“And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.”
Saba. See 3 Kings x. 1. This queen resided in Arabia or Abyssinia. (Haydock) — Questions. They were not of a trifling nature, as she is commended by Christ. (Du Hamel)
“And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,”
House; the royal palace, or rather the temple, which was much more magnificent than any thing in the East.
“And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom: report: Heb. word acts: or, sayings”
Virtues. Hebrew, “words,” or of what regards thee (Calmet) and thy exploits. (Tirinus)
“Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.”
Fame. Hebrew and Septuagint, “the fame which I had heard.” (Haydock)
“Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.”
King of the Lord. Hence the style, “By the grace of God, king of England,” &c., has been adopted. Those deserve the name, who rule according to God’s will. (Worthington) — The kings of the Jews were more properly lieutenants of God, as the government was a theocracy, chap. xiii. 8., &c.
“And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.”
Thyine-trees, very odoriferous. (Calmet) — Hebrew algumim: 3 Kings almugim, as the letters are frequently transposed in Hebrew. (Du Hamel) — Huet thinks these were citron-trees, which did not produce fruit, but were used to make costly tables, and were a species of cedar.
“And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the LORD, and to the king's palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah. terraces: or, stairs: Heb. high ways”
Stairs. Hebrew, “hands,” (Du Hamel) or banisters, from the palace to the temple. (Junius)
“And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.”
And many. Hebrew, “besides that which she had brought unto the king.” (Protestants) It is however certain that Solomon made use of many of her presents, and therefore he returned her others in greater profusion, or, as it is expressed, 3 Kings, besides what he offered her of himself of his royal bounty. (Haydock)
“Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;”
Gold, each worth 5475l. (Arbuthnot) so that this part of the revenue alone would amount to 3,646,350l. sterling, annually. (Haydock)
“Beside that which chapmen and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. governors: or, captains”
Beside. Hebrew, “besides that which chapmen and merchants brought.” (Protestants) The deputies appear to be the tax-gatherers, 3 Kings x. 15. (Haydock)
“And three hundred shields made he of beaten gold: three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.”
Pieces. In 3 Kings, we read, three pounds. — Wood; or, “in the palace of the forest of Libanus,” (3 Kings x. 17.; Calmet) as it is expressed in the Septuagint. (Tirinus)
“And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the stays: stays: Heb. hands”
Arms. Protestants, “stays.” (Haydock) — Hebrew in 3 Kings seems clearer and more correct. (Calmet)
“And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was not any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon. pure: Heb. shut up none were of silver: or, there was no silver in them”
Days. We sometimes find the figure, hyperbole, used in Scripture for things unusual, chap. i. 16. (Worthington)
“For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. ivory: or, elephants' teeth”
Tharsis. Any distant place was so called. (Tirinus)
“And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.”
Thousand. In 3 Kings, we read, 1400 chariots; and here Hebrew has, “4000 stables, (Calmet) or stalls for horses and chariots;” (Protestants) and the Septuagint, “4000 mares for the chariots, and 12,000 horsemen.” (Haydock) — There might be ten horses in each stable. (Du Hamel)
“Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat? book: Heb. words”
Seer. The works of these three are not extant. (Menochius) — The fall of Solomon is recorded, 3 Kings xi. (Worthington)