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. Ver. 1. _And when the queen of Sheba._] Nicaula, Josephus _a_ calleth her; the Rabbis, _b_ Nicolas; others, _c_ Maqueda. Her country some make to be Arabia Felix, oth... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 2. _That bare spices, and very much gold and precious stones._] These were the commodi... [ Continue Reading ]
And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not [any] thing hid from the king, which he told her not. Ver. 3. _And Solomon told her all her questions._] Whether they were theological, political, or natural. _ There was not anything hid, &c._] He was no niggard of his great skill; the canker... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, Ver. 4. Had seen all Solomon's wisdom,] _i.e., _ Heard it, and well weighed it. "O generation, see ye the word of the Lord." Jer 2:31... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 5. _And his ascent._] Called elsewhere the king's entry, 2Ki 1... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 6. _Of thy acts._] Or, Sayings. True wisdom will prompt a man both to say well and do well. Solomon might better boast than Cicero _a_ did of his _optimarum artium scientia, et maximatur... [ Continue Reading ]
Happy [are] thy men, happy [are] these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, [and] that hear thy wisdom. Ver. 8. _Happy are thy men._] How happy then are those heavenly courtiers that continually see Christ's face, hear his voice, &c. Sulla called himself happy, because victorious. Hen... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 9. _To set thee on the throne of Israel._] Called the throne of God. 2Ch 9:8 The Church is called God's th... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 10. _And she gave the king, &c._] See on 1Ki 10:2 Psalms 72:10, where it was for... [ Continue Reading ]
And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones. Ver. 11. _And the navy also of Hiram,_] _i.e., _ Built with the timber sent by Hiram, and manned by his mariners. 2Ch 8:18 _ Brought gold from Ophir._] Called there hen... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 12. _Nor were seen unto this day._] Therefore they were not the same, but far better than those... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 13. _All her desire, whatsoever she asked._] Some say she came to Solomon, as Thalestri... [ Continue Reading ]
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold, Ver. 14. _Now the weight of gold that came. to Solomon._] From Ophir, Tarshish, and other places. _ Was six hundred threescore and six talents._] Two millions and a half _plus or minus._... [ Continue Reading ]
_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 governors of the country._ Ver. 15. _Besides that he had of the merchantmen_] Or, Of the publicans and custom takers; Heb., Men that searched, or spied their opportunitie... [ Continue Reading ]
_And king Solomon made two hundred targets [of] beaten gold: six hundred [shekels] of gold went to one target._ Ver. 16. _Two hundred targets of beaten gold._] Which were carried before him by his guard, as 1 Kings 14:27,28, being more for pomp than service; and therefore so soon became a prey to t... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 17. _And he made three hundred shields._] Nothing so big as those targets, 1Ki 10:16 but lost with them.... [ Continue Reading ]
Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold. Ver. 18. _Moreover the king made a great throne._] Which stood, likely, in the porch of judgment. 1Ki 7:7 _ And overlaid it with the best gold._] To show, saith Martyr, the incorruption that should be in kings, who... [ Continue Reading ]
The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne [was] round behind: and [there were] stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays. Ver. 19. _The throne had six steps._] Whereby when the king ascended to his throne, he was imminded both of his dignity and d... [ Continue Reading ]
And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom. Ver. 20. _And twelve lions stood there, &c._] To show the vigilancy and valour that should be found in princes. Judah's emblem, or scutcheon, was the lion couchant. The Athe... [ Continue Reading ]
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: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon. Ver. 21. And all king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold.] This was both for state a... [ Continue Reading ]
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, and apes, and peacocks. Ver. 22. _For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish._] That furrowed the main ocean, as some sense it; or that sailed into... [ Continue Reading ]
So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. Ver. 23. _For riches and wisdom._] Take them both together, and well he might be imparallel: for _Stultitiam patiuntur opes:_ and _Difficile est opibus non tradire mores._... [ Continue Reading ]
_And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart._ Ver. 24. _And all the earth sought to Solomon._] Who was herein a notable type of Christ, so generally frequented, and yet still so cheerfully resorted to in his ordinances by his people, flying thereto as so... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 25. _And they brought every man his present._] That they might be directed and instructed by him. Yea, Sulpitius Severus saith, that eve... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 26. _And Solomon gathered._] This he did contrary to the law, Deu 17:16 wherefore als... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king made silver [to be] in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he [to be] as the sycomore trees that [are] in the vale, for abundance. Ver. 27. _And the king made silver._] Heb., Gave. And herein Jerusalem became a slender representation of the Jerusalem which is above: where money, the m... [ Continue Reading ]
And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price. Ver. 28. _And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt._] Which abounded with these commodities. Pro 7:16 _Isaiah 31:1_ _; Isaiah 31:3_ Eze 27:7 _ Received the linen yarn at a price... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 29. _And a chariot came up._] A chariot with four horses. The... [ Continue Reading ]