1 Kings 10:8-18

8 Happy are thy men! happy are these thy servants, who stand continually before thee, who hear thy wisdom!
9 Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel! Because Jehovah loves Israel for ever, therefore did he make thee king, to do judgment and justice.
10 And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in very great abundance, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as those which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
11 (And the fleet also of Hiram, which carried gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir sandal-wood in very great abundance, and precious stones.
12 And the king made of the sandal-wood a balustrade for the house of Jehovah, and for the king's house, and harps and lutes for the singers. There came no such sandal-wood, nor was there seen to this day.)
13 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides what he gave her of the bounty of king Solomon. And she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants.
14 And the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,
15 besides what [came] by the dealers, and by the traffic of the merchants, and by all the kings of Arabia, and by the governors of the country.
16 And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold, -- he applied six hundred [shekels] of gold to one target;
17 and three hundred shields of beaten gold, -- he applied three minas of gold to one shield; and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
18 And the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with refined gold:

1 Kings 10:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. The gold mina, a coin containing 50 shekels, is estimated at 26 1/3 oz. troy. See Note, Ezek. 45.12.
  • [b]. Or 'superfine:' it seems to have been the best kind of refined gold.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.