Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and captured it.This short verse changes my picture of Solomon. When David wanted to build the Temple, God said no, because David was a warrior and had spilled blood. Therefore, his son Solomon would (and now has) build the Temple instead. I always assumed that meant that Solomon did not fight, and that the nation had peace during his reign.
It appears from this verse that I was mistaken in that assumption, at least somewhat. Solomon did at least once take (or send) the nation to fight. We don't know the reason for the fight, whether it was aggressive or a counter-attack. We don't know if Solomon went with them to battle, or whether he just sent the army and stayed home himself. But it appears that God's prohibition on David did not mean that Solomon would be entirely peaceful.
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