1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.
2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.
4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,
5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.
6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.
8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
9 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.
10 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
11 And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.
12 And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.
13 And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.
1 And when the queen H4436 of Sheba H7614 heard H8085 of the fame H8088 of Solomon H8010 concerning the name H8034 of the LORD, H3068 she came H935 to prove H5254 him with hard questions. H2420
2 And she came H935 to Jerusalem H3389 with a very H3966 great H3515 train, H2428 with camels H1581 that bare H5375 spices, H1314 and very H3966 much H7227 gold, H2091 and precious H3368 stones: H68 and when she was come H935 to Solomon, H8010 she communed H1696 with him of all that was in her heart. H3824
3 And Solomon H8010 told H5046 her all her questions: H1697 there was not any thing H1697 hid H5956 from the king, H4428 which he told H5046 her not.
4 And when the queen H4436 of Sheba H7614 had seen H7200 all Solomon's H8010 wisdom, H2451 and the house H1004 that he had built, H1129
5 And the meat H3978 of his table, H7979 and the sitting H4186 of his servants, H5650 and the attendance H4612 of his ministers, H8334 and their apparel, H4403 and his cupbearers, H8248 and his ascent H5930 by which he went up H5927 unto the house H1004 of the LORD; H3068 there was no more spirit H7307 in her.
6 And she said H559 to the king, H4428 It was a true H571 report H1697 that I heard H8085 in mine own land H776 of thy acts H1697 and of thy wisdom. H2451
7 Howbeit I believed H539 not the words, H1697 until I came, H935 and mine eyes H5869 had seen H7200 it: and, behold, the half H2677 was not told H5046 me: thy wisdom H2451 and prosperity H2896 exceedeth H3254 the fame H8052 which I heard. H8085
8 Happy H835 are thy men, H582 happy H835 are these thy servants, H5650 which stand H5975 continually H8548 before H6440 thee, and that hear H8085 thy wisdom. H2451
9 Blessed H1288 be the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 which delighted H2654 in thee, to set H5414 thee on the throne H3678 of Israel: H3478 because the LORD H3068 loved H160 Israel H3478 for ever, H5769 therefore made H7760 he thee king, H4428 to do H6213 judgment H4941 and justice. H6666
10 And she gave H5414 the king H4428 an hundred H3967 and twenty H6242 talents H3603 of gold, H2091 and of spices H1314 very H3966 great store, H7235 and precious H3368 stones: H68 there came H935 no more such H1931 abundance H7230 of spices H1314 as these which the queen H4436 of Sheba H7614 gave H5414 to king H4428 Solomon. H8010
11 And the navy H590 also of Hiram, H2438 that brought H5375 gold H2091 from Ophir, H211 brought in H935 from Ophir H211 great H3966 plenty H7235 of almug H484 trees, H6086 and precious H3368 stones. H68
12 And the king H4428 made H6213 of the almug H484 trees H6086 pillars H4552 for the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and for the king's H4428 house, H1004 harps H3658 also and psalteries H5035 for singers: H7891 there came H935 no such almug H484 trees, H6086 nor were seen H7200 unto this day. H3117
13 And king H4428 Solomon H8010 gave H5414 unto the queen H4436 of Sheba H7614 all her desire, H2656 whatsoever she asked, H7592 beside that which Solomon H8010 gave H5414 her of his royal H4428 bounty. H3027 So she turned H6437 and went H3212 to her own country, H776 she and her servants. H5650
1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of Jehovah, she came to prove him with hard questions.
2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not anything hid from the king which he told her not.
4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,
5 and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of Jehovah; there was no more spirit in her.
6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom.
7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me; thy wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard.
8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, that stand continually before thee, `and' that hear thy wisdom.
9 Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because Jehovah loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do justice and righteousness.
10 And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
11 And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug-trees and precious stones.
12 And the king made of the almug-trees pillars for the house of Jehovah, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for the singers: there came no such almug-trees, nor were seen, unto this day.
13 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants.
1 And the queen of Sheba is hearing of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of Jehovah, and cometh to try him with enigmas,
2 and she cometh to Jerusalem, with a very great company, camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stone, and she cometh unto Solomon, and speaketh unto him all that hath been with her heart.
3 And Solomon declareth to her all her matters -- there hath not been a thing hid from the king that he hath not declared to her.
4 And the queen of Sheba seeth all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he built,
5 and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the standing of his ministers, and their clothing, and his butlers, and his burnt-offering that he causeth to ascend in the house of Jehovah, and there hath not been in her any more spirit.
6 And she saith unto the king, `True hath been the word that I heard in my land, concerning thy matters and thy wisdom;
7 and I gave no credence to the words till that I have come, and my eyes see, and lo, it was not declared to me -- the half; thou hast added wisdom and goodness unto the report that I heard.
8 O the happiness of thy men, O the happiness of thy servants -- these -- who are standing before thee continually, who are hearing thy wisdom!
9 Jehovah thy God is blessed who delighted in thee, to put thee on the throne of Israel; in Jehovah's loving Israel to the age He doth set thee for king, to do judgment and righteousness.
10 And she giveth to the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices very many, and precious stone; there came not like that spice any more for abundance that the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
11 And also, the navy of Hiram that bore gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir almug-trees very many, and precious stone;
12 and the king maketh the almug-trees a support for the house of Jehovah, and for the house of the king, and harps and psalteries for singers; there have not come such almug-trees, nor have there been seen `such' unto this day.
13 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire that she asked, apart from that which he gave to her as a memorial of king Solomon, and she turneth and goeth to her land, she and her servants.
1 And the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon in connection with the name of Jehovah, and came to prove him with enigmas.
2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices and gold in very great abundance, and precious stones; and she came to Solomon, and spoke to him of all that was in her heart.
3 And Solomon explained to her all she spoke of: there was not a thing hidden from the king that he did not explain to her.
4 And when the queen of Sheba saw all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,
5 and the food of his table, and the deportment of his servants, and the order of service of his attendants, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of Jehovah, there was no more spirit in her.
6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thine affairs, and of thy wisdom;
7 but I gave no credit to the words, until I came and mine eyes had seen; and behold, the half was not told me: in wisdom and prosperity thou exceedest the report that I heard.
8 Happy are thy men! happy are these thy servants, who stand continually before thee, who hear thy wisdom!
9 Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel! Because Jehovah loves Israel for ever, therefore did he make thee king, to do judgment and justice.
10 And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in very great abundance, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as those which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
11 (And the fleet also of Hiram, which carried gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir sandal-wood in very great abundance, and precious stones.
12 And the king made of the sandal-wood a balustrade for the house of Jehovah, and for the king's house, and harps and lutes for the singers. There came no such sandal-wood, nor was there seen to this day.)
13 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides what he gave her of the bounty of king Solomon. And she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants.
1 When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of Yahweh, she came to prove him with hard questions.
2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she was come to Solomon, she talked with him of all that was in her heart.
3 Solomon told her all her questions: there was not anything hidden from the king which he didn't tell her.
4 When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,
5 and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their clothing, and his cup bearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of Yahweh; there was no more spirit in her.
6 She said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom.
7 However I didn't believe the words, until I came, and my eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me; your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard.
8 Happy are your men, happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, [and] who hear your wisdom.
9 Blessed be Yahweh your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel: because Yahweh loved Israel forever, therefore made he you king, to do justice and righteousness.
10 She gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
11 The navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees and precious stones.
12 The king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of Yahweh, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for the singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen, to this day.
13 King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants.
1 Now the queen of Sheba, hearing great things of Solomon, came to put his wisdom to the test with hard questions.
2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels weighted down with spices, and stores of gold and jewels: and when she came to Solomon she had talk with him of everything in her mind.
3 And Solomon gave her answers to all her questions; there was no secret which the king did not make clear to her.
4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had made,
5 And the food at his table, and all his servants seated there, and those who were waiting on him in their places, and their robes, and his wine-servants, and the burned offerings which he made in the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.
6 And she said to the king, The account which was given to me in my country of your acts and your wisdom was true.
7 But I had no faith in what was said about you, till I came and saw for myself; and now I see that it was not half the story; your wisdom and your wealth are much greater than they said.
8 Happy are your wives, happy are these your servants whose place is ever before you, hearing your words of wisdom.
9 May the Lord your God be praised, whose pleasure it was to put you on the seat of the kingdom of Israel; because the Lord's love for Israel is eternal, he has made you king, to be their judge in righteousness.
10 And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a great store of spices and jewels: never again was such a wealth of spices seen as that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.
11 And the sea-force of Hiram, in addition to gold from Ophir, came back with much sandal-wood and jewels.
12 And from the sandal-wood the king made pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the king's house, and instruments of music for the makers of melody: never has such sandal-wood been seen to this day.
13 And King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she made request for, in addition to what he gave her freely from the impulse of his heart. So she went back to her country, she and her servants.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Kings 10
Commentary on 1 Kings 10 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 10
1Ki 10:1-13. The Queen of Sheba Admires the Wisdom of Solomon.
1. the queen of Sheba—Some think her country was the Sabean kingdom of Yemen, of which the capital was Saba, in Arabia-Felix; others, that it was in African Ethiopia, that is, Abyssinia, towards the south of the Red Sea. The opinions preponderate in favor of the former. This view harmonizes with the language of our Lord, as Yemen means "South"; and this country, extending to the shores of the Indian ocean, might in ancient times be considered "the uttermost parts of the earth."
heard of the fame of Solomon—doubtless by the Ophir fleet.
concerning the name of the Lord—meaning either his great knowledge of God, or the extraordinary things which God had done for him.
hard questions—enigmas or riddles. The Orientals delight in this species of intellectual exercise and test wisdom by the power and readiness to solve them.
2. she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels—A long train of those beasts of burden forms the common way of travelling in Arabia; and the presents specified consist of the native produce of that country. Of course, a royal equipage would be larger and more imposing than an ordinary caravan.
6. It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom—The proofs she obtained of Solomon's wisdom—not from his conversation only, but also from his works; the splendor of his palace; the economy of his kitchen and table; the order of his court; the gradations and gorgeous costume of his servants; above all, the arched viaduct that led from his palace to the temple (2Ki 16:18), and the remains of which have been recently discovered [Robinson]—overwhelmed her with astonishment. [See on 2Ch 9:4.]
9. Blessed be the Lord thy God—(See on 1Ki 5:7). It is quite possible, as Jewish writers say, that this queen was converted, through Solomon's influence, to the worship of the true God. But there is no record of her making any gift or offering in the temple.
10. she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold—£720,00.
11. almug trees—Parenthetically, along with the valuable presents of the queen of Sheba, is mentioned a foreign wood, which was brought in the Ophir ships. It is thought by some to be the sandalwood; by others, to be the deodar—a species of fragrant fir, much used in India for sacred and important works. Solomon used it for stairs in his temple and palace (2Ch 9:11), but chiefly for musical instruments.
13. King Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside—that is, Solomon not only gave his illustrious guest all the insight and information she wanted; but, according to the Oriental fashion, he gave her ample remuneration for the presents she had brought.
1Ki 10:14-29. His Riches.
14, 15. Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year—666 talents, equal to £3,996,000. The sources whence this was derived are not mentioned; nor was it the full amount of his revenue; for this was "Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffic of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country." The great encouragement he gave to commerce was the means of enriching his royal treasury. By the fortifications which he erected in various parts of his kingdom, (particularly at such places as Thapsacus, one of the passages of Euphrates, and at Tadmor, in the Syrian desert), he gave complete security to the caravan trade from the depredations of the Arab marauders; and it was reasonable that, in return for this protection, he should exact a certain toll or duty for the importation of foreign goods. A considerable revenue, too, would arise from the use of the store cities and khans he built; and it is not improbable that those cities were emporia, where the caravan merchants unloaded their bales of spices and other commodities and sold them to the king's factors, who, according to the modern practice in the East, retailed them in the Western markets at a profit. "The revenue derived from the tributary kings and from the governors of the country" must have consisted in the tribute which all inferior magistrates periodically bring to their sovereigns in the East, in the shape of presents of the produce of their respective provinces.
16, 17. two hundred targets, six hundred shekels—These defensive arms were anciently made of wood and covered with leather; those were covered with fine gold. 600 shekels were used in the gilding of each target—300 for each shield. They were intended for the state armory of the palace (see 1Ki 14:26).
18-26. a great throne of ivory—It seems to have been made not of solid ivory, but veneered. It was in the form of an armchair, with a carved back. The ascent to it was by six steps, on each of which stood lions, in place of a railing—while a lion, probably of gilt metal, stood at each side, which, we may suppose from the analogy of other Oriental thrones, supported a canopy. A golden footstool is mentioned (2Ch 9:18) as attached to this throne, whose magnificence is described as unrivalled.
22. a navy of Tharshish—Tartessus in Spain. There gold, and especially silver, was obtained, anciently, in so great abundance that it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon. But "Tarshish" came to be a general term for the West (Jon 1:3).
at sea—on the Mediterranean.
once in three years—that is, every third year. Without the mariner's compass they had to coast along the shore. The ivory, apes, and peacocks might have been purchased, on the outward or homeward voyage, on the north coast of Africa, where the animals were to be found. They were particularized, probably as being the rarest articles on board.
26-29.—(See on 2Ch 1:14 [and 2Ch 9:25].)