The First Book of the Kings

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 10 -

(2 Chronicles 9:1–12)

Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions.

She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. So she came to Solomon and spoke to him all that was on her mind.

And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain.

When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built,

the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the service and attire of his attendants and cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he presented at the house of the LORD, it took her breath away.

She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and wisdom is true.

But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told to me. Your wisdom and prosperity have far exceeded the report I heard.

How blessed are your men!(a) How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!

Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness.”

Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold,(b) a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was such an abundance of spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

(The fleet of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir also brought from Ophir a great cargo of almug (c) wood and precious stones.

The king made the almug wood into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had such almug wood been brought in, nor has such been seen to this day.)

King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired—whatever she asked—besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned to her own country, along with her servants.

Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor

(2 Chronicles 1:14–17; 2 Chronicles 9:13–28)

The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents,(d)

not including the revenue from the merchants, traders, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land.

King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold

(e)

went into each shield.

He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold

(f)

went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.

The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest.

Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.

All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.

For the king had the ships of Tarshish

(g)

at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.(h)

So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

The whole world sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.

Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

Solomon accumulated (i) 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses,(j) which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.

The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.(k)

Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue;(l) the royal merchants purchased them from Kue.

A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver,(m) and a horse for a hundred and fifty.(n) Likewise, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram.

Footnotes

(a)10:8 LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate your wives

(b)10:10 120 talents is approximately 4.52 tons or 4.1 metric tons of gold.

(d)10:14 666 talents is approximately 25.1 tons or 22.8 metric tons of gold.

(e)10:16 600 shekels is approximately 15.1 pounds or 6.8 kilograms of gold.

(f)10:17 3 minas is approximately 3.77 pounds or 1.71 kilograms of gold; possibly a reference to double minas, that is, approximately 7.54 pounds or 3.42 kilograms.

(g)10:22 Or a fleet of trading ships; twice in this verse

(h)10:22 Or baboons

(i)10:26 Literally Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had

(j)10:26 Or horsemen or charioteers

(k)10:27 Hebrew Shephelah or lowlands; that is, the western foothills of Judea

(l)10:28 Probably an area in Cilicia, a province in the southeast of Asia Minor

(m)10:29 600 shekels is approximately 15.1 pounds or 6.8 kilograms of silver.

(n)10:29 150 shekels is approximately 3.8 pounds or 1.7 kilograms of silver.

(2 Chronicles 9:1–12)

When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the LORD’s name, she came to test him with hard questions.

She came to Jerusalem with a very great caravan, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she had come to Solomon, she talked with him about all that was in her heart.

Solomon answered all her questions. There wasn’t anything hidden from the king which he didn’t tell her.

When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,

the food of his table, the sitting of his servants, the attendance of his officials, their clothing, his cup bearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the LORD’s house, there was no more spirit in her.

She said to the king, “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom.

However, I didn’t believe the words until I came and my eyes had seen it. Behold, not even half was told me! Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard.

Happy are your men, happy are these your servants who stand continually before you, who hear your wisdom.

Blessed is the LORD your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel. Because the LORD loved Israel forever, therefore he made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”

She gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was there such an abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

The fleet of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir also brought in from Ophir great quantities of almug trees

(a)

and precious stones.

The king made of the almug trees pillars for the LORD’s house and for the king’s house, harps also and stringed instruments for the singers; no such almug trees came or were seen to this day.

King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, in addition to that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants.

Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor

(2 Chronicles 1:14–17; 2 Chronicles 9:13–28)

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents

(b)

of gold,

in addition to that which the traders brought, and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of the mixed people, and of the governors of the country.

King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred shekels(c) of gold went to one buckler.

He made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three minas

(d)

of gold went to one shield; and the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold.

There were six steps to the throne, and the top of the throne was round behind; and there were armrests on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.

Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps. Nothing like it was made in any kingdom.

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, because it was considered of little value in the days of Solomon.

For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the fleet of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart.

Year after year, every man brought his tribute, vessels of silver, vessels of gold, clothing, armor, spices, horses, and mules.

Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen. He kept them in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and cedars as common as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland.

The horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt. The king’s merchants received them in droves, each drove at a price.

A chariot was imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels

(e)

of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty shekels; and so they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria.

Footnotes

(a)10:11 possibly an Indian sandalwood, with nice grain and a pleasant scent, and good for woodworking

(b)10:14 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces, so 666 talents is about 20 metric tons

(c)10:16 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.32 Troy ounces, so 600 shekels is about 6 kilograms or 13.2 pounds or 192 Troy ounces.

(d)10:17 A mina is about 600 grams or 1.3 U. S. pounds.

(e)10:29 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces.