1 Kings 10

The Queen of Sheba

1 The queen of Sheba  * 10:1 2Ch 9:1; Mt 12:42 heard about Solomon’s fame  * 10:1–10 2Ch 9:1–12 connected with the name of the Lord and came to test him with difficult questions.  * 10:1 Jdg 14:12–142 She came to Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels bearing  * 10:2 Gn 24:10 spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones.  * 10:2 1Kg 10:10 She came to Solomon and spoke to him about everything that was on her mind. 3 So Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain to her. 4 When the queen of Sheba observed all of Solomon’s wisdom, the palace he had built,  * 10:4 1Kg 7:15 the food at his table,  * 10:5 1Kg 4:22–23 his servants’ residence, his attendants’ service and their attire, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he offered at the Lord’s temple, it took her breath away.

6 She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. 7 But I didn’t believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half. Your wisdom and prosperity far exceed the report I heard.  * 10:7 1Ch 29:258 How happy are your men.  * 10:8 LXX, Syr read your wives How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom.  * 10:8 Pr 8:349 Blessed be the Lord your God! He delighted in you and put you on the throne of Israel,  * 10:9 2Sm 22:20; 1Kg 5:7 because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel.  * 10:9 1Ch 17:22; 2Ch 2:11 He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness."  * 10:9 2Sm 8:15

10 Then she gave the king four and a half tons  * 10:10 Lit 120 talents of gold,  * 10:10 1Kg 9:28 a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did such a quantity of spices arrive as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

11 In addition, Hiram’s fleet that carried gold from Ophir brought from Ophir a large quantity of almug  * 10:11 = algum in 2Ch 2:8; 9:10–11 wood and precious stones.  * 10:11 1Kg 9:27–2812 The king made the almug wood into steps for the Lord’s temple and the king’s palace and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before did such almug wood arrive, and the like has not been seen again.

13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire — whatever she asked — besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she, along with her servants, returned to her own country.  * 10:12–13 2Ch 9:11–12

Solomon’s Wealth

14 The weight  * 10:14–25 2Ch 9:13–24 of gold that came to Solomon annually was twenty-five tons,  * 10:14 Lit 666 talents15 besides what came from merchants,  * 10:15 2Ch 1:16 traders’ merchandise, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land.  * 10:14–15 1Kg 9:28; 10:2

16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; fifteen pounds  * 10:16 Lit 600 (shekels) of gold went into each shield. 17 He made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; nearly four pounds  * 10:17 Lit three minas of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.  * 10:17 1Kg 7:2–5

18 The king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with fine gold. 19 The throne had six steps; there was a rounded top at the back of the throne, armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests. 20 Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.

21 All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon  * 10:21 1Kg 7:2–5 were pure gold.  * 10:21 1Kg 9:28 There was no silver, since it was considered as nothing in Solomon’s time, 22 for the king had ships of Tarshish  * 10:22 Jnh 1:3 at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.  * 10:22 Or baboons,* 10:22 1Kg 9:26–28; 22:48

23 King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and in wisdom.  * 10:23 1Kg 3:1324 The whole world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.  * 10:24 1Kg 3:28; 10:125 Every man would bring his annual tribute: items  * 10:25 Or vessels, or weapons of silver and gold, clothing, weapons,  * 10:25 Or fragrant balsam spices, and horses and mules.  * 10:23–25 2Ch 9:22–24

26 Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen  * 10:26 1Kg 4:26 and stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.  * 10:26 1Kg 9:1927 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones,  * 10:27 Dt 17:17 and he made cedar  * 10:27 1Kg 5:10; 2Ch 1:15 as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills. 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue.  * 10:28 = Cilicia The king’s traders bought them from Kue at the going price.  * 10:28 Dt 17:16; 2Ch 9:2829 A chariot was imported from Egypt for fifteen pounds  * 10:29 Lit 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for four pounds.  * 10:29 Lit 150 shekels In the same way, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram through their agents.  * 10:29 2Ch 1:17