1 Kings 10:2-13

10:2 She arrived in Jerusalem¹ with a great display of pomp,² bringing with her camels carrying spices,³ a very large quantity of gold, and precious gems. She visited Solomon and discussed with him everything that was on her mind. 10:3 Solomon answered all her questions; there was no question too complex for the king.⁴ 10:4 When the queen of Sheba saw for herself Solomon’s extensive wisdom,⁵ the palace⁶ he had built, 10:5 the food in his banquet hall,⁷ his servants and attendants,⁸ their robes, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he presented in the Lord’s temple, she was amazed.⁹ 10:6 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings and insight¹⁰ was true! 10:7 I did not believe these things until I came and saw them with my own eyes. Indeed, I didn’t hear even half the story!¹¹ Your wisdom and wealth¹² surpass what was reported to me. 10:8 Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy!¹³ 10:9 May the Lord your God be praised because he favored¹⁴ you by placing you on the throne of Israel! Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he made you king so you could make just and right decisions.”¹⁵ 10:10 She gave the king 120 talents¹⁶ of gold, a very large quantity of spices, and precious gems. The quantity of spices the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon has never been matched.¹⁷ 10:11 (Hiram’s fleet, which carried gold from Ophir, also brought from Ophir a very large quantity of fine timber and precious gems. 10:12 With the timber the king made supports¹⁸ for the Lord’s temple and for the royal palace and stringed instruments¹⁹ for the musicians. No one has seen so much of this fine timber to this very day.²⁰) 10:13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she requested, besides what he had freely offered her.²¹ Then she left and returned²² to her homeland with her attendants.

¹map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

²tn Heb “with very great strength.” The Hebrew term חַיִל (khayil, “strength”) may refer here to the size of her retinue (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or to the great wealth she brought with her.

³tn Or “balsam oil.”

⁴tn Heb “Solomon declared to her all her words; there was not a word hidden from the king which he did not declare to her.” If riddles are specifically in view (see v. 1), then one might translate, “Solomon explained to her all her riddles; there was no riddle too complex for the king.”

⁷tn Heb “all the wisdom of Solomon.”

⁸tn Heb “house.”

¹⁰tn Heb “the food on his table.”

¹¹tn Heb “the seating of his servants and the standing of his attendants.”

¹²tn Heb “there was no breath still in her.”

¹³tn Heb “about your words [or perhaps, “deeds”] and your wisdom.”

¹⁶tn Heb “the half was not told to me.”

¹⁷tn Heb “good.”

¹⁹tn Heb “How happy are your men! How happy are these servants of yours, who stand before you continually, who hear your wisdom!”

²²tn Or “delighted in.”

²³tn Heb “to do justice and righteousness.”

²⁵tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 9,000 pounds of gold (cf. NCV, NLT); CEV “five tons”; TEV “4,000 kilogrammes.”

²⁶tn Heb “there has not come like those spices yet for quantity which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.”

²⁸tn This Hebrew architectural term occurs only here. The meaning is uncertain; some have suggested “banisters” or “parapets”; cf. TEV, NLT “railings.” The parallel passage in 2 Chr 9:11 has a different word, meaning “tracks,” or perhaps “steps.”

²⁹tn Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned, the כִּנּוֹר (kinnor, “zither” [?]), and נֶבֶל (nevel, “harp”).

³⁰tn Heb “there has not come thus, the fine timber, and there has not been seen to this day.”

³¹tn Heb “besides what he had given her according to the hand of King Solomon.”

³²tn Heb “turned and went.”