The Queen of Sheba
(1 Kings 10:1–13)
Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she came to test him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. Mat 12:42Luk 11:311Ki 10:1-132Ch 9:9Gen 10:7Isa 60:61Ki 4:311Sa 1:15
So she came to Solomon and spoke with him about all that was on her mind. And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for him to explain. 1Ki 3:121Ki 4:29Col 2:3Heb 4:12Jas 1:5Jhn 15:15Mrk 4:11Mrk 4:34
When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built, 2Ch 3:1-41Ki 10:31Ki 6:1-7Act 11:23 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 1at the house of the LORD, it took her breath away. 1Ch 9:181Ki 10:51Ki 4:22-232Ch 23:132Ki 16:18Dan 10:17Ezk 44:3Ezk 46:2
She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words 2and wisdom is true. 1Ki 10:6 But I did not believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not half of the greatness of your wisdom was told to me. You have far exceeded the report I heard. 1Ki 10:71Ki 4:311Ki 4:342Ch 9:5Jhn 20:25-29Psa 31:19Sng 5:9-16Zec 9:17 How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! 1Ki 10:8Deu 33:9Luk 10:39-42Luk 11:28Pro 10:21Pro 13:20Pro 3:14Pro 3:3 Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God. Because your God loved Israel enough to establish them forever, He has made you king over them to carry out justice and righteousness.” 2Ch 2:111Ch 29:23Isa 32:1-2Deu 7:8Heb 1:8-9Jer 33:15-161Ch 17:221Ch 28:5
Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, 3 a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. 1Ki 10:101Ki 9:142Ch 9:12Ch 9:24Gen 43:11Psa 72:10Psa 72:15Exo 30:34
(The servants of Hiram and of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum 4wood and precious stones. 2Ch 8:181Ki 10:111Ki 10:221Ki 9:27-28 The king made the algum wood into steps 5for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had anything like them been seen in the land of Judah.) 1Ki 10:121Ch 23:51Ch 25:1Psa 150:3-5Psa 92:1-3Rev 5:8
King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired—whatever she asked—far more than she had brought the king. Then she left and returned to her own country, along with her servants. 1Ki 10:13Eph 3:20Psa 20:4
Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor
(1 Kings 10:14–29)
The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents, 6 1Ki 10:14-28Psa 68:29Psa 72:10Psa 72:15 not including the revenue from the merchants and traders. And all the Arabian kings and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon. Psa 68:29Psa 72:10
King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold 7went into each shield. 1Ki 10:16-172Ch 12:9-10 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels of gold 8went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 1Ki 7:2
Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. 1Ki 10:18-20Psa 45:8Rev 20:11 The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest. Gen 49:9-10Num 23:24Num 24:9Rev 5:5 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom. Mat 19:28Rev 21:12
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. 1Ki 10:212Ch 9:27Dan 5:2-3Est 1:7Isa 2:22Jer 31:5 For the king had the ships of Tarshish 9that went with Hiram’s 10servants, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. 11 1Ki 10:221Ki 22:482Ch 20:36-37Job 39:13
So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 2Ch 1:121Ki 3:12-131Ki 4:30-31Psa 89:271Ki 10:23-24Col 2:2-3Mat 12:42 All the kings of the earth sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart. Jas 1:5Jas 3:171Ki 4:34Pro 2:61Co 1:301Co 12:81Ki 3:282Ch 1:10-12 Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. 1Ki 10:101Ki 10:251Ki 9:141Sa 10:272Ch 9:9Job 42:11Psa 72:10
Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horses, 12 which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 1Ki 4:261Ki 10:262Ch 1:14Deu 17:16 He reigned over all the kings from the Euphrates 13to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. 1Ki 4:21Gen 15:181Ki 4:24Exo 23:31Dan 7:14Jos 13:2-7Psa 72:8-11Rev 19:16 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills. 14 2Ch 1:15-171Ch 27:281Ki 10:27-292Ch 9:20Amo 7:14Isa 9:10Job 22:24-25Luk 19:4 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all the lands. 2Ch 1:161Ki 10:282Ch 9:25Isa 2:7-8Isa 31:1
The Death of Solomon
(1 Kings 11:41–43)
As for the rest of the acts of Solomon, from beginning to end, are they not written in the Records of Nathan the Prophet, in the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat? 1Ch 29:291Ki 11:291Ki 11:41-432Ch 12:152Ch 13:222Sa 12:11Ki 1:10-111Ki 1:22-27 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 1Ki 11:42-43 And Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place. 1Ki 2:101Ki 1:212Sa 7:12