1 Kings 10:18

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

1 Kings 10:18 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 10:18

Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory
To sit on and judge his people; and ivory being white, may denote the purity, justice, and equity with which he judged; the white throne in ( Revelation 20:11 ) may be an allusion to this; the ivory he had from Tarshish, ( 1 Kings 10:22 )

and overlaid it with the best gold;
for the greater splendour and majesty of it; not that he covered it all over, for then the ivory would not be seen, but interlined it, or studded it with it, whereby it appeared the more beautiful and magnificent. Such a throne of gold and ivory was decreed to Caesar by the Romans ^F16.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F16 Appian. Alex. l. 2.

1 Kings 10:18 In-Context

16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield.

17 And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went into each shield; and the king put them in the 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 arm rests and two lions standing beside the arm rests,

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.