1 Kings 10:1-29
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:a 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 attendanceb 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 reportc 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 almugd trees, and precious stones.
12 And the king made of the almug trees pillarse 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.
14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,
15 Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governorsf of the country.
16 And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target.
17 And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
18 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold.
19 The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind:g and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.
20 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the likeh made in any kingdom.
21 And all king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver:i it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.
22 For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory,j and apes, and peacocks.
23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.
24 And all the earth sought tok Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
25 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.
26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.
27 And the king madel silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.
28 And Solomonm had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.
29 And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.
1 Kings 10:1. Sheba, from Saba, the eldest son of Cush. Genesis 10:7. The country extending itself from the Gulf of Persia to the Red sea. The claims of the Abyssinians to the queen of this country, seem grounded merely on the pride of unfounded tradition.
1 Kings 10:14. Six hundred threescore and six talents of gold. The weight of one talent is estimated by Suidas at sixty pounds, or three thousand shekels of gold.
A pound, a hundred drachms A drachm, six obeli An obulus, six brass coins A brass coin, seven mites.
1 Kings 10:22. The king had at sea a navy of Tharshish. As the critics are all embarrassed concerning Ophir in the preseding chapter, so they are equally undecided here concerning Tharshish. The prophet Jonah went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tharshish: Jonah 1:3. Javan, Genesis 10:4, had a son called Tharshish, who no doubt, like other fathers, called his lands after his own name; as we find inhabitants of that name. 2Ma 4:30. Tharshish was probably the old name of Tyre, or of Cyprus, and so the seas adjacent were called by the same name, for we repeatedly read of the ships of Tarshish, or ships of the Mediterranean sea. For this reason Tremellius translates the word ocean. Samuel Bochart relieves, I think, the difficulty. Phal. 1 Kings 3:7. He affirms that Betica was the ancient name of Spain, or of part of that country; that the river Guadalquiver was called Tartessus. Chan. 1 Kings 1:7. Tradition adds, that the sea at the pillars of Hercules [Gibraltar] had formerly broken the banks which separated Great Africa from the land of Tarshish. The Chaldaic reads, ships of Africa.
1 Kings 10:29. The kings of Syria. This indicates that the empire of Babylon was then of small account, and very limited in territory.
REFLECTIONS.
When in the year 1530, Ignatius Loyola quitted the profession of arms, and vowed to devote his whole life to the conversion of mahometans and idolaters in every part of the earth, he said he was ashamed to see the merchants brave tempests, despise dangers, and make long voyages for gain, while the christian world did nothing to propagate the faith of Christ. But here is an illustrious woman, who in regard to her being a heathen and less enlightened, excelled him in pious zeal and laudable exertions. She came to Solomon to inquire concerning the name of the Lord, and to prove him with hard questions: for his fame by sea and by land, was gone to the ends of the earth. In this view she affords the christian world a most animating example. Our JEHOVAH Jesus, greater than Solomon, is building the city and temple of his church. The mystery of his glorious person, the greatness of his love to man, the riches of his grace, the glory of his kingdom, and the terrors of his arm are subjects of admiration to heaven and earth. To sinners, all other knowledge is but vanity, and all other treasures are but dung in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord.
She came to prove Solomon with hard questions, such no doubt as we find in the Proverbs; and with a divine wisdom he told her all the truth concerning every query. And has not every sinner many very hard questions to put to the Lord of glory? May not each say, Lord what must I do to be saved? Can my iniquities be all forgiven? Can my conscience ever be made calm, serene and placid, with a peace which passeth all understanding? Can the wicked be justified at thy bar? Can my nature ever be made clean, filled with love, and always inclined to good? Can my passions be weaned from phantoms, and fixed on things above? Is it possible for me to say with the psalmist, Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth I desire besides thee? Answer, oh glorious Source of wisdom and love, and tell me all the desire of my heart.
When this queen had seen all his domestic, all his religious, and all his political arrangements, her understanding and heart were quite overpowered with the grandeur and multiplicity of the objects. But with Christ and his kingdom, the glory is much more admirable. Prophets have made it the cheering theme of prophecy; angels, contemplating his redemption, have sung glory to God in the highest; and the holy apostles, enraptured with his love, have blessed the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by his resurrection from the dead. Yea, all heaven is transported with devotion at the wonders of his name. This princess, on hearing of Solomon's wisdom and achievements, spared no presents, made every sacrifice, and risked every danger of crossing the weary deserts, that she might see his works, hear his wisdom, and worship in his glorious temple. Well therefore has our Saviour said, that she shall condemn the supineness of the religious world. Well therefore did he cite her example to confound the age in which he lived; an age which wondered and perished.
When this foreign princess, so great a credit to her country, had seen all his works, and heard his wisdom, she not only fainted beneath the weight of his glory, but acknowledging her partial unbelief, exclaimed, “the half of this was not told me.” So believer, follow on, tracing the wisdom and works of thy heavenly King; follow on in the school of instruction, and by and bye the curtain will drop. By and bye you shall find yourself in the presence of the King eternal, immortal, and invisible. By and bye you shall find yourself in the midst of the city and temple of God, and exclaim with all the adoring throng, not the half, nor even the thousandth part of his fame and glory was ever revealed. Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither hath entered the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
When Solomon and this queen had exchanged their munificent presents, for royal personages do not bargain like merchants, the king gave her over and above whatever she was pleased to ask. And now, if this be the etiquette of kings, what shalt thou do, poor trembling soul, who hast no pearls but thy tears, no incense but thy sighs, and no treasures but thy sins? Well, be of good cheer; the oblations with which God is best pleased are a broken spirit and a contrite heart. His first and great request is, My son, give me thy heart. In return for this he says, Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. And again, he that overcometh shall inherit all things. Lord, thou art greater than Solomon; may I ever come to thee. Yea, may “all the ends of the earth remember and turn to the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations worship before him.”