Sheba — Of that part of Arabia, called Shabaea, which was at great distance from Jerusalem, bordering upon the Southern Sea; for there, much more than in Ethiopia, were the commodities which she brought, 1 Kings 10:2, 1 Kings 10:10. Name of the Lord — That is, concerning God; the name of God being o... [ Continue Reading ]
All her heart — Of all the doubts and difficulties wherewith her mind was perplexed.... [ Continue Reading ]
House — Or, the houses, the temple and the king's house, in both which there were evidences of singular wisdom.... [ Continue Reading ]
Sitting — The order and manner in which his courtiers, or other subjects (who all were his servants in a general sense) sat down at meals, at several tables in his court. Attendance — Upon the king, both at his table, and in his court; and when he went abroad to the temple or other places. Apparel —... [ Continue Reading ]
Happy, &c. — With much more reason may we say this of Christ's servants: Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be always praising thee.... [ Continue Reading ]
Six hundred, &c. — Which amounts to about three millions of our money. And this gold did not come from Ophir in India, or Tharshish; but from Arabia and Ethiopia, which then were replenished with gold, though exhausted by the insatiable avarice of succeeding Ages.... [ Continue Reading ]
Merchant — men — Heb. of the searchers; either merchants, who use to search out commodities: or, the gatherers of the king's revenues, who used to search narrowly into all wares, that the king might not be defrauded of his rights. Spice — merchants — Or rather, of the merchants in general, as the wo... [ Continue Reading ]
Targets — For pomp and magnificence, and to be carried before him, by his guard, when he went abroad. The Roman magistrates had rods and axes carried before them, in token of their power to correct the bad: but Solomon shields and targets, to shew he took more pleasure in his power to defend and pro... [ Continue Reading ]
Shields — Smaller than targets.... [ Continue Reading ]
Round — Made like the half of a circle.... [ Continue Reading ]
Nothing — Comparatively. Such hyperbolical expressions are frequent both in scripture and other authors. But if gold in abundance, would make silver seem so despicable, shall not wisdom and grace, and the foretastes of heaven, make gold seem much more so?... [ Continue Reading ]
Tharshish — Ships that went to Tharshish. For Tharshish was the name of a place upon the sea, famous for its traffick with merchants, and it was a place very remote from Judea, as appears from the three years usually spent in that voyage. But whether it was Spain, where in those times there was abun... [ Continue Reading ]
All the earth — That is, all the kings of the earth, (as it is expressed 2 Chronicles 9:23,) namely of those parts of the earth.... [ Continue Reading ]
Horses, &c. — The two chief commodities of Egypt. Price — Solomon received them from Pharaoh at a price agreed between them, and gave this privilege to his merchants, for a tribute to be paid out of it.... [ Continue Reading ]
Chariot — This is not to be understood of the chariots and horses themselves, but for the lading of chariots and horses, which consisting of fine linen and silk, were of great value: and the king's custom, together with the charges of the journey, amounted to these sums. Hittites — A people dwelling... [ Continue Reading ]