Solomon is one of the most famous figures in Scripture. Wisest king. Builder of the temple. Author of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs.

But his name wasn't Solomon. Not according to God.

2 Samuel 12:24-25 tells us that after David and Bathsheba's first child died, they had another son. "She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The LORD loved him; and because the LORD loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah."

Jedidiah. "Beloved of the LORD."

So why do we call him Solomon?

Two Names, Two Purposes

Solomon comes from shalom, meaning "peace." It was likely given by David and Bathsheba as his birth name, symbolizing peace after a season of judgment and turmoil. The loss of their first child. David's war-filled reign. The consequences of sin.

The name also hinted at Solomon's role: the king who would reign in peace and build the temple. Not a warrior like David, but a builder. A man of wisdom and prosperity, not conquest.

Jedidiah, on the other hand, was given by God through Nathan the prophet. It wasn't a replacement name. It was a divine affirmation. A declaration of God's special love and covenant purposes for this child.

"Beloved of the LORD." That's who he was in God's eyes.

Why We Call Him Solomon

In the Bible, it was common for someone to have both a family name and a prophetic or divine name.

Jacob was also Israel. Abram became Abraham. Sarai became Sarah. Simon became Peter.

Sometimes the divine name stuck. Sometimes the original one stayed in public use.

With Solomon, the Scriptures consistently refer to him by his birth name, especially in the historical and wisdom books. "Jedidiah" appears only once, in 2 Samuel 12:25. It's more like a heavenly nickname. A title of God's affection, not his throne name.

We call him Solomon because that's the name his parents gave him and the name used throughout his reign. But in God's eyes, Jedidiah was his eternal identity.

The Tension Between Names

Solomon reminds us of his earthly role: king of peace, builder of the temple, administrator of wisdom.

Jedidiah reminds us of his spiritual identity: chosen and loved by God.

And here's where it gets interesting. Even though he was beloved and chosen, Solomon's heart later drifted. He married foreign wives. He built altars to other gods. He compromised the very wisdom he was famous for.

The man of peace became a man divided. The beloved of the LORD became a man who loved other things more.

His two names reveal the tension in his story: who God called him to be versus who he became.

What This Means for Us

We all have two identities. The name we're known by. And the name God calls us.

Your public identity might be your job, your role, your reputation. But your divine identity is something deeper. It's who you are in God's eyes. Beloved. Chosen. Called.

The question is: which identity are you living out of?

Solomon had everything. Wisdom. Wealth. Peace. The favor of God. But somewhere along the way, he forgot his true name. He forgot he was Jedidiah. Beloved of the LORD.

And when you forget who you are in God's eyes, you start building altars to other gods. You start compromising. You start living for the wrong name.

The Name That Matters

We call him Solomon because that's the name history remembers. But God called him Jedidiah. And that's the name that mattered.

Your earthly name will be forgotten. Your accomplishments will fade. Your reputation will shift.

But the name God calls you? That's eternal.

You are beloved. Not because of what you build or how wise you are or how much peace you bring. But because God says so.

Don't forget your true name. Don't let the world's name for you drown out God's name for you.

Solomon forgot. And it cost him everything.

Don't make the same mistake.