13 Now the weight H4948 of gold H2091 that came H935 to Solomon H8010 in one H259 year H8141 was six H8337 hundred H3967 and threescore H8346 and six H8337 talents H3603 of gold; H2091
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 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 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 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 Moreover the king H4428 made H6213 a great H1419 throne H3678 of ivory, H8127 and overlaid H6823 it with the best H6338 gold. H2091 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 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 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 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 So king H4428 Solomon H8010 exceeded H1431 all the kings H4428 of the earth H776 for riches H6239 and for wisdom. H2451 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 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 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 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 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
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 9
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 9 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 9
2Ch 9:1-12. The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon; She Admires His Wisdom and Magnificence.
1-4. when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon—(See on 1Ki 10:1-13). It is said that among the things in Jerusalem which drew forth the admiration of Solomon's royal visitor was "his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord." This was the arched viaduct that crossed the valley from Mount Zion to the opposite hill. In the commentary on the passage quoted above, allusion was made to the recent discovery of its remains. Here we give a full account of what, for boldness of conceptions for structure and magnificence, was one of the greatest wonders in Jerusalem. "During our first visit to the southwest corner of the area of the mosque, we observed several of the large stones jutting out from the western wall, which at first seemed to be the effect of a bursting of the wall from some mighty shock or earthquake. We paid little regard to this at the moment; but on mentioning the fact not long after to a circle of our friends, the remark was incidentally dropped that the stones had the appearance of having once belonged to a large arch. At this remark, a train of thought flashed across my mind, which I hardly dared to follow out until I had again repaired to the spot, in order to satisfy myself with my own eyes as to the truth or falsehood of the suggestion. I found it even so. The courses of these immense stones occupy their original position; their external surface is hewn to a regular curve; and, being fitted one upon another, they form the commencement or foot of an immense arch which once sprung out from this western wall in a direction towards Mount Zion, across the Tyropœon valley. This arch could only have belonged to the bridge, which, according to Josephus, led from this part of the temple to the Xystus (covered colonnade) on Zion; and it proves incontestably the antiquity of that portion from which it springs" [Robinson]. The distance from this point to the steep rock of Zion Robinson calculates to be about three hundred and fifty feet, the probable length of this ancient viaduct. Another writer adds, that "the arch of this bridge, if its curve be calculated with an approximation to the truth, would measure sixty feet, and must have been one of five sustaining the viaduct (allowing for the abutments on either side), and that the piers supporting the center arch of this bridge must have been of great altitude—not less, perhaps, than one hundred and thirty feet. The whole structure, when seen from the southern extremity of the Tyropœon, must have had an aspect of grandeur, especially as connected with the lofty and sumptuous edifices of the temple, and of Zion to the right and to the left" [Isaac Taylor's Edition of Traill's Josephus].
2Ch 9:13-28. His Riches.
13. Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year—(See on 1Ki 10:14-29).
six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold—The sum named is equal to £3,646,350; and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch 9:14), which is not taken into consideration, at one to nine, there would be about £200,000, making a yearly supply of nearly £6,000,000, being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier].
21. the king's ships went to Tarshish—rather, "the king's ships of Tarshish went" with the servants of Huram.
ships of Tarshish—that is, in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet, Fragments].
25. Solomon had four thousand stalls—It has been conjectured [Gesenius, Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable, but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls. Supposing that ten were put together in one part, this would make forty thousand. According to this theory of explanation, the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki 10:26]; while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept. But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty, and, regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomon's establishments, are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt, through the error of some copyist.
28. they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt—(See on 2Ch 1:14). Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory. His completion of the grand work, the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem, whither the natives went up three times a year, has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church. But his reign had a disastrous influence upon "the peculiar people," and the example of his deplorable idolatries, the connections he formed with foreign princes, the commercial speculations he entered into, and the luxuries introduced into the land, seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character.