1 Kings 10
Summary for 1Kgs 10:1-13: 10:1-13 a The queen of Sheba visited to test the accuracy of accounts concerning Solomon’s wisdom (10:1 b, 3 c, 6-7 d). She may also have sought commercial partnership (10:2 e, 10 f, 13 g). All of Solomon’s accomplishments resulted from his God-given wisdom, as the queen of Sheba testifies in the central speech of the narrative (10:6-9 h). 10:1 i The queen likely heard tales of Solomon’s wisdom and wealth because of his trading ventures to Ophir (10:11 j; see 9:26-28 k). Sheba, located in southwestern Arabia (modern Yemen), was a notably fertile commercial center. The trading enterprises of the ancient Sabeans encompassed great swaths of territory, including Syria, Africa, and India.• test ... with hard questions (literally riddles): Arabian literature is famous for its riddles and proverbs. The queen tested Solomon’s wisdom and explored perplexities of her own.
10:2 l The queen of Sheba arrived as royalty, with a large entourage and camels loaded with precious commodities. This was a high-level meeting, as demonstrated by Solomon’s generous gifts to her (10:13 m).
Summary for 1Kgs 10:3-5: 10:3-5 n The queen was satisfied with Solomon’s wisdom. He answered all of her questions well, and she was overwhelmed by the applied wisdom in his building activities, well-organized administration and staff, and commitment to his God. Jesus commended the queen’s search for truth while condemning the Pharisees and teachers of religious law who failed to recognize him—the one who was greater than Solomon (Matt 12:42 o).
Summary for 1Kgs 10:6-9: 10:6-9 p The queen’s testimony confirmed her amazement. Not only was everything she had heard true, but now that she had seen it with her own eyes, she realized that Solomon’s accomplishments had been understated. She recognized that the Lord was Solomon’s benefactor and that Solomon should steward his God-given wisdom with justice and righteousness.
Summary for 1Kgs 10:10-12: 10:10-12 q Solomon possessed and used abundant gold during his reign. What the queen provided supplemented what Solomon already possessed through his trading partnership with Hiram of Tyre. The precious metal was put to good use (see 6:20-22 r, 28 s, 30 t, 32 u, 35 v; 7:49-51 w; 10:18 x, 21 y).
• Arabian traders dealt in spices such as frankincense and myrrh. Both were used for medicinal purposes; frankincense was also used in the sacred incense (Exod 30:34-38 z; Lev 2:2 aa), and myrrh was used both for perfume and for embalming the dead. These spices and gold were presented to Jesus by wise men from eastern lands (Matt 2:1-11 ab).
10:11 ac Sandalwood is a reddish-brown wood native to India and valued for its aromatic essential oil. Cuneiform tablets found at Ras Shamra and Alalakh also indicate its value for making fine furniture and musical instruments.
10:13 ad whatever she asked for: As befitting a royal host, Solomon reciprocated with gifts. The amicable relationship between Solomon and the queen of Sheba may have culminated in a commercial agreement. Subsequent Jewish, Arabian, and Ethiopian tales of a romantic relationship between them have no foundation in fact.
Summary for 1Kgs 10:14-29: 10:14-29 ae To further describe Solomon’s splendor, the writer builds upon the details of the queen’s visit (10:1-13 af), describing Solomon’s wise use of wealth in his palace complex (10:14-21 ag) and concluding with the far-reaching effects of Solomon’s wisdom in commercial arrangements (10:22-29 ah).
Summary for 1Kgs 10:14-15: 10:14-15 ai about 25 tons: The large amount of gold came from Solomon’s various enterprises and taxes; he also levied tolls upon merchants and traders who passed through his kingdom.
Summary for 1Kgs 10:16-17: 10:16-17 aj Although such shields were typically designed to accommodate infantry (large shields) or archers (smaller shields), these shields probably had ceremonial uses.
Summary for 1Kgs 10:18-21: 10:18-21 ak Solomon obtained ivory through commercial ventures with Hiram. Ancient Near Eastern kings often used lion figures as symbols of royal power and divine protection of the throne.
10:22 al fleet of trading ships of Tarshish: The Hebrew term designates a type of merchant ship.
• Phoenician sailors manned Solomon’s fleet, which put out to sea from Ezion-geber (9:26-28 am; see Isa 23:1 an).
• apes, and peacocks: Archaeology provides ample evidence that kings imported such creatures. Apparently these animals were desired for their novelty and exotic nature and because they reflected conquest of distant lands.
10:26 ao 1,400 chariots: Prior to Solomon, chariots were not a significant part of Israel’s army. In fact, Deut 17:16 ap condemns kings for accumulating horses rather than relying on God. Although archaeological confirmation of the presence of chariots in Solomon’s day is debated, his chariot cities are commonly identified as Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer (1 Kgs 9:15 aq, 19 ar). The Assyrian king Shalmaneser III reported facing a heavy contingent of enemy chariots at the Battle of Qarqar (853 BC), 2,000 of which were supplied by King Ahab of Israel.
Summary for 1Kgs 10:28-29: 10:28-29 as In addition to his own accumulation, Solomon apparently served as a middleman, exchanging horses and chariots between the Egyptians to the south and the Syrians and Anatolians to the north.
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