1 Kings 10

The Queen of Sheba

1 ¹Now when ²the queen of ³Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came ⁴to test him with hard questions.

2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels ⁵bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind.

3 And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her.

4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,

5 the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the LORD, there was no more breath in her.

6 And she said to the king, "The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom,

7 but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard.

8 ⁶Happy are your men! Happy are your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!

9 ⁷Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! ⁸Because the LORD loved Israel forever, he has made you king, ⁹that you may execute justice and righteousness."

10 ¹⁰Then she gave the king 120 talents^[a] of gold, and a very great quantity of spices and precious stones. Never again came such an abundance of spices as these that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

11 Moreover, ¹¹the fleet of Hiram, which brought ¹²gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir a very great amount of almug wood and precious stones.

12 And the king made of the almug wood supports for the house of the LORD and for the king's house, also lyres and harps for the singers. No such almug wood has come or been seen to this day.

13 And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what was given her by the bounty of King Solomon. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants.

Solomon's Great Wealth

14 ¹³Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold,

15 besides that which came from the explorers and from the business of the merchants, and from all the kings of the west and from the governors of the land.

16 King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels^[b] of gold went into each shield.

17 And he made 300 ¹⁴shields of beaten gold; three minas^[c] of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in ¹⁵the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

18 The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with the finest gold.

19 The throne had six steps, and at the back of the throne was a calf's head, and on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrests,

20 while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like of it was never made in any kingdom.

21 All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of ¹⁶the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver; silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon.

22 For the king had ¹⁷a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.^[d]

23 ¹⁸Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

24 And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind.

25 Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.

26 ¹⁹And Solomon gathered together ²⁰chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the ²¹chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

27 And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as ²²the sycamore of the Shephelah.

28 And Solomon's ²³import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king's traders received them from Kue at a price.

29 A chariot could be imported from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver and a horse for 150, and so through the king's traders they were exported to all the kings of ²⁴the Hittites and the kings of Syria.

1 Kings 10 Commentary

Chapter 10

The queen of Sheba's visit to Solomon. (1-13) Solomon's wealth. (14-29)

Verses 1-13 The queen of Sheba came to Solomon to hear his wisdom, thereby to improve her own. Our Saviour mentions her inquiries after God, by Solomon, as showing the stupidity of those who inquire not after God, by our Lord Jesus Christ. By waiting and prayer, by diligently searching the Scriptures, by consulting wise and experienced Christians, and by practising what we have learned, we shall be delivered from difficulties. Solomon's wisdom made more impression upon the queen of Sheba than all his prosperity and grandeur. There is a spiritual excellence in heavenly things, and in consistent Christians, to which no reports can do justice. Here the truth exceeded; and all who, through grace, are brought to commune with God, will say the one half was not told them of the pleasures and the advantages of wisdom's ways. Glorified saints, much more, will say of heaven, ( 1 Corinthians. 2:9 ) pronounced them happy that constantly attended Solomon. With much more reason may we say of Christ's servants, Blessed are they that dwell in his house; they will be still praising him. She made a noble present to Solomon. What we present to Christ, he needs not, but will have us do so to express our gratitude. The believer who has been with Jesus, will return to his station, discharge his duties with readiness, and from better motives; looking forward to the day when, being absent from the body, he shall be present with the Lord.

Verses 14-29 Solomon increased his wealth. Silver was nothing accounted of. Such is the nature of worldly wealth, plenty of it makes it the less valuable; much more should the enjoyment of spiritual riches lessen our esteem of all earthly possessions. If gold in abundance makes silver to be despised, shall not wisdom, and grace, and the foretastes of heaven, which are far better than gold, make gold to be lightly esteemed? See in Solomon's greatness the performance of God's promise, and let it encourage us to seek first the righteousness of God's kingdom. This was he, who, having tasted all earthly enjoyments, wrote a book, to show the vanity of all worldly things, the vexation of spirit that attends them, and the folly of setting our hearts upon them: and to recommend serious godliness, as that which will do unspeakably more to make us happy, that all the wealth and power he was master of; and, through the grace of God, it is within our reach.

Cross References

• 1. For ver. 1-13, see 2 Chronicles 9:1-12
• 2. [Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31]
• 3. Psalms 72:10, 15; Isaiah 60:6; Jeremiah 6:20; Ezekiel 27:22, 23; Ezekiel 38:13; Joel 3:8
• 4. See Judges 14:12
• 5. ver. 10
• 6. [Proverbs 8:34]
• 7. 1 Kings 5:7
• 8. 2 Chronicles 2:11
• 9. 2 Samuel 8:15; [Psalms 72:2]
• 10. ver. 2
• 11. 1 Kings 9:27
• 12. See 1 Kings 9:28
• 13. For ver. 14-28, see 2 Chronicles 9:13-28
• 14. 1 Kings 14:26
• 15. 1 Kings 7:2
• 16. [See ver. 17 above]
• 17. 1 Kings 22:48; Genesis 10:4; 1 Chronicles 1:7; 2 Chronicles 20:36, 37; Psalms 48:7; Psalms 72:10
• 18. [1 Kings 3:12, 13; 1 Kings 4:30]
• 19. For ver. 26-29, see 2 Chronicles 1:14-17
• 20. [1 Kings 4:26; 2 Chronicles 9:25]
• 21. 1 Kings 9:19
• 22. 1 Chronicles 27:28
• 23. 2 Chronicles 9:28; [Deuteronomy 17:16]
• 24. Judges 1:26

Footnotes

• [a]. A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
• [b]. A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
• [c]. A mina was about 1 1/4 pounds or 0.6 kilogram
• [d]. Or baboons

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 10

This chapter contains an account of the queen of Sheba's visit to King Solomon to her great satisfaction, 1Ki 10:1-13, of Solomon's merchandise and riches, and the magnificence of his court, 1Ki 10:14-23, of the rich presents sent to him, and of the purchase of chariots and horses, and other things, he made, 1Ki 10:24-29.