2 Chronicles 9:1-12 (1 Kings 10:1-13). The Visit of the Queen of Sheba 1. _Sheba_ An important district in Arabia Felix, the seat of a kingdom. Psalms 72:10. _hard questions_ Heb. _ḥidoth_, "dark sayings" (Proverbs 1:6); the sing. is translated "riddle" (Judges 14:12-18). _a very great company_ R... [ Continue Reading ]
_nothing_ R.V. NOT ANY THING (as 1 Kin.).... [ Continue Reading ]
_and their apparel_ The phrase is repeated probably through an error of transcription; it occurs once only in the parallel place in 1 Kin. _his ascent by which he went up_ Render (if the text be sound), HIS MANNER OF GOING UP, i.e. the pomp with which he went up (so Targ.); but LXX. and Pesh. give,... [ Continue Reading ]
_of thine acts_ Lit. _of thy matters_; the reference is quite general.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the greatness of thy wisdom_ Cp. 1 Kings 10:7, "thy wisdom _and prosperity_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_on his throne_ The Israelite throne is _God's_; the visible king occupies it only as a deputy. Cp. 1 Chronicles 28:5 ("the throne of the kingdom of the Lord"); _ibid_. 1 Chronicles 29:23 ("Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord").... [ Continue Reading ]
_an hundred and twenty talents of gold_ A sum so large must be regarded rather as _tribute_than as a complimentary gift. _any such spice_ i.e. as in 1 Kin. "such _abundance_of spices.... [ Continue Reading ]
_algum trees_ in 1 Kin. "_almug_trees." Cp. 2 Chronicles 2:8 (note).... [ Continue Reading ]
These vv. interrupt the connexion. 2 Chronicles 9:12 concludes the account of the visit of the Queen of Sheba.... [ Continue Reading ]
_terraces_ Perhaps "raised paths." In 1 Kings 10:12 a different Heb. word is used, which means probably "railings" ("pillars," A.V.). _psalteries_ Cp. 1 Chronicles 13:8 (note). _in the land of Judah_ Here the Chronicler speaks as a man of his own age. We should expect, _land of Israel_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_besides_that _which she had brought unto the king_ This means that the king beside returning the queen the value of her presents to him, also gave her additional gifts; cp. 1 Kings 10:13.... [ Continue Reading ]
(1 Kings 10:14-28). Solomon's Greatness 13. _six hundred and threescore and six_ This may be called a "round" number, for a system of counting based on the number _six_was known in ancient times, e.g. among the Assyrians.... [ Continue Reading ]
_chapmen_ R.V. THE CHAPMEN. The English word means "merchant"; cp. the verb, "to chaffer" and the German "Kaufmann." The Heb. word means "those who go about" as merchants. _governors_ Heb. _Paḥoth_, a word applied specially to governors of provinces of the Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian empires.... [ Continue Reading ]
_targets_ Heb. _çinnâh_, a word meaning a large shield; cp. 1 Samuel 17:7. On the other hand in 2 Chronicles 9:16 (Heb. _mâgçn_) small shields are meant. The English renderings should be transposed so as to be "shields" in 2 Chronicles 9:15 and "targets" in 2 Chronicles 9:16. _went to one target_ R... [ Continue Reading ]
_shields_ See note on 2 Chronicles 9:15. _the house of the forest of Lebanon_ So called probably because it was built of cedar of Lebanon (1 Kings 7:2). It was in Jerusalem and seems to have existed as late as the time of Isaiah (Isaiah 22:8) as an armoury.... [ Continue Reading ]
_with a footstool of gold_, which were _fastened to the throne_ A quite different detail takes the place of this in 1 Kings 10:19, _and the top of the throne was round behind_. Perhaps both details were found in the original text of Kings. _and stays on each side of the sitting place_ R.V. AND STAY... [ Continue Reading ]
_none_were of _silver; it was_not _any thing accounted of_ R.V. SILVER WAS NOTHING ACCOUNTED OF.... [ Continue Reading ]
_For the king's ships went_to _Tarshish_ R.V. FOR THE KING HAD SHIPS THAT WENT TO TARSHISH. Here the Chronicler misunderstands the parallel passage (1 Kings 10:22, "For the king had at sea _a navy of Tarshish_"). "Navy (or -ships") of Tarshish" is a phrase meaning _large ships fit for long voyages_;... [ Continue Reading ]
_And king Solomon passed_ R.V. SO KING SOLOMON EXCEEDED (so 1 Kings 10:13).... [ Continue Reading ]
_all the kings of the earth_ In 1 Kings, _all the earth_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_his present_ i.e. his tribute. _harness_ R.V. ARMOUR (so Pesh. of 1 Kin. and Targ. of 2 Chr. and 1 Kin.). A less probable rendering is στακτὴ ("oil of myrrh") LXX. (in both places), "myrrh," Pesh. of 2 Chr.... [ Continue Reading ]
_four thousand stalls for horses and chariots_ In the parallel passage (1 Kings 4:26 = 2 Chronicles 5:6 _Heb._), _forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots_. The meaning of the word rendered "stalls" is quite uncertain. The rendering of the LXX. suggests "brood-mares" as the meaning. _twelve... [ Continue Reading ]
_from the river_ R.V. FROM THE RIVER, i.e. the Euphrates. _even unto the land of the Philistines_ The Philistines seem to have been able to keep their independence.... [ Continue Reading ]
_cedar trees_ Rather, CEDAR WOOD. _sycomore_ i.e. the fig-mulberry, not now a common tree in Palestine; cp. 1 Chronicles 27:28, note. _the low plains_ R.V. THE LOWLAND (Heb. "Shephelah"). See G. A. Smith, _Hist. Geography_, Chap. 10. "The Shephelah.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they brought_etc.] Cp. 2 Chronicles 1:16-17.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the book of Nathan_ Cp. 1 Chronicles 29:29. _Ahijah the Shilonite_ 1 Kings 11:29; 1 Kings 14:2 ff. _Iddo_ Heb. _Jedai_or _Jedo_(probably a mis-spelling); cp. 2Ch 12:15; 2 Chronicles 13:22.... [ Continue Reading ]
(1 Kings 11:41-43). The Epilogue An important section of 1 Kin. (2 Chronicles 11:1-23) giving an account of Solomon's patronage of idolatry and of the troubles of his reign is unnoticed by the Chronicler.... [ Continue Reading ]
_forty years_ The number is perhaps a round number; cp. Judges 3:30; Judges 5:31; Judges 8:28; Judges 13:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
_slept with his fathers_ This is not said of David (1 Chronicles 29:28), perhaps because David's father was not a king. _in the city of David_ 1 Chronicles 11:7.... [ Continue Reading ]