1 Kings 10:8

8 How fortunate are your wives! And how fortunate your servants, who are always in your presence and are privileged to hear your wise sayings!

1 Kings 10:8 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 10:8

Happy are thy men
The men of Israel, that had a king over them so wise, so great, so good:

happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and
hear thy wisdom;
who were now present, and to whom she pointed, and may respect not his nobles and courtiers only, but his menial servants, who had an opportunity of often hearing the wise sayings which dropped from his lips; and which no doubt were means of greatly improving their knowledge and understanding in things natural and divine.

1 Kings 10:8 In-Context

6 She said to King Solomon, "What I heard in my own country about you and your wisdom is true!
7 But I couldn't believe it until I had come and seen it all for myself. But I didn't hear even half of it; your wisdom and wealth are much greater than what I was told.
8 How fortunate are your wives! And how fortunate your servants, who are always in your presence and are privileged to hear your wise sayings!
9 Praise the Lord your God! He has shown how pleased he is with you by making you king of Israel. Because his love for Israel is eternal, he has made you their king so that you can maintain law and justice."
10 She presented to King Solomon the gifts she had brought: almost five tons of gold and a very large amount of spices and jewels. The amount of spices she gave him was by far the greatest that he ever received at any time.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. [Some ancient translations] wives; [Hebrew] men.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.