1 Kings 10

AND when the queen of Sheba Either, First, Of Aethiopia, as that People by constant Tradition from their Ancestors affirm, which also was truly in the ends of the earth, whence she came, Matt. 12. 42. Or rather, Secondly, Of that part of Arabia, called Sabaea, which was at a great distance from Ierusalem, and really in the ends of the earth, and bordering upon the Southern Sea; for there, much more than in Ethiopia, were the Commodities which she brought, v. 2, 10. Howsoever, this is here said for her commendation, That being a Woman, and a Queen, and living at great ease, and in such remote parts, she was willing to take so long and chargeable a Journey to improve her self in knowledge, and that of Divine things, as is here implied. heard of the fame of Solomon, concerning the Name of the LORD i. e. Concerning the great Work which he had done for the Name, i. e. the Honour, and Service, and Worship of the Lord, as it is expressed chap. 8. 17. and elsewhere. Or, concerning God; the Name of God being oft put for God, as has been noted before, concerning his deep knowledge in the things of God. For it is very probable, that she had, as also had divers other Heathens, some knowledge of the True God, and an earnest desire to know more of the Being, and Nature, and Worship of God, wherein the Heathens were generally at a great los..., and which many of them desired and endeavoured to understand. Or, concerning the great things which God had done for him, especially in giving him such incomparable Wisdom, and that in an extraordinary manner., she came to prove him with hard questions Concerning Natural, and Civil, and especially, concerning Divine things, about which there are, and ever were the hardest questions..

And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart i. e. Of all the doubts and difficulties wherewith her mind was perplexed..

And Solomon told her all her questions Heb. all her matters he satisfied her in all the things she desired to know.: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not There was not any thing she asked which Solomon did not both understand himself, and acquaint her with..

And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomons wisdom, and the house Or, the houses, the Singular number being put for the Plural, to wit, both the Temple and the King's House, in both which there were evidences of singular Wisdom. that he had built,

And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants i. e. The order and manner in which his Courtiers, or other Subjects (who all were his servants in a general sense) sat down at Meals, at several Tables in his Court., and the attendance of his ministers To wit, upon the King both at his Table, and elsewhere in his Court; and when he went abroad to the Temple or other places., and their apparel Both the costliness of it, and especially the conveniency of it to their several Places and Offices., and his cup-bearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD From his own Palace. See 2 King. 16. 18. But the Ancients, and some others, Translate the words thus, and the burnt-offerings which he offered up in the house of the Lord; under which, as the chief, all other Sacrifices are understood: when she saw the manner of his offering Sacrifices to the Lord, which doubtless she would not neglect to see; and in the ordering of which she might discern many Characters of excellent Wisdom, especially when she had so excellent an Interpreter as Solomon was, to inform her of the reasons of all the circumstances of that Service.: there was no more spirit in her She was astonished, and wrapt up in a kind of exta... ie, and could scarce determine whether she did really see these things, or whether it was not only a pleasant Dream..

And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land, of thy acts, and of thy wisdome.

Howbeit, I believed not the words Which the reporters used concerning thee: or, the things reported: they seemed incredible, and above the perfection of humane nature., until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdome and prosperity Or, happiness: or, virtue. Heb. goodness. exceedeth the fame which I heard.

Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdome.

Blessed be the LORD thy God He deserves all blessing and praise, for delighting to honour and advance so Worthy a Person., which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel For it was Gods special act to make him King, rather than his elder Brother.. because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice i. e. To execute just Judgment among them, to govern them with Right and Equity. She tacitly admonisheth Solomon, that he was not made King that he might live in Ease, and Pleasure, and Splendor, but for the good of his People.

And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices, as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

And the navy also of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of Almug-trees, and precious stones.

And the king made of the Almug-trees Called also (by an inversion of the Letters, which is usual among the Hebrews) Algum-trees, 2 Chron. 2. 8. and 9. 10. whereof there were some in Lebanon, 2 Chron. 2. 8. but the best sort came from Ophir, as is here said, pillars Or, supporters, either, for the Ascent or Stairs, by which they went from the King's House to the Temple. See 1 Chron. 26. 16. and 2 Chron. 9. 11. or, for divers parts both of the Lords, and of the Kings House. for the house of the LORD, and for the kings house, harps also, and psalteries for singers: there came no such Almug-trees, nor were seen unto this day.

And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked, besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty, so she turned, and went to her own countrey, she and her servants.

¶ Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year, was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold Which amounts to about two Millions of our money. And this Gold did not come from Ophir in India, or Tarshish; but from Arabia, and Ethiopia, and other parts, which then were well replenished with Gold, though since exhausted by the Insatiable Avarice of succeeding Ages.,

Besides that he had of the merchant-men Heb. of the searchers or spies: i. e. either Merchants, who use to enquire and search out Commodities, and all advantages of Trade: or rather, the Publicans or gatherers of the Kings Revenues, who used to search narrowly into all Wares and Dealings, that the King might not be defrauded of his rights.; and of the traffique of the spice-merchants Or rather, of the merchants in general, as that word is oft used in Ezek. 27. and elsewhere. So this and the former particular contain both the branches of the Kings Revenue, what he had from the Land and Fruits thereof, and what he had from the Merchants and Traders in other Commodities., and of all the kings of Arabia To wit, of those parts of Arabia which were next to Canaan, which were either conquered by David, or submitted to pay Tribute to Solomon. But we must not think all these to be Kings of large Dominions, but many of them only Governors of Cities, and the Territories belonging to them, such as were formerly in Canaan, and were anciently called Kings., and of the governours of the countrey Or, of the land, or of that land, for there is an Article in the Hebrew; i. e. either of the Land of Canaan: or rather, of the Land of Arabia: whereof some parts were so far Conquered, that he had Governors of his own over them, who were each of them to take care of the Kings Revenue in his Jurisdiction; and part only so far, that they still had Kings of their own, but such as were Tributaries to him..

¶ And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold For Pomp and Magnificence, and (as may be thought from the use of the Brazen Shields, chap. 14. 27, 28.) to be carried before him, by his Guard, when he went abroad.: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target.

And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pound Or, 300 shekels, as it is expressed, 2 Chron. 9. 16. of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

¶ Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it Not wholly, but in part, here and there, which made it more beautiful to the eye. Probably the main substance of it was Ivory, but some cavities were left in it which were filled with Gold. with the best gold.

The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind Made like the half of a Circle.: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions These and the following Lions seem added, to express either the Tribe from which Solomon sprung, compared to a Lion, Gen. 49. 9. or rather, that Majesty and Power where with a Prince is adorned and armed, which his Subjects cannot resist; or, the Duty of a Prince in the execution of Judgment, which ought to be done with great courage and magnanimity. stood beside the stays.

And twelve lions stood there on the one side, and on the other upon six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdome.

¶ And all king Solomons drinking-vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold, none were of silver; it was nothing accounted of Comparatively. Such Hyperbolical expressions being frequent both in Scripture, and other Authors. in the days of Solomon.

For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish Either, First, The Ships of the Sea, which may seem to be called Tarshish, as Psal. 48. 7. Isa. 60. 9. from an eminent part of the Sea near Iudea, so called. Or rather, the Ships that went to Tarshish. For Tarshish was the name of a certain place upon the Sea, famous for its Traffick with Merchants, as it is manifest from Isa. 23. 6, 10. and 66. 19. Ier. 10. 9. Ezek. 27. 12 and it was a place very remote from Iudea, as appears from the 3 Years usually spent in that Voyage. But whether it was Spain, where in those times there was abundance of Gold and Silver, as Strabo and others affirm; or, some place in the Indies, it is needless to determine., with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches, and for wisdome.

¶ And all the earth i. e. All the Kings of the Earth, (as it is expressed 2 Chron. 9. 23.) to wit, of those parts of the Earth: which Synecdoche is very frequent. sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdome which God had put in his heart.

And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses and mules, a rate year by year.

¶ And Solomon gathered together charets, and horsemen Like a wise Prince, in deep Peace providing for War.: and he had a thousand and four hundred charets See the Notes on 1 King. 4. 26., and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for charets, and with the king at Jerusalem.

And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore-trees Which there were vile and common. See Isa. 9. 10., that are in the vale for abundance.

¶ And Solomon had horses The two chief Commodities of Egypt. See Prov. 7. 16. Cant. 1. 9. Isa. 3. 23. Ezek. 27. 7. brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn The two chief Commodities of Egypt. See Prov. 7. 16. Cant. 1. 9. Isa. 3. 23. Ezek. 27. 7.: the kings merchants received the linen yarn at a price Solomon received them from Pharaoh at a certain price agreed between them, and gave this priviledge to his Merchants, for a Tribute to be paid to him out of it..

And a charet This is not to be understood of the Charets and Horses themselves, (for then all Horses had been set at an equal price, which is most absurd) but by a Metonymy, for the Lading of Charets and Horses, which consisting of fine Linen, and, &c. were of great value; and the Kings Custom, together with the Charges of the Journey, amounted to these sums. came up, and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites A People dwelling principally in the Northern and Eastern parts of Canaan, Ios. 1. 4. whom the Israelites contrary to their Duty spared; and suffered to live among them, Iudg. 3. 5. who afterwards, it seems, grew numerous and potent; and, it may be, they sent out Colonies (after the manner of the Ancient times) into some parts of Syria and Arabia; and possibly these kings of the Hittites may be some of those kings of Arabia, 1 King. 10. 15., and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.