Worthy.Bible » STRONG » 1 Kings » Chapter 10 » Verse 14-28

1 Kings 10:14-28 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

14 Now the weight H4948 of gold H2091 that came H935 to Solomon H8010 in one H259 year H8141 was six H8337 hundred H3967 threescore H8346 and six H8337 talents H3603 of gold, H2091

15 Beside that he had of the merchantmen, H582 H8446 and of the traffick H4536 of the spice merchants, H7402 and of all the kings H4428 of Arabia, H6152 and of the governors H6346 of the country. H776

16 And king H4428 Solomon H8010 made H6213 two hundred H3967 targets H6793 of beaten H7820 gold: H2091 six H8337 hundred H3967 shekels of gold H2091 went H5927 to one H259 target. H6793

17 And he made three H7969 hundred H3967 shields H4043 of beaten H7820 gold; H2091 three H7969 pound H4488 of gold H2091 went H5927 to one H259 shield: H4043 and the king H4428 put H5414 them in the house H1004 of the forest H3293 of Lebanon. H3844

18 Moreover the king H4428 made H6213 a great H1419 throne H3678 of ivory, H8127 and overlaid H6823 it with the best H6338 gold. H2091

19 The throne H3678 had six H8337 steps, H4609 and the top H7218 of the throne H3678 was round H5696 behind: H310 and there were stays H3027 on either side on the place H4725 of the seat, H7675 and two H8147 lions H738 stood H5975 beside H681 the stays. H3027

20 And twelve H8147 H6240 lions H738 stood H5975 there on the one side and on the other upon the six H8337 steps: H4609 there was not the like H3651 made H6213 in any kingdom. H4467

21 And all king H4428 Solomon's H8010 drinking H4945 vessels H3627 were of gold, H2091 and all the vessels H3627 of the house H1004 of the forest H3293 of Lebanon H3844 were of pure H5462 gold; H2091 none were of silver: H3701 it was nothing H3972 accounted H2803 of in the days H3117 of Solomon. H8010

22 For the king H4428 had at sea H3220 a navy H590 of Tharshish H8659 with the navy H590 of Hiram: H2438 once H259 in three H7969 years H8141 came H935 the navy H590 of Tharshish, H8659 bringing H5375 gold, H2091 and silver, H3701 ivory, H8143 and apes, H6971 and peacocks. H8500

23 So king H4428 Solomon H8010 exceeded H1431 all the kings H4428 of the earth H776 for riches H6239 and for wisdom. H2451

24 And all the earth H776 sought H1245 to H6440 Solomon, H8010 to hear H8085 his wisdom, H2451 which God H430 had put H5414 in his heart. H3820

25 And they brought H935 every man H376 his present, H4503 vessels H3627 of silver, H3701 and vessels H3627 of gold, H2091 and garments, H8008 and armour, H5402 and spices, H1314 horses, H5483 and mules, H6505 a rate H1697 year H8141 by year. H8141

26 And Solomon H8010 gathered together H622 chariots H7393 and horsemen: H6571 and he had a thousand H505 and four H702 hundred H3967 chariots, H7393 and twelve H8147 H6240 thousand H505 horsemen, H6571 whom he bestowed H5148 in the cities H5892 for chariots, H7393 and with the king H4428 at Jerusalem. H3389

27 And the king H4428 made H5414 silver H3701 to be in Jerusalem H3389 as stones, H68 and cedars H730 made H5414 he to be as the sycomore trees H8256 that are in the vale, H8219 for abundance. H7230

28 And Solomon H8010 had horses H5483 brought H4161 out of Egypt, H4714 and linen yarn: H4723 the king's H4428 merchants H5503 received H3947 the linen yarn H4723 at a price. H4242

Commentary on 1 Kings 10 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 10

1Ki 10:1-13. The Queen of Sheba Admires the Wisdom of Solomon.

1. the queen of Sheba—Some think her country was the Sabean kingdom of Yemen, of which the capital was Saba, in Arabia-Felix; others, that it was in African Ethiopia, that is, Abyssinia, towards the south of the Red Sea. The opinions preponderate in favor of the former. This view harmonizes with the language of our Lord, as Yemen means "South"; and this country, extending to the shores of the Indian ocean, might in ancient times be considered "the uttermost parts of the earth."

heard of the fame of Solomon—doubtless by the Ophir fleet.

concerning the name of the Lord—meaning either his great knowledge of God, or the extraordinary things which God had done for him.

hard questions—enigmas or riddles. The Orientals delight in this species of intellectual exercise and test wisdom by the power and readiness to solve them.

2. she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels—A long train of those beasts of burden forms the common way of travelling in Arabia; and the presents specified consist of the native produce of that country. Of course, a royal equipage would be larger and more imposing than an ordinary caravan.

6. It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom—The proofs she obtained of Solomon's wisdom—not from his conversation only, but also from his works; the splendor of his palace; the economy of his kitchen and table; the order of his court; the gradations and gorgeous costume of his servants; above all, the arched viaduct that led from his palace to the temple (2Ki 16:18), and the remains of which have been recently discovered [Robinson]—overwhelmed her with astonishment. [See on 2Ch 9:4.]

9. Blessed be the Lord thy God—(See on 1Ki 5:7). It is quite possible, as Jewish writers say, that this queen was converted, through Solomon's influence, to the worship of the true God. But there is no record of her making any gift or offering in the temple.

10. she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold—£720,00.

11. almug trees—Parenthetically, along with the valuable presents of the queen of Sheba, is mentioned a foreign wood, which was brought in the Ophir ships. It is thought by some to be the sandalwood; by others, to be the deodar—a species of fragrant fir, much used in India for sacred and important works. Solomon used it for stairs in his temple and palace (2Ch 9:11), but chiefly for musical instruments.

13. King Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside—that is, Solomon not only gave his illustrious guest all the insight and information she wanted; but, according to the Oriental fashion, he gave her ample remuneration for the presents she had brought.

1Ki 10:14-29. His Riches.

14, 15. Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year—666 talents, equal to £3,996,000. The sources whence this was derived are not mentioned; nor was it the full amount of his revenue; for this was "Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffic of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country." The great encouragement he gave to commerce was the means of enriching his royal treasury. By the fortifications which he erected in various parts of his kingdom, (particularly at such places as Thapsacus, one of the passages of Euphrates, and at Tadmor, in the Syrian desert), he gave complete security to the caravan trade from the depredations of the Arab marauders; and it was reasonable that, in return for this protection, he should exact a certain toll or duty for the importation of foreign goods. A considerable revenue, too, would arise from the use of the store cities and khans he built; and it is not improbable that those cities were emporia, where the caravan merchants unloaded their bales of spices and other commodities and sold them to the king's factors, who, according to the modern practice in the East, retailed them in the Western markets at a profit. "The revenue derived from the tributary kings and from the governors of the country" must have consisted in the tribute which all inferior magistrates periodically bring to their sovereigns in the East, in the shape of presents of the produce of their respective provinces.

16, 17. 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).

18-26. a great throne of ivory—It seems to have been made not of solid ivory, but veneered. It was in the form of an armchair, with a carved back. The ascent to it was by six steps, on each of which stood lions, in place of a railing—while a lion, probably of gilt metal, stood at each side, which, we may suppose from the analogy of other Oriental thrones, supported a canopy. A golden footstool is mentioned (2Ch 9:18) as attached to this throne, whose magnificence is described as unrivalled.

22. a navy of Tharshish—Tartessus in Spain. There gold, and especially silver, was obtained, anciently, in so great abundance that it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon. But "Tarshish" came to be a general term for the West (Jon 1:3).

at sea—on the Mediterranean.

once in three years—that is, every third year. Without the mariner's compass they had to coast along the shore. The ivory, apes, and peacocks might have been purchased, on the outward or homeward voyage, on the north coast of Africa, where the animals were to be found. They were particularized, probably as being the rarest articles on board.

26-29.—(See on 2Ch 1:14 [and 2Ch 9:25].)