1Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with difficult questions, having a very great retinue, camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. 2And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from Solomon, that he could not explain it to her. 3And when the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 4the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers and their apparel, and his chamber by which he went up to the house of Jehovah, it took her breath away. 5And she said to the king: The word was true which I have heard in my own land, about your words and your wisdom. 6However I did not believe their words until I had come and my eyes saw it; and behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the reports which I have heard. 7Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom. 8Blessed is Jehovah your God, who has delighted in you, setting you on His throne to be king for Jehovah your God. In your God's love for Israel, to establish them forever, He has made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness. 9And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great abundance, and precious stones; there had never been any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. 10Also, the servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum wood and precious stones. 11And the king made terraces of the algum wood for the house of Jehovah and for the king's house, also harps and lutes for the singers; and there had never before been seen such as these in the land of Judah. 12And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, besides what she had brought to the king. So she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants. 13The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, 14besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield. 16He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the house of the Forest of Lebanon. 17Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 18The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne; there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat, with two lions standing beside the armrests. 19Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom. 20All King Solomon's drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the house of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. 21For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram. Once every three years the ships came from Tarshish, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. 22Thus King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 23And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 24Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, the matter year by year. 25Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. 26And he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. 27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. 28And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands. 29Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 30Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31And Solomon rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 This passage of story had been largely considered in the Kings; yet, because our Saviour has proposed it as an example to us in our enquiries after him (
Matt 12:42), we must not pass it over without observing briefly, 1.
Those who honour God he will honour, 1Sam 2:30. Solomon had greatly honoured God, in building, beautifying, and dedicating the temple; all his wisdom and all his wealth were employed for the making of that a consummate piece: and now God made his wisdom and wealth to redound greatly to his reputation. The way to have both the credit and comfort of all our endowments and all our enjoyments is to consecrate them to God and use them for him. 2. Those who know the worth of true wisdom will grudge no pains nor cost to obtain it. The queen of Sheba put herself to a great deal of trouble and expense to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and yet, learning from him to serve God and do her duty, she thought herself well paid for her pains. Heavenly wisdom is that
pearl of great price which is a good bargain to purchase by parting with all that we have. 3. As every man has received the gift so he ought to minister the same for the edification of others, as he has opportunity. Solomon was communicative of his wisdom and willing to teach others what he knew himself. Being taught of God, freely he had received, and freely he gave. Let those that are rich in wisdom, as well as wealth, learn
to do good and
be ready to distribute. Give to every one that asketh. 4. Good order in a family, a great family, especially in the things of God, and a regular discharge of the duties of religious worship, are highly expedient, and to be much admired wherever found. The queen of Sheba was exceedingly affected to see the propriety with which Solomon's servants attended him and with which both he and they attended in the house of God. David's ascent to the house of the Lord was also pleasant and interesting,
Pss 42:4. 5. Those are happy who have the opportunity of a constant converse with such as are knowing, wise, and good. The queen of Sheba thought Solomon's servants happy who continually
heard his wisdom; for, it seems, even to them he was communicative. And it is observable that the posterity of those who had places in his court were willing to have the names of their ancestors forgotten, and thought themselves sufficiently distinguished and dignified when they were called the
children of Solomon's servants (
Ezra 2:55;
Neh 7:57); so eminent were they that it was honour enough to be named from them. 6. We ought to rejoice and give God thanks for the gifts, graces, and usefulness, of others. The queen of Sheba blessed God for the honour he put upon Solomon, and the favour he did to Israel, in advancing him to the throne,
2Chr 9:8. By giving God the praise of the prosperity of others, we share in the comfort of it; whereas, by envying the prosperity of others, we lose the comfort even of our own. The happiness of both king and kingdom she traces up to the fountain of all bliss, the divine favour: it was because
thy God delighted in thee and because he
loved Israel. Those mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good will of God as our God. 7. It becomes those that are wise and good to be generous according to their place and power. The queen of Sheba was so to Solomon, Solomon was so to her,
2Chr 9:9,
2Chr 9:12. They both knew how to value wisdom, and therefore were neither of them covetous of their money, but cultivated the acquaintance and confirmed the friendship they had contracted by mutual presents. Our Lord Jesus has promised to give us all our desire:
Ask, and it shall be given you. Let us study what we shall render to him, and not think any thing too much to do, or suffer, or part with, for him.
13 We have here Solomon in his throne, and Solomon in his grave; for the throne would not secure him from the grave.
Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat -
Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade. I. Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power, in ease and fulness, such as, for aught I know, could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever. In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth. But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars, whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace. Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement, kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance; nobody must see them, or come near him, upon pain of death: but Solomon went much abroad, and appeared in public business. So that, all things considered, the promise was fulfilled, that God would give him riches, and wealth, and honour, such as no kings
have had, or shall have, 2Chr 1:12. 1. Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did, which to those that judge by the sight of the eye, as most people do, would very much recommend him. He had 200 targets and 300 shields, all of beaten gold, carried before him (
2Chr 9:15,
2Chr 9:16), and sat upon a most stately throne, (2Chr:9:17-19).
There was not the like in any kingdom. The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne, which is above every throne. Solomon's pomp was all artificial; and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the
lilies of the field before it.
Matt 6:29,
Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. 2. Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver, though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom. Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries, and, having a populous country, sent hands to dig out those rich metals, or, having a fruitful country, he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of,
2Chr 9:13, (2Chr:9:14-21). 3. Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had:
All the kings of Arabia, and governors of the country, brought him gold and silver (
2Chr 9:14), not as tribute which he extorted from them, but as freewill offerings to procure his favour, or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry, corn or cattle. All the kings of the earth brought him presents, that is, all in those parts of the world (
2Chr 9:24,
2Chr 9:28), because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship. Herein he was a type of Christ, to whom, as soon as he was born, the wise men of the east brought presents,
gold, frankincense, and myrrh (
Matt 2:11), and to whom all that are about him must bring presents,
Pss 76:11;
Roma 12:1. 4. Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom, so courted, so consulted, so admired (
2Chr 9:23):
The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to)
sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy, or his skill in physic, or his state policy, or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life, or perhaps the principles of his religion, and the reasons of it. The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate, shame, and condemn, men's general contempt of Christ and his gospel. Though in them are
hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them, for they are foolishness to them,
1Cor 2:8,
1Cor 2:14.
II. Here is Solomon dying, stripped of his pomp, and leaving all his wealth and power, not to one concerning whom he knew not
whether he would be a wise man or a fool (
Qoh 2:19), but who he knew would be a fool. This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit, (2Chr:9:29-31). It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomon's departure from God in his latter days, not the least hint given of it, 1. Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others. If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave, though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others, yet we must not be forward to mention it, once the speaking of it is enough; why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon? Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does, speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy, without saying any thing of their blemishes, yea, though they have been gross and obvious? This is but doing as we would be done by. 2. Because, though he fell, yet he was not utterly cast down. His sin is not again recorded, because it was repented of, and pardoned, and became as if it had never been. Scripture-silence sometimes speaks. I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him,
Ezek 33:16. When God pardons sin he
casts it behind his back and remembers it no more.
