2 Chronicles 9:1-28

9:1

1 The queen of Sheba admires the wisdom of Solomon. 13 Solomon's revenue in gold. 15 His targets and shields. 17 The throne of ivory. 20 His vessels. 23 His presents. 25 His chariots and horse. 26 His tributes. 29 His reign and death.

queen ........ came .................................. visited <04436 0935> [A.M. 3014. B.C. 990. And when. See on]

Sheba <07614> [Sheba.]

<08088> [fame.]

difficult questions <02420> [questions.]

camels <01581> [camels.]

spices <01314> [spices.]

discussed <01696> [communed.]

9:2

questions ..... question <01697> [all.]

complex <05956> [there.]

9:3

When ...... saw ...... wisdom <02451 07200> [seen the wisdom.]

palace <01004> [the house.]

9:4

food <03978> [the meat.]

<04186> [the sitting.]

<08248> [cup-bearers. or, butlers.]

<05944> [ascent.]

amazed <07307> [there was.]

9:5

report ........... sayings <01697> [report. Heb. word.]

report ........... sayings <01697> [acts. or, sayings.]

9:6

believe <0539> [I believed.]

half <02677> [the one half.]

surpasses <03254> [exceedest.]

9:7

9:8

praised <01288> [Blessed.]

favored <02654> [which delighted.]

[See on]

God ........................ God's <0430> [because thy God.]

make just and right <04941 06213> [to do judgment.]

9:9

gave .......................... gave <05414> [she gave.]

spices ........ spices <01314> [of spices.]

Sheba <07614> [Sheba.]

This queen is called Balkis by the Arabians, who say she came from the city of Sheba, also called Mareb, in Yemen or Arabia Felix; but the Ethiopians call her Maqueda, claim her as their sovereign, and say that her posterity reigned there for a long time. Mr. Bruce has given us the history of her and her descendants from Abyssinian records; and Josephus says that Sheba was the ancient name of the city of Mero‰, (south of Egypt, and sometimes comprehended in Ethiopia,) and that this princess came from thence. Those who think the princess came from Arabia, rely chiefly on the fact that gold, silver, spices, and precious stones, which were the presents she made to Solomon, are the natural products of that country; and that it may well be placed at the uttermost part of the earth, as it borders on the southern ocean, and formerly they knew no land beyond it.

9:10

brought gold <02091 0935> [brought gold.]

fine timber <0418 06086> [algum trees.]

[almug-trees.]

9:11

steps <04546> [terraces. or, stairs. Heb. highways. harps.]

9:12

<02656> [all her desire.]

9:13

<04948> [the weight.]

9:14

governors <06346> [governors. or, captains.]

9:15

hundred ....... 600 <03967> [two.]

9:16

Palace <01004> [in the house.]

9:17

9:18

side <03027> [stays. Heb. hands. two lions.]

9:19

lions <0738 08147> [twelve lions.]

9:20

cups <04945> [drinking.]

pure <05462> [pure. Heb. shut up. none were of silver. or, there was no silver in them. it was.]

9:21

large merchant ships .................. port <08659> [Tarshish.]

Bochart thinks this Tarshish was probably the promontory Cory, on the north of the island of Ceylon, which, according to him, was the land of Ophir. That it was name of a place in the East Indies, seems probable from the articles brought thence, and also from the ships sent thither being built at Ezion-geber, on the Red Sea; though Michaelis supposes that the fleet coasted along the shore of Africa, doubling the Cape of Good Hope, and came to Tartessus, in Spain, and thence back again the same way; that this accounts for their three years' voyage out and home; and that Spain and the coasts of Africa furnish all the commodities which they brought back.

[See on]

[Tharshish. ivory. or, elephants' teeth. peacocks.]

{Tukkeeyim} is rendered {taysin} in the Targum, [taonon,] in the Alexandrian MS. of the LXX., and {pavos,} "peacocks," in the Vulgate; with which the Syriac, Arabic, and Rabbins agree. This derives confirmation from the fact, that the peacock is called in Malabaric, {Togei.}

9:22

King ........... kings <01431 04428> [passed all the kings.]

9:23

wanted <01245> [sought.]

God-given <0430> [God.]

9:24

<0376> [every man.]

9:25

9:26

ruled .... kingdoms <04910 04428> [reigned over.]

Euphrates <05104> [river.]

"That is, Euphrates."

9:27

king <04428> [the king.]

made .......... was <05414> [made. Heb. gave. the sycamore.]

9:28

acquired <03318> [brought.]

"Moses," says Bp. Warburton, "had expressly prohibited the multiplying of horses, (De 17:16;) by which the future king was forbidden to establish a body of calvary, because this could not be effected without sending into Egypt, with which people God had forbidden any communication, as this would be dangerous to religion. When Solomon had violated this law, and multiplied horses to excess, (1 Ki 4:26,) it was soon attended with those fatal consequences that the law foretold: for this wisest of kings having likewise, in violation of another law, married Pharaoh's daughter, (the early fruits of this commerce,) and then, by a repetition of the same crime, but a transgression of another law, had espoused more strange women, (1 Ki 4:26; 11:1,) they first,in defiance of a fourth law, persuaded him to build them idol temples for their use; and afterwards, against a fifth law, brought him to erect other temples for his own."