1 Kings 10:14

Solomon’s Wealth

10:14 Solomon received 666 talents ¹  of gold per year, ² 

1 Kings 13:1

13:1 Just then ³  a prophet ⁴  from Judah, sent by the Lord, arrived in Bethel, ⁵  as Jeroboam was standing near the altar ready to offer a sacrifice.

1 Kings 13:12

13:12 Their father asked them, “Which road did he take?” His sons showed him ⁶  the road the prophet ⁷  from Judah had taken.

[10:14]  ¹ tn 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 50,000 pounds of gold (cf. NCV); CEV, NLT “twenty-five tons”; TEV “almost 23,000 kilogrammes.”

[10:14]  ² tn Heb “the weight of the gold which came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold.”

[13:1]  ³ tn Heb “Look.” The Hebrew particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) is a rhetorical device by which the author invites the reader to visualize the scene for dramatic effect.

[13:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “the man of God.”

[13:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “came by the word of the Lord to Bethel.”

[13:12]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew text has “and his sons saw” (וַיִּרְאוּ [vayyir’u], Qal from רָאָה [ra’ah]). In this case the verbal construction (vav consecutive + prefixed verbal form) would have to be understood as pluperfect, “his sons had seen.” Such uses of this construction are rare at best. Consequently many, following the lead of the ancient versions, prefer to emend the verbal form to a Hiphil with pronominal suffix (וַיַּרְאֻהוּ [vayyar’uhu], “and they showed him”).

[13:12]  ⁶ tn Heb “the man of God.”