1 Kings 10:5-15

5 and the meats of his table (and the food on his table), and the dwelling places of his servants, and the orders of the men serving him, and the clothes of them, and the butlers, and the burnt sacrifices which he offered in the house of the Lord; and she had no more spirit.
6 And she said to the king, The word is true, that I heard in my land, of thy words, and of thy wisdom;
7 and I believed not to men telling to me, till I myself came, and saw with mine eyes, and proved that the half part was not told to me; thy wisdom is more and thy works, than the fame that I heard. (and I did not believe what they told me, until I came myself, and saw with my eyes, and proved that the half part was not told to me; thy wisdom and thy works be more than the reports that I have heard.)
8 Thy men be blessed, and thy servants be blessed, these that stand before thee ever[more] (those who stand before thee forevermore), and hear thy wisdom.
9 Blessed be thy Lord God, whom thou pleasedest, and hath set thee on the throne of Israel; for the Lord loved Israel without end, and hath ordained thee king, that thou shouldest do doom and rightfulness (so that thou can give judgement and show uprightness).
10 Therefore she gave to the king sixscore talents of gold, and full many sweet smelling things, and precious stones; so many sweet smelling things were no more brought (there were never brought there again so many sweet smelling things), as those which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
11 But also the ship(s) of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir full many trees of thyine, and precious stones. (And the ships of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, also brought from Ophir a great deal of thyine wood, and precious stones.)
12 And king Solomon made of the trees of thyine undersettings of the house of the Lord, and of the king's house, and harps, and citoles to singers; such (fine) trees of thyine were not brought (there), neither seen (again), till into this present day. (And King Solomon made from the thyine wood undersettings for the House of the Lord, and for the king's house, and harps and lutes for the singers; there was never such fine thyine wood brought there, nor seen again, unto this present day.)
13 Soothly king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all things which she would have, and asked of him, besides these things which he had given to her by the king's gift willfully; and she turned again, and went into her land with her servants. (And King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything that she desired, and asked for from him, besides those things which he had willingly, or freely, given to her by the king's gift; and then she returned, and went back to her land with her servants.)
14 Forsooth the weight of gold, that was offered to Solomon by each year, was of six hundred and six and sixty talents of gold,
15 besides that which the men that were on the tollages, that is, rents of things borne about in the land (that is, the rents for things borne about in the land), and that (the) merchants, and all men selling shields, and that all the kings of Arabia, and the dukes of the land, gave.

1 Kings 10:5-15 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.