1 Kings 10 (NET)

Solomon Entertains a Queen

1 When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon,1 she came to challenge2 him with difficult questions.3 2 She arrived in Jerusalem4 with a great display of pomp,5 bringing with her camels carrying spices,6 a very large quantity of gold, and precious gems. She visited Solomon and discussed with him everything that was on her mind. 3 Solomon answered all her questions; there was no question too complex for the king.7 4 When the queen of Sheba saw for herself Solomon’s extensive wisdom,8 the palace9 he had built, 5 the food in his banquet hall,10 his servants and attendants,11 their robes, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he presented in the Lord’s temple, she was amazed.12 6 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings and insight13 was true! 7 I did not believe these things until I came and saw them with my own eyes. Indeed, I didn’t hear even half the story!14 Your wisdom and wealth15 surpass what was reported to me. 8 Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy!16 9 May the Lord your God be praised because he favored17 you by placing you on the throne of Israel! Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he made you king so you could make just and right decisions.”18 10 She gave the king 120 talents19 of gold, a very large quantity of spices, and precious gems. The quantity of spices the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon has never been matched.20 11 (Hiram’s fleet, which carried gold from Ophir, also brought from Ophir a very large quantity of fine timber and precious gems. 12 With the timber the king made supports21 for the Lord’s temple and for the royal palace and stringed instruments22 for the musicians. No one has seen so much of this fine timber to this very day.23) 13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she requested, besides what he had freely offered her.24 Then she left and returned25 to her homeland with her attendants.

Solomon’s Wealth

14 Solomon received 666 talents26 of gold per year,27 15 besides what he collected from the merchants,28 traders, Arabian kings, and governors of the land. 16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; 600 measures29 of gold were used for each shield. 17 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three minas30 of gold were used for each of these shields. The king placed them in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest.31

18 The king made a large throne decorated with ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. 19 There were six steps leading up to the throne, and the back of it was rounded on top. The throne had two armrests with a statue of a lion standing on each side.32 20 There were twelve statues of lions on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom.33

21 All of King Solomon’s cups were made of gold, and all the household items in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest were made of pure gold. There were no silver items, for silver was not considered very valuable in Solomon’s time.34 22 Along with Hiram’s fleet, the king had a fleet of large merchant ships35 that sailed the sea. Once every three years the fleet36 came into port with cargoes of37 gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.38

23 King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the earth.39 24 Everyone40 in the world wanted to visit Solomon to see him display his God-given wisdom.41 25 Year after year visitors brought their gifts, which included items of silver, items of gold, clothes, perfume, spices, horses, and mules.42

26 Solomon accumulated43 chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and in Jerusalem.44 27 The king made silver as plentiful45 in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was46 as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the lowlands.47 28 Solomon acquired his horses from Egypt48 and from Que; the king’s traders purchased them from Que. 29 They paid 600 silver pieces for each chariot from Egypt and 150 silver pieces for each horse. They also sold chariots and horses to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria.49

110:1tn Heb “the report about Solomon.” The Hebrew text also has, “to the name of the Lord,” which fits very awkwardly in the sentence. If retained, perhaps it should be translated, “because of the reputation of the Lord.” The phrase, which is omitted in the parallel passage in 2 Chr 9:1, may be an addition based on the queen’s declaration of praise to the Lord in v. 9. 210:1tn Or “test.” 310:1tn Or “riddles.” 410:2map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 510:2tn Heb “with very great strength.” The Hebrew term חַיִל (khayil, “strength”) may refer here to the size of her retinue (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or to the great wealth she brought with her. 610:2tn Or “balsam oil.” 710:3tn Heb “Solomon declared to her all her words; there was not a word hidden from the king which he did not declare to her.” If riddles are specifically in view (see v. 1), then one might translate, “Solomon explained to her all her riddles; there was no riddle too complex for the king.” 810:4tn Heb “all the wisdom of Solomon.” 910:4tn Heb “house.” 1010:5tn Heb “the food on his table.” 1110:5tn Heb “the seating of his servants and the standing of his attendants.” 1210:5tn Heb “there was no breath still in her.” 1310:6tn Heb “about your words [or perhaps, “deeds”] and your wisdom.” 1410:7tn Heb “the half was not told to me.” 1510:7tn Heb “good.” 1610:8tn Heb “How happy are your men! How happy are these servants of yours, who stand before you continually, who hear your wisdom!” 1710:9tn Or “delighted in.” 1810:9tn Heb “to do justice and righteousness.” 1910:10tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 9,000 pounds of gold (cf. NCV, NLT); CEV “five tons”; TEV “4,000 kilogrammes.” 2010:10tn Heb “there has not come like those spices yet for quantity which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.” 2110:12tn This Hebrew architectural term occurs only here. The meaning is uncertain; some have suggested “banisters” or “parapets”; cf. TEV, NLT “railings.” The parallel passage in 2 Chr 9:11 has a different word, meaning “tracks,” or perhaps “steps.” 2210:12tn Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned, the כִּנּוֹר (kinnor, “zither” [?]), and נֶבֶל (nevel, “harp”). 2310:12tn Heb “there has not come thus, the fine timber, and there has not been seen to this day.” 2410:13tn Heb “besides what he had given her according to the hand of King Solomon.” 2510:13tn Heb “turned and went.” 2610:14tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 50,000 pounds of gold (cf. NCV); CEV, NLT “twenty-five tons”; TEV “almost 23,000 kilogrammes.” 2710:14tn Heb “the weight of the gold which came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold.” 2810:15tn Heb “traveling men.” 2910:16tn The Hebrew text has simply “six hundred,” with no unit of measure given. 3010:17sn Three minas. The mina was a unit of measure for weight. 3110:17sn The Palace of the Lebanon Forest. This name was appropriate because of the large amount of cedar, undoubtedly brought from Lebanon, used in its construction. The cedar pillars in the palace must have given it the appearance of a forest. 3210:19tn Heb “[There were] armrests on each side of the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.” 3310:20tn Heb “nothing like it had been made for all the kingdoms.” 3410:21tn Heb “there was no silver, it was not regarded as anything in the days of Solomon.” 3510:22tn Heb “a fleet of Tarshish [ships].” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish. 3610:22tn Heb “the fleet of Tarshish [ships].” 3710:22tn Heb “came carrying.” 3810:22tn The meaning of this word is unclear. Some suggest “baboons.” 3910:23tn Heb “King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth with respect to wealth and with respect to wisdom.” 4010:24tc The Old Greek translation and Syriac Peshitta have “all the kings of the earth.” See 2 Chr 9:23. 4110:24tn Heb “and all the earth was seeking the face of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had placed in his heart.” 4210:25tn Heb “and they were bringing each one his gift, items of silver…and mules, the matter of a year in a year.” 4310:26tn Or “gathered.” 4410:26tn Heb “he placed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.”map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 4510:27tn The words “as plentiful” are added for clarification. 4610:27tn Heb “he made.” 4710:27tn Heb “as the sycamore fig trees which are in the Shephelah.” 4810:28sn From Egypt. Because Que is also mentioned, some prefer to see in vv. 28-29 a reference to Mutsur. Que and Mutsur were located in Cilicia/Cappadocia (in modern southern Turkey). See HALOT 625 s.v. מִצְרַיִם. 4910:29tn Heb “and a chariot went up and came out of Egypt for six hundred silver [pieces], and a horse for one hundred fifty, and in the same way to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram by their hand they brought out.”