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¶ And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning
the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.
2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. 3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. |
1 - Queen of Sheba Archaeological information indicates Marib in modern Yemen as the domain of this queen. |
| .4
And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house
that he had built,
.5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. 6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.. |
5 - Ascent 'Olah may be better translared "burnt offerings." Some think the word may refer to a causway leading to the temple area. |
| 7 Howbeit I believed not the
words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was
not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.
8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. 9 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice |
9 - Blessed by the Lord When people praise us, it is always our privilege to point them to the source of all blessings. See mt1242. |
| .10
And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices
very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance
of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
11 And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones. |
10
- Two hundred targets ..." six hundred
shekels—These defensive arms were anciently made of wood and covered with
leather; those were covered with fine gold. 600 shekels were used in the
gilding of each target—300 for each shield. They were intended for the
state armory of the palace (see 1Ki
14:26)." (JFB). Another source suggests that they were full-body shields
and may have been used only for display or for the king's personal guard.
11 - Navy of Hiram Compare 2ch0818, 2ch0901-10. |
| .12
And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD,
and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there
came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.
13 And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants. |
12
- Among trees We don't know what species this may have been.
12 - Pillars Literally "supports." This is likely the word intended in 2ch0911. |
| .14
¶ Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six
hundred threescore and six talents of gold,
15 Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country. |
14 - Weight of gold But all the wealth of the world could bring neither happiness ec02 nor salvation mt1626. |
| .16
And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels
of gold went to one target.
.17 And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. |
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| .18
Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the
best gold.
19 The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays. 20 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom. .21 And all king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon. |
18 - Throne of ivory Likely of wood covered with ivory which had gold inlays. |
| .22
For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once
in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory,
and apes, and peacocks.
.23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. 24 And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 25 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year. |
22 - King had ... navy ... gold ... "The king's alliances and commercial relations with heathen nations brought him renown, honor, and the riches of this world. He was enabled to bring gold from Ophir and silver from Tarshish in great abundance." 2 Chronicles 1:15 quoted. "Wealth, with all its attendant temptations, came in Solomon's day to an increasingly large number of people; but the fine gold of character was dimmed and marred. So gradual was Solomon's apostasy that before he was aware of it; he had wandered far from God. Almost imperceptibly he began to trust less and less in divine guidance and blessing, and to put confidence in his own strength." (Prophets and Kings, p. 54.) |
| .26
And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand
and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed
in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.
.27 And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance. 28 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price. 29 And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means. |
26
- Chariots ... horsemen Military might. But God had said
that he should not "multiply horses" for himself de1716.
He was already turning away from God.
27 - Silver ... as stones But the true beauty of character was rare. See 1pe0304 and context. 28 - Linen yarn From Miqweh should be seen as a name. |
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