Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon and is impressed with his wisdom. Solomon’s fame and fortune grow, and he is visited by kings from around the world.
II. Photo
The Queen of Sheba brings gifts: “She presented the king with one hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a large quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did such a vast quantity of spices arrive as that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.” (v. 10)
III. Important Verses
1-5: The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, through the name of the LORD, and she came to test him with hard questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels bearing spices, a great quantity of gold, and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she asked him all that she had in mind. Solomon had answers for all her questions; there was nothing that the king did not know, [nothing] to which he could not give her an answer. When the queen of Sheba observed all of Solomon’s wisdom, and the palace he had built, the fare of his table, the seating of his courtiers, the service and attire of his attendants, and his wine service, and the burnt offerings that he offered at the House of the LORD, she was left breathless.
16-17: King Solomon made 200 shields of beaten gold — 600 shekels of gold to each shield — and 300 bucklers of beaten gold — three minas of gold to each buckler. The king placed them in the Lebanon Forest House.
18-20: The king also made a large throne of ivory, and he overlaid it with refined gold. Six steps led up to the throne, and the throne had a back with a rounded top, and arms on either side of the seat. Two lions stood beside the arms, and twelve lions stood on the six steps, six on either side. No such throne was ever made for any other kingdom.
23-25: King Solomon excelled all the kings on earth in wealth and in wisdom. All the world came to pay homage to Solomon and to listen to the wisdom with which God had endowed him; and each one would bring his tribute — silver and gold objects, robes, weapons and spices, horses and mules — in the amount due each year.
IV. Outline
1-5. The Queen of Sheba is impressed with Solomon
6-9. The Queen praises Solomon and God
10. The Queen’s present
11. The treasures from Ophir
12. An overabundance of almug wood
13. Solomon sends the Queen back with gifts
14-17. Solomon’s golden objects
18-20. Solomon’s throne
21-22. Solomon’s vast wealth
23-25. The kings of the world visit Solomon and pay tribute
26-29. Prosperity; Solomon’s horses
V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.
VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Collins, John J. “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,” (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004).
De Vries, Simon John. “1 Kings” Word Biblical Commentary vol. 12 (Waco, Texas: Wordbooks, 1985).
Longe, Burke O. “1 Kings with an Introduction to Historical Literature” Forms of Old Testament Literature vol. 9 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1984).
Photo taken from http://media.onsugar.com/files/ons1/294/2946373/29_2009/de4b7edb1e577498_spices.preview.jpg
