This pericope summarizes Solomon's wealth as the previous one summarized his wisdom.
God brought much wealth to Solomon, almost 25 tons of gold a year (v. 14), plus many other riches.
"Those who would consider his income of 666 talents(ca.21.6 tons) of goldexaggeration should compare this with amounts registered in ancient Egypt about this time, where gold is like dust in the land' and Osorkon I in his first four years (ca.924-920 BC) accumulated eighteen tons of gold, to which some of the loot taken by his father Shishak from Jerusalem should be added (cf. 14:25-27). Similar large-scale acquisition and use of gold in temple building is attested from Mesopotamia."108
I do not believe we should criticize Solomon simply for being wealthy since God promised to make him rich (3:13). We should not blame a person who receives a fortune as an outright gift for having money. It was the accumulation of riches and ornaments to become materially secure and independent that God forbade. To the extent that Solomon did this--and he evidently did it somewhat--he was guilty of violating God's Law.
Solomon served as an international broker. He capitalized on Israel's strategic geographic location as the land bridge that connected three continents. He made Israel a clearinghouse through which merchandise passed and charged custom taxes as goods entered and left his country.109"Traders"probably refers to business people who passed through Israel and "merchants"to those who did business in Israel.110Solomon was probably history's most successful Jewish businessman.
The gold shields he hung in the palace armory were evidently for parade use. Gold is a very soft metal and would have been inappropriate for shields that soldiers used for defense in battle (v. 17). Perhaps the 12 lions surrounding Solomon's throne represented Israel's 12 tribes (v. 20). Tarshish (v. 22; cf. Jonah 1:3) was probably Spain or Sardinia.
Kue (v. 28) was Cilicia (the Apostle Paul's home province) in modern Turkey. God forbade Israel's kings from multiplying chariots (v. 26), the most effective and dreaded military machines of their day (Deut. 17:16). God wanted His people to depend on Him primarily for their protection. Material prosperity and security often lead people to conclude that they have no needs when really our need for God never diminishes. Solomon fell into this trap. Wealth is not sinful in itself, but it does bring temptations with it (cf. James 5:1-6).
Though Solomon experienced great blessings from his faithful God, he fell prey to the sins these blessings make easier, as the writer explained in the next chapter.
