1 Kings 10:8

8 How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom!

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 exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true!
7 I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I was told.
8 How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom!
9 Praise the LORD your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD ’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.”
10 Then she gave the king a gift of 9,000 pounds of gold, great quantities of spices, and precious jewels. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Greek and Syriac versions and Latin Vulgate read your wives.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.