1 Kings 10:5

5 the food on his table, his many officers, the palace servants, and their good clothes. She saw the servants who served him at feasts and the whole burnt offerings he made in the Temple of the Lord. All these things amazed her.

1 Kings 10:5 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 10:5

And the meat of his table
The various sorts of it, the different dishes, and the multitude of them; see ( 1 Kings 4:22 1 Kings 4:23 )

and the sitting of his servants;
at table, either with him, or at tables by themselves, yet in his presence; for these were his nobles and courtiers, who were placed in order, according to their rank and degree, which showed wisdom:

and the attendance of his ministers;
or the "standing" F17 of those that waited, both at the king's table, and the tables of the lords, who each had their proper place and business assigned; so that the utmost decorum was observed, and no confusion or disorder to be seen:

and their apparel:
their several liveries, which were distinct according to the posts and offices in which they were, and which no doubt were rich and splendid, as well as various:

and his cup bearers;
to serve him and his nobles with wine when called for; though the word signifies liquors F18, and may design the various sorts of wines, and other drinkables, used by him, of which there was great plenty:

and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord;
the steps which he had made to go up from his palace to the temple; which were so curiously devised, and so artificially wrought, that it gave the queen, among other things, a sensible proof of his great wisdom, as well as of his religion and piety. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, and some others, render the words, "and the burnt offerings which he offered in the house of the Lord"; and so Josephus F19 understood them; she was shown the service of the house of the Lord, as much as could be admitted, and perhaps was told the meaning of it; all which she saw, both in his own house, and in the house of God, and greatly surprised her:

so that there was no more spirit in her;
she was quite astonished; like one in an ecstasy, she had no power for a time to speak, what she saw and heard so affected her.


FOOTNOTES:

F17 (Kmem) "statum", Tigurine version, Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius; "stationem", Piscator.
F18 (wyqvm) "et potum ejus", Tig. vers. so Abarbinel
F19 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 8. c. 6. sect. 5.)

1 Kings 10:5 In-Context

3 and Solomon answered all her questions. Nothing was too hard for him to explain to her.
4 The queen of Sheba learned that Solomon was very wise. She saw the palace he had built,
5 the food on his table, his many officers, the palace servants, and their good clothes. She saw the servants who served him at feasts and the whole burnt offerings he made in the Temple of the Lord. All these things amazed her.
6 So she said to King Solomon, "What I heard in my own country about your achievements and wisdom is true.
7 I could not believe it then, but now I have come and seen it with my own eyes. I was not told even half of it! Your wisdom and wealth are much greater than I had heard.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.