King Solomon On Money (2024)

It’s always fun to see the secular world suddenly discover the wisdom of the Bible, even more so when the subject is money.

That happened recently in an article posted on the popular finance website, The Humble Dollar. It rightly focused on several verses written by the one person described as both the wisest and the richest man in the Bible, if not in all of history, King Solomon.

First on the list is Proverbs 13:16, “Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.”

This verse could be about many things … but it certainly applies to managing money wisely. It implies we should have financial reserves so we’re ready for whatever lies ahead. We can’t predict the future, but we can prepare for it.

This includes not only having an adequate emergency fund of 3 to 6 months living expenses in case of job loss or some other financial calamity, it also means we should invest long term for the day we can no longer work.

The next verse in the article was Proverbs 10:4, “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”

We might be tempted to think that one’s too obvious … but even the most diligent of us can get lazy once in a while, so it’s a good reminder of the importance of working hard at everything we do. In his sermon titled “The Use of Money,” 18th century evangelist John Wesley said it like this, “Earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.”

And while God never promises to reward us financially, diligence usually pays off.

Now, everyone should be able to see the truth in this next verse of Solomon’s, whether they believe in the Bible or not. It’s Proverbs 22:7, “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is slave of the lender.”

When you borrow money from someone, you become their indentured servant. You will have to work a certain amount of time to earn the money to pay them back with interest. Essentially, you’re working to enrich someone else.

Still, some forms of debt may be worth it. For example, if it gets you an education and a higher paying job, or allows you to buy an appreciating asset, like a house, or to open a business that will provide an income stream.

But consumer debt, as in credit cards, is never worth the financial bondage it brings and the time it takes to pay it off. It’s like saying, “I’m going to eat, drink and be merry today and then I’ll spend the next month paying for it.” Not a very wise trade off. If you can’t learn to live on less than you earn, you’ll always be in financial bondage.

Solomon’s next verse quoted in the article puts an exclamation point on that idea. It’s Proverbs 21:20, “Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.”

That means the wise person saves. The only way to achieve financial freedom is to live on less than you earn and to do it for a very long time. Proverbs 21:5 wasn’t listed in the article, but it certainly applies, “Steady plodding brings prosperity; hasty speculation brings poverty.”

The next of Solomon’s verses is a favorite of Christian investors because it clearly points out the wisdom of diversifying your portfolio. Ecclesiastes 11:2 reads, “Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.”

It’s amazing that such specific advice, given 3,000 years ago, could still be a lynchpin of prudent investing today. If you don’t diversify your holdings among stocks, bonds, commodities, cash, and perhaps real estate, your portfolio could suffer the full brunt of an economic downturn. But dividing it up among different asset classes will lighten that blow.

Proverbs 13:11 came next in the article, warning of the danger of a “get rich quick” mentality, “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.”

If you need proof, just think about lottery winners. How often do they go through that money quickly, often ruining their lives in the process? If you haven’t accumulated wealth slowly and with discipline, you can’t appreciate it.

The last of Solomon’s verses quoted in the article was Proverbs 22:9, “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.”

It’s a great reminder that God owns everything and that He is our Provider. We must therefore be generous toward others in need. As Jesus said, “What you do for the least of these, you do for Me.”

It’s always delightful to see God’s Word quoted so freely in the secular press. We know that it always fulfills His purpose and never returns empty. JH

Listen to the related MoneyWise podcast on this topic.

King Solomon On Money (2024)

FAQs

King Solomon On Money? ›

King Solomon is essentially saying that building wealth and saving is wise, spending is foolish. In other words, don't let go of your savings to pursue a higher quality of life. Doing so is a sure way to lose the wealth that you worked so hard to build. This aligns with how modern experts talk about building wealth.

What does Proverbs of Solomon say about money? ›

It's Proverbs 21:20, “Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.” That means the wise person saves. The only way to achieve financial freedom is to live on less than you earn and to do it for a very long time.

What the Bible Says About money? ›

Hebrews 13:5 tells us, "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

What does the Bible say about King Solomon's wealth? ›

I Kings 10:14-25, 27 describes Solomon's nearly unbelievable wealth in detail. He was so wealthy that he "surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches" (verse 23). He generated an income of 666 talents of gold per year (verse 14), and "silver [was] as common in Jerusalem as stones, and . . .

What is Solomon's prayer for wealth? ›

and extraordinary wealth, we humbly come before you today. seeking your guidance, blessings. and the wisdom to attain great prosperity in our lives. As we gather here, we acknowledge the wisdom that you received.

What does Proverbs 11 say about money? ›

ESV Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. NIV Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. NASB One who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.

What does Ecclesiastes say about money? ›

Ecclesiastes 5:10 In-Context

10 Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. 11 As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them?

What is the powerful Bible verse for money? ›

Proverbs 10:22: The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. 2 Corinthians 9:8: And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

What is the sin about money? ›

In Christian tradition, the love of money is condemned as a sin primarily based on texts such as Ecclesiastes 5:10 and 1 Timothy 6:10. The Christian condemnation relates to avarice and greed rather than money itself.

What is God's view on money? ›

The biblical teaching on money is thus two-fold: money is a gift from God, a sign of his blessing. But it is not to be a god in itself. The Bible is not ascetic; poverty is not inherently virtuous, nor is wealth sinful. But true wealth, the Bible teaches us, is spiritual, not material.

What made Solomon wealthy? ›

King Solomon was made rich through commerce, trading, gifts he received, tribute money paid to him and heavy taxation. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

How rich was King Solomon in today's money? ›

Conservative estimates put his peak net worth at approximately $2.1 trillion. According to the Bible, King Solomon ruled from 970 BC to 931 BC, and during this time he is said to have received 25 tons of gold for each of the 39 years of his reign approximately 1500 tons, which would be worth billions of dollars today.

What was God's promise to Solomon? ›

Solomon was promised wisdom, riches, honor, and long life if he would continue in righteousness before the Lord. The promise was fulfilled. During his life, Solomon became famous for his wisdom. Great men and women from many nations came to hear him and test his understanding and knowledge.

What did Solomon have to say about money? ›

Proverbs 10:4

Before you can save or invest money, you must earn it. Solomon emphasized diligence as a key to financial success. A lazy person will be poor, and most poor are relatively lazy. But the labors of the diligent man will acquire riches.

What is the secret of wealth in Bible? ›

PROVERBS 10:14, 12:11, 13:11, 14:23. Biblical Wealth rarely just falls into one's lap. God's blessing of wealth is usually obtained by great wisdom and responsibility and through discipline, hard work, saving, investing, and seeking God's will.

What happened to Solomon's riches? ›

The vast amounts of Solomon's golden wealth may have ended up, at least in part, as Osorkon's gift to the gods and goddesses of Egypt.

What does the Book of Proverbs say about money? ›

Proverbs 13:11: "Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.”‍ Proverbs 17:16: "Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense?”‍

What does Proverbs say about giving money? ›

“Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.” The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously. Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

What does the book of Proverbs say about borrowing money? ›

For pithy biblical guidance on the question of lending and borrowing, we turn to Prov 22:7: “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is slave of the lender.”2 Though many read the proverb as an obvious financial caution to would-be borrowers, it should also be heard as a warning to enslaving lenders and those ...

What does Proverbs say about the rich? ›

But, as Proverbs said, it's much better to get wisdom than money! than the rich whose ways are perverse. And it's even better to be poor and righteous than rich and ungodly. To put it bluntly: it's better to be poor and good than rich and evil!

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