Symmetry and the Sin of Solomon

Abstract

Several recent studies of the narratives of Solomon's reign in 1 Kings 1-11 have focused on one or both of two issues: the literary organization of the material and/or the point at which the narrative shifts from a positive evaluation of Solomon to a negative one. G. Savran's literary reading of the narrative does not attempt a detailed analysis of the structure; he locates the turning point at 1 Kgs 9:4. B. Halpern's interest is essentially historical critical, and he agrees with the common reading that sees chapters 1-10 as positive toward Solomon, with negative attitudes appearing only in chapter 11. A series of articles in JSOT has offered a variety of structural readings of the Solomon story. K. I. Parker's close reading of the text leads him to a symmetrical structure that balances favorable attitudes in chapters 1-8 against hostile attitudes in chapters 9-11. M. Brettler offers some cogent criticism of Parker's proposal and argues that 9:26 begins the anti-Solomon polemic and that 9:26-11:10 is dependent on an assumed pre-Deuteronomic core of Deut. 17:14-17. But his analysis of the structure of chapters 1-11 is based on essentially redaction critical observations rather than literary ones. A. Frisch presents an entirely different pattern, reading the Solomon story (which he extends from 1:1 to 12:24) as a balanced concentric structure comprising nine units centering on the construction and dedication of the Temple; the negative view of Solomon begins at 9:10. Parker's response to Frisch's article deals principally with Frisch's arguments for including 12:1-24 in the Solomon story. Parker also defends, though less compellingly, his understanding of the visions in 3:1-3 and 9:1-9 as structurally determina-