1 Kings10

The Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon, drawn by his fame and wisdom, to test him with hard questions. She was profoundly astonished by his understanding, the grandeur of his kingdom, and his immense wealth, confessing that his renown surpassed all reports. She presented him with lavish gifts, and he reciprocated, demonstrating his unparalleled prosperity and wisdom among all kings of the earth.
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The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon

1
Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions. ​
2
She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. So she came to Solomon and spoke to him all that was on her mind.
3
And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain. ​
4
When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built,
5
the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the service and attire of his attendants and cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he presented at the house of the LORD, it took her breath away. ​
6
She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and wisdom is true.
7
But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told to me. Your wisdom and prosperity have far exceeded the report I heard.
8
How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!
9
Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness.” ​
10
Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was such an abundance of spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. ​
11
(The fleet of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir also brought from Ophir a great cargo of almug wood and precious stones.
12
The king made the almug wood into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had such almug wood been brought in, nor has such been seen to this day.)
13
King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired—whatever she asked—besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned to her own country, along with her servants.

Solomon's Unparalleled Wealth

14
The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents, ​
15
not including the revenue from the merchants, traders, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land.
16
King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield.
17
He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. ​
18
Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
19
The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest.
20
Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.
21
All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. ​
22
For the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. ​
23
So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
24
The whole world sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.
25
Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

Military Strength and Extensive Trade

26
Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. ​
27
The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.
28
Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; the royal merchants purchased them from Kue.
29
A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. Likewise, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram. ​

Study Notes for 1 Kings 10

Verse 1

The Queen of Sheba, likely ruling a kingdom in Southern Arabia (modern Yemen/Ethiopia), traveled a vast distance to test Solomon’s wisdom, which was famous internationally and associated with the name of the LORD.

Verse 3

The text emphasizes that Solomon’s God-given wisdom was comprehensive; he could answer all the Queen’s complex inquiries and riddles (hard questions).

Verse 5

The Queen was overwhelmed not only by the material wealth but also by the perfect organization, order, and reverence displayed by Solomon’s court and his ascent to the Temple, suggesting divine favor.

Verse 9

This foreign monarch recognizes that Solomon's kingship is rooted in Yahweh’s loyal, enduring love for Israel, and his purpose is to establish justice and righteousness.

Verse 10

A talent was a large unit of weight, meaning 120 talents of gold amounted to roughly 4.5 tons, illustrating the immense value of the gift.

Verse 14

The figure 666 talents of gold received annually is specific and massive, symbolizing the peak of Israel’s worldly wealth and human achievement under Solomon.

Verse 17

These gold targets and shields were likely for ceremonial display rather than combat. The accumulation of immense personal wealth and military hardware subtly begins to violate the warnings given to future kings in Deuteronomy 17.

Verse 21

This hyperbolic statement emphasizes the extreme abundance of gold in Jerusalem; silver, though valuable elsewhere, was treated as common material in Solomon’s court.

Verse 22

The 'navy of Tharshish' was likely a designation for a long-distance, deep-sea trading fleet, indicating Solomon’s control over maritime routes reaching distant lands for exotic goods.

Verse 26

Solomon's massive acquisition of chariots and horses directly contravened the divine instruction that the king should not multiply horses for himself (Deuteronomy 17:16), indicating a reliance on worldly military power rather than God.

Verse 29

These verses confirm Solomon’s vast trade network, where he acted as a lucrative middleman, importing horses and chariots from Egypt and reselling them to neighboring kingdoms like the Hittites and Syrians.

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