but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Sam 16:7). David, in fact, is later described as “faithful and righteous and upright in heart” (1 Kgs 3:6). Similarly, when Bathsheba gives birth to Solomon, the narrative reports, “The LORD loved him” (2 Sam 12:24). Further evidence of God’s favor derives from the similarity between the name of Solomon and shalom (שְׁלֹמֹה; שָׁלוֹם). As Hans Wilhelm Hertzberg asserts, “The child is thus described from the start as a child of God’s grace, a most important statement