... And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. (v.13) Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. ...

2Sa 5:4-5 KJV David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. [v. 5] In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.

Answer 4

A:In The Bible, Solomon was not the oldest brother, or even the oldest surviving brother when King David died. Moreover, the Deuteronomic History (Books of Samuel and Kings) and the Book of Chronicles are in almost complete dispute on the events leading up to the succession by Solomon, even though Chronicles is known to have been based on the Deuteronomic History. We can surmise that the Chronicler had reason to believe that the Deuteronomic History was false, or that the Chronicler simply wanted to rewrite history whether or not the earlier account was based on fact.

In the Deuteronomic History, Absalom had staged an unsuccessful coup and in the final days of David, Adonijah attempted to have himself declared king. These failed coups left the way open for one of the younger brothers. The sickbed sequence provided a sense of urgency in appointing a successor, then Adonijah's attempted coup gave David a reason and context to move quickly and anoint Solomon over his other more senior brothers. It was Solomon's crafty mother who ensured Solomon was chosen.

The Book of Chronicles omits a lengthy diversion about Absalom, the attempted coups and the Sheba uprising. More particularly, while still in apparent good health and not yet bed-ridden, David announced to the people of Israel that God had chosen Solomon to be his heir. In the face of this public declaration, Adonijah could hardly have attempted to pre-empt the outcome by having himself declared king.

Answer 5

In the olden times, kings were not elected. The 1st king was perhaps the strongest person in the village. But he didn't had much powers.

Answer 6

because he was the son of David's first wife Bathesba

Answer 7

Samuel anointed Saul as king because he was instructed to do so by God the previous day.