10: 2 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.
10: 3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not anything hid from the king which he told her not.
10: 4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,
10: 5 and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the 125attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and 126his ascent by which he went up unto the house of Jehovah; there was no more spirit in her.
125Hb. standing
126Or, his burnt-offering which he offered in the house
10: 6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thine 127acts, and of thy wisdom.
127Or, sayings,
10: 7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me; 128thy wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard.
128Hb. thou hast added wisdom and goodness to the fame which I heard.
10: 8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, that stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
10: 9 Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because Jehovah loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do justice and righteousness.
10: 10 And she gave the king 129a hundred 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.
1294.2 metric tons. Compare ch. 9:14.
10: 11 And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of 130almug-trees and precious stones.
130In 2Chr 2:8, 9:10, algum-trees. Perhaps, sandal-wood.
10: 12 And the king made of the almug-trees 131pillars for the house of Jehovah, and for the king’s house, harps also and psalteries for the singers: there came no such almug-trees, nor were seen, unto this day.
131Or, a railing Hb. a prop
10: 13 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, besides that 132which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants.
132Hb. which he gave her according to the hand of king Solomon.
10: 14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 133six hundred sixty-six talents of gold,
133That is, about 19,500 kg or about 21.5 Br. tons.
10: 15 besides that which the traders brought, and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of 134the mingled people, and of the governors of the country.
134In 2Chr 9:14, Arabia,
10: 16 And king Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; 135six hundred shekels of gold went to one buckler.
135That is, 7 kilograms, or about 15 pounds.
10: 17 And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three 136pounds of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
136Hb. maneh Hence about 1.74 kg = 3.8 pounds, about 90 cm3 in volume.
10: 18 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold.
10: 19 There were six steps to the throne, and the top of the throne was round behind; and there were 137stays on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the stays.
137Or, arms Hb. hands
10: 20 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any other kingdom.
10: 21 And all king Solomon’s 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 in the days of Solomon.
10: 22 For the king had at sea a 138navy of Tarshish with the navy of Hiram: once every three years came the navy of Tarshish, bringing 139gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
138Ships of Tarshish were ocean-going vessels, larger than Ships of Kittim for the Mediterranean trade.
139Likely gold from the world’s largest deposits in South Africa (Ophir), then silver from the world’s largest deposits in the western Americas [Solomon was contemporary with the Olmec civilization in Mexico], then ivory from India, and lastly the livestock also from India. Such a long expedition could explain the need for a 3-year duration.
10: 23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.
10: 24 And all the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
10: 25 And they brought every man his tribute, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, and armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.
10: 26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
10: 27 And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore-trees that are in the lowland, for abundance.
10: 28 And the horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt; and the king’s merchants received them in droves, each drove at a price.
10: 29 And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for 140six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred fifty; and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out 141by their means.
140That is, 7 kilograms, or about 15 pounds.
141Hb. in their hand.
