1Ki 10:1-10 | Clarke | STEP | The queen of Sheba visits Solomon, and brings rich presents; and tries him by hard questions, which he readily solves, . She expresses great surprise at his wisdom, his buildings, his court, etc.; and praises God for placing him on the Jewish throne, . She gives him rich presents, . What the navy of Hiram brought from Ophir, , . The queen of Sheba returns, . Solomon's annual revenue, , . He makes two hundred targets and three hundred shields of gold, , . His magnificent ivory throne, . His drinking vessels all of gold, . What the navy of Tharshish brought every three years to Solomon, . His great riches, numerous chariots, and horsemen, . He brings chariots and horses out of Egypt, , . Verse 1 When the queen of Sheba heard - As our Lord calls her queen of the south, ( ), it is likely the name should be written Saba, Azab, or Azaba, all of which signify the south. She is called Balkis by the Arabians, but by the Abyssinians Maqueda. See the account at the end of this chapter, (note). With hard questions - בחידות bechidoth; Septuagint, εν αινιγμασι, riddles. With parables and riddles, says the Arabic.

1 Kings 10:1-10

Introduction

The queen of Sheba visits Solomon, and brings rich presents; and tries him by hard questions, which he readily solves, 1Kgs 10:1-3. She expresses great surprise at his wisdom, his buildings, his court, etc.; and praises God for placing him on the Jewish throne, 1Kgs 10:4-9. She gives him rich presents, 1Kgs 10:10. What the navy of Hiram brought from Ophir, 1Kgs 10:11, 1Kgs 10:12. The queen of Sheba returns, 1Kgs 10:13. Solomon's annual revenue, 1Kgs 10:14, 1Kgs 10:15. He makes two hundred targets and three hundred shields of gold, 1Kgs 10:16, 1Kgs 10:17. His magnificent ivory throne, 1Kgs 10:18-20. His drinking vessels all of gold, 1Kgs 10:21. What the navy of Tharshish brought every three years to Solomon, 1Kgs 10:22. His great riches, numerous chariots, and horsemen, 1Kgs 10:23-27. He brings chariots and horses out of Egypt, 1Kgs 10:28, 1Kgs 10:29.

Verse 1

When the queen of Sheba heard - As our Lord calls her queen of the south, (Mat 12:42), it is likely the name should be written Saba, Azab, or Azaba, all of which signify the south. She is called Balkis by the Arabians, but by the Abyssinians Maqueda. See the account at the end of this chapter, 1Kgs 10:29 (note).

With hard questions - בחידות bechidoth; Septuagint, εν αινιγμασι, riddles. With parables and riddles, says the Arabic. Verse 2

She came to Jerusalem with - spices, etc. - Those who contend that she was queen of the Sabaeans, a people of Arabia Felix, towards the southern extremity of the Red Sea, find several proofs of their opinion:

1. That the Sabaeans abounded in riches and spices.

India mittit ebur, molles sua thura Sabaei "India furnishes ivory, and the effeminate Sabaeans their frankincense."

Virg. Geor. i., ver. 57.

And again: -

Divisae arboribus patriae: sola India nigrum

Fert ebenum; solis est thurea virga Sabaeis.

Geor. ii., ver. 116.

All sorts of trees their several countries know:

Black ebon only will in India grow;

And odorous frankincense on the Sabaean bough.

Dryden. - Ubi templum illi centumque Sabaeo Thure calent arae.

Where to her fame a hundred altars rise,

And pour Sabaean odours to the skies.

Pliny (Hist. Nat. lib. xii., c. 17) observes,

Non alia ligni genera in usu sunt quam odorata; cibosque Sabaei coquunt thuris ligno; alii myrrhae. "The Sabaeans use odorous wood only, and even use the incense tree and myrrh to cook their victuals."

2. All ancient authors speak, not only of their odoriferous woods, but of their rich gold and silver mines, and of their precious stones. See Pliny, Hist. Nat. lib. xxxvii., c. 6, etc.

3. It is also well known that the Sabaeans had queens for their sovereigns, and not kings. So Claudian, in Eutrop. lib. i. - Medis levibusque Sabaeis Imperat hic sexus, reginarumque sub armis Barbariae pars magna jacet.

By this is meant, says Mr. Bruce, the country between the tropic and mountains of Abyssinia, the country of shepherds, from berber, a shepherd. And he contends that these Sabaeans were a distinct people from the Ethiopians and the Arabs, and that Saba was a distinct state. Verse 3

Solomon told her all her questions - Riddles, problems, fables, apologues, etc., formed the principal part of the wisdom of the East; indeed they use and delight in them to the present day. See the case of Samson and his friends, Jdg 14:12 (note), Jdg 14:14 (note), and the notes there. Verse 4

Had seen all Solomon's wisdom - By the answers which he gave to her subtle questions.

And the house that he had built - Most probably his own house. Verse 5

The meat of his table - The immense supply of all kinds of food daily necessary for the many thousands which were fed at and from his table. See 1Kgs 4:22-23 (note).

And the sitting of his servants - The various orders and distinctions of his officers.

The attendance of his ministers - See the account of these and their attendance, 1Kgs 4:1, etc.

And their apparel - The peculiarity of their robes, and their splendor and costliness.

And his cup-bearers - The original משקיו mashkaiv may as well be applied to his beverage, or to his drinking utensils, as to his cup-bearers.

And his ascent by which he went up - It seems very strange that the steps to the temple should be such a separate matter of astonishment. The original is ועלתו אשר יעלה בית יהוה which all the versions have translated, And the holocausts which he offered in the house of the Lord. The Vulgate, Septuagint, Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, all express this sense: so does the German translation of Luther, from which, in this place, we have most pitifully departed: And seine Brandopfer, die er in dem Hause des Herrn opferte; "And his burnt-offering which he offered in the house of the Lord."

There was no more spirit in her - She was overpowered with astonishment; she fainted. I have seen precisely the same effect produced; a lady who was herself an artist, viewing some exquisitely finished oriental paintings, was so struck with astonishment that she twice nearly fainted, and was obliged to leave the room. What happened to the queen of Sheba is a natural and not an uncommon effect which will be produced in a delicate sensible mind at the sight of rare and extraordinary productions of art.

Of the profusion of Solomon's sacrifices we have already had proof, 1Kgs 8:63; 1Kgs 9:25. Verse 8

Happy are thy men - All these are very natural expressions from a person in her state of mind. Verse 10

A hundred and twenty talents of gold - The worth of these one hundred and twenty talents of gold, according to Mr. Reynolds, is equal to 843,905. 10s. 4 3/4d. of our British sterling. But the spices and precious stones might have been yet of more value. After this verse the 13th should be read, which is here most evidently misplaced; and then the account of the queen of Sheba will be concluded, and that of Solomon's revenue will stand without interruption.