That is a good question. We don’t read in Scripture of him “repenting”, but I do believe we read of him “returning to God” (which would imply that he did, in measure, repent). As we read the many passages that speak of Solomon, we see 3 main “stages” or “phases” in his life, beginning with him becoming a king Here is my breakdown of these 3 stages.

1) In his “younger years” and through part of his early adult life, we could say he was very RIGHTEOUS and God REWARDED him for his godliness and devotion to Him.  His prayer in 1 Kings 3:7-9 reveals his humility by asking the Lord for “an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil” (verse 9). The Lord was so pleased that He said to him, “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself…I have given you a WISE and UNDERSTANDING HEART” (verse 11). Solomon became known for his wisdom and in time God inspired him to put down much of his God-given wisdom in parts of the book of Proverbs. In 1 Kings Chapter 8 we have another bright testimony of Solomon’s love and righteousness when he dedicated the newly built Temple for the Lord. In verses 15-53 we see him praying the longest recorded prayer in the Bible and it is filled with his humility and love for God’s righteousness, along with His holiness and mercies in forgiving Israel when they sin and repent. In verses 54-65 he “praised the Lord, blessed the people, and then offered thousands of sacrifices to the Lord” and after that the “people blessed the King, and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the good the LORD had done for His servant David, and for Israel His people.” I could list other incidents where we see Solomon’s righteous character (such as the visit by the Queen of Sheba in 1 Kings 10:1-13) but suffice it to say Solomon was indeed a “saved man” and we should not question this in spite of what we will read next.

2) At some point in his life he REBELLED against the Lord and God declared that he would REAP what he had sown. Perhaps we all know the story of Solomon and his many wives and how they turned his heart away from God and to other so-called gods (see 1 Kings 11:1-8). How solemn to read in verses 9-11 to see how his REBELLION cost him his kingdom: “So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel…Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, ‘Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely TEAR THE KINGDOM AWAY FROM YOU AND GIVE IT TO YOUR SERVANT.” It was what happened in this time of “turning away from the Lord” that brings us to what we read next.

3) The last word from Solomon comes to us in the book of Ecclesiastes. This was no doubt written at the end of his life as he “REFLECTED on his years when he had turned his back on the Lord and the REGRETS that he had.” In these 12 chapters he describes a journey that he was on to try to find a meaning in life “under the sun” (a phrase used about 30 times). He was “away from the Lord” and he searched for something on earth to “fill the void in his heart,” only to learn that nothing in this world could fill it. At the very beginning of the book he gives us his conclusion, “The words of the Preacher, the son of Daivd, king in Jerusalem. ‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher; ‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” Solomon wrote in 3:11, “He (God) had put ETERNITY IN THEIR HEARTS”, and he finally learned that living for “things under the sun” (money, possessions, fame, knowledge, etc.) could not bring us purpose and satisfaction. Only the “ETERNAL God” can fill the void in the heart of man, for man was created for eternity and for an eternal relationship with God! Throughout the book, Solomon refers to God, but I will end this meditation by reading some of his final words in chapter 12: “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come…Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed…. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it… Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” Regarding these words, I will quote the words of another, “His writings clearly speak of a man who had a personal relationship with God and knew firsthand the folly of living without God. We assume that, upon his death, Solomon went to paradise. Despite his failures and shortcomings, Solomon was saved, by grace through faith, just as we are today” (end of Quote). Granted, he did not have the knowledge we have been given today in the New Testament, but the light that he was given resulted in a RIGHTEOUS beginning and, in the end, a RETURN to the God that he loved.  (DO)  (743.5)