Who Did It: Was it David or Was it Solomon? Quiz

Answer: David only

David is the correct answer. The opposing side in the civil war was led by David's son Absalom, according to chapters 15 to 18 in 2 Samuel.

The bloody civil war came to an abrupt end when Absalom was killed in battle. According to the 18th chapter of 2 Samuel, Absalom had long hair that led to his death when his tresses got caught in a tree branch while riding on a donkey. Scripture states the donkey kept traveling forward and, when Absalom was left suspended, Joab plunged three javelins into his heart.

His death took place during a heated battle between forces loyal to the two men. According to 2 Samuel 18, the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim and 20,000 men were killed.

Even though Absalom was attempting to overthrow David and kill him in the process, Scripture reports David was deeply shaken by the death. Absalom was the son of David and Maacah.

Civil war was nothing new for David, however. According to Scripture, he became king of Israel when a civil war erupted with one side backing him and the other side backing Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, the first king of Israel. Ish-bosheth reigned for two years after being proclaimed king. David's forces would eventually win and the rest, as they say, is history.

2 Samuel 2:8-10, in the NIV Bible, states: "Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-Bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel. Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years." Basically a civil war erupted as the tribe of Judah remained loyal to David. The story continues on into the fifth chapter of 2 Samuel with Ish-Bosheth being killed and David becoming king.

It was a dramatic rise to power for David, who was seen simply as a shepherd boy until he slew Goliath. Ironically, Saul spent the latter part of his life attempting to kill David simply out of jealousy.

Answer: Solomon only

The visit by the Queen of Sheba is recalled in the 10th chapter of 1 Kings and the 9th chapter of 2 Chronicles. Scripture reports she arrived in Jerusalem with "a very great caravan" carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones. Scripture also reports she was "overwhelmed" with Solomon's wisdom and his immense wealth. According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, Sheba was located in southwestern Arabia, present-day Yemen.

Answer: True

Yes, they both wrote Psalms. However, David wrote far more Psalms than his son Solomon, however. The numbers vary, with different Web sites giving a different total for David's contributions. However, the consensus appears to be that David wrote more than 70 Psalms. Solomon, meanwhile, is credited with writing two of the Psalms -- Numbers 72 and 127.

Answer: Solomon only

Yes, Solomon married the Pharaoh's daughter. 1 Kings 3:1 states: "Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the LORD, and the wall around Jerusalem." The woman's name is not given, however. Notes in the NIV Study Bible state: "It appears likely Solomon established his marriage alliance with either Siamun or Psusennes II, the last kings of the 21st Egyptian dynasty (the first Egyptian pharaoh mentioned by name in the OT is Shishak -- 1 Kings 11:40; 14:25-26 -- who established the 22nd Egyptian dynasty c. 945 B.C.)" The notes go on to state: "Such an alliance attests Egyptian recognition of the growing importance and strength of the Israelite state. 1 Kings 9:16 indicates that the pharaoh gave his daughter the Canaanite town of Gezer as her dowry at the time of her marriage to Solomon."

Answer: Solomon only

Solomon ordered the execution of his half-brother Adonijah, who had unsuccessfully attempted to become king when David was elderly and frail.

However, Solomon spared Adonijah's life when he ascended to the throne. Adonijah's deadly mistake, however, was when he sought permission from Solomon to marry Abishag, a beautiful young maiden who had been assigned to take care of David in his latter years.

The request to marry Abishag appears to have been the last straw and Solomon ordered the execution of his half-brother.

1 Kings 2:23-25, in the NKJV Bible, states: "Then King Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, 'May God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life! Now therefore, as the LORD lives, who has confirmed me and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has established a house for me, as He promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today!' So King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he struck him down, and he died."

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible suggest Adonijah's request came with serious ramifications. "Taking a member of the king's harem would normally be interpreted as a claim to the throne," the notes state.

Solomon was the son of Bathsheba and Adonijah was the son of Haggith, according to Scripture.

Answer: David only

David was strongly rebuked by Nathan the prophet. The account of Nathan confronting David is found in the 12th chapter of 2 Samuel. He used a parable to make David aware of the seriousness of his sinning when he had an adulterous affair with Bathsheba and then made arrangements for the murder of her husband. Nathan then made the pronouncement that the child who would be born as a result of the adulterous affair would die, and sure enough it came to pass.

Incidentally, it was Nathan who told an elderly and frail David of the plot of Adonijah to become king.

The end result is that Solomon became king, as per 1 Kings 1:8-45.

Answer: False

False. There is no indication in Scripture Solomon was skillful with a bow and arrow. In fact, there is no indication in Scripture he was adept at using any weapon or piece of equipment. To the contrary, he was noted for his wisdom, as per 1 Kings 4:29-34.

Answer: True

True. At least two of David's wives are described as beautiful in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the English Bible. They are Abigail and Bathsheba. However, none of Solomon's wives are described as such in Scripture. While it's highly likely the king's wives in Biblical times were the fairest in the land, there is no statement in Scripture about Solomon's wives being beautiful. Scripture, however, suggests Solomon's wives led him astray by compelling him to worship foreign gods. Incidentally, only one of Solomon's wives is mentioned by name -- Naamah, the mother of Rehoboam, as per 1 Kings 14:21.

In the Old Testament, only a handful of women are described as beautiful. In the New Testament, the word beautiful is not used to describe any woman. And while some men are described as being handsome in the Old Testament, no such description is used in the New Testament.

Answer: Both of them

Both David and Solomon had interactions with Nathan, although the interactions involving David are perhaps better known than those involving Solomon.

As mentioned in the answer to Question 6, David was rebuked by Nathan after he had an adulterous affair with Bathsheba and then made arrangements to kill her husband after she became pregnant.

Nathan was also part of Solomon's life, almost from the day the future king was born. For example, 2 Samuel 12:25 states the LORD loved Solomon and after he was born "sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah". For whatever reason, the name never stuck.

Nathan was also instrumental in making sure Solomon would become king. According to the first chapter of 1 Kings, he joined forces with Bathsheba to torpedo plans for Adonijah to become king and to make certain Solomon would ascend to the throne, replacing David. 1 Kings 1:8, 11 states he was a confidant to both David in Solomon.

The 34th chapter of 1 Kings tells of "Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet" anointing Solomon king over Israel.

On top of all this, 2 Chronicles 9:29 goes on to tell of Nathan recording the various events in Solomon's life. The verse in the NIV states: "As for the other events of Solomon's reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat?"

Answer: Neither of them

Neither David or Solomon were involved in the battle with Shishak, king of Egypt. The king was Rehoboam and actually he was the king of Judah at the time, not the king of Israel. It's a bit of a long story, but after Rehoboam seceded his father Solomon as king, the northern 10 tribes of Israel broke away and Rehoboam was left as king of Judah.

The first king of the break-away state of Israel was Jeroboam, as per the 12th chapter of 1 Kings.