1 Kings 10
1 Kings 10 depicts scenes of King Solomon’s wisdom, his wealth, and his fame spreading beyond the borders of Israel and reaching the world. In particular, the story of the Queen of Sheba visiting Solomon forms the focus, and in the latter part, Solomon’s prosperity and Israel’s flourishing are described in detail.
1verseWhen the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the LORD’s name, she came to test him with hard questions.
2verseShe came to Jerusalem with a very great caravan, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she had come to Solomon, she talked with him about all that was in her heart.
3verseSolomon answered all her questions. There wasn’t anything hidden from the king which he didn’t tell her.
4verseWhen the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,
5versethe food of his table, the sitting of his servants, the attendance of his officials, their clothing, his cup bearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the LORD’s house, there was no more spirit in her.
6verseShe said to the king, “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom.
7verseHowever, I didn’t believe the words until I came and my eyes had seen it. Behold, not even half was told me! Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard.
8verseHappy are your men, happy are these your servants who stand continually before you, who hear your wisdom.
9verseBlessed is the LORD your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel. Because the LORD loved Israel forever, therefore he made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”
10verseShe gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was there such an abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
11verseThe fleet of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir also brought in from Ophir great quantities of almug trees and precious stones.
12verseThe king made of the almug trees pillars for the LORD’s house and for the king’s house, harps also and stringed instruments for the singers; no such almug trees came or were seen to this day.
13verseKing Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, in addition to that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants.
14verseNow the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold,
15versein addition to that which the traders brought, and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of the mixed people, and of the governors of the country.
16verseKing Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of gold went to one buckler.
17verseHe made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went to one shield; and the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
18verseMoreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold.
19verseThere were six steps to the throne, and the top of the throne was round behind; and there were armrests on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.
20verseTwelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps. Nothing like it was made in any kingdom.
21verseAll King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver, because it was considered of little value in the days of Solomon.
22verseFor the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the fleet of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
23verseSo King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.
24verseAll the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart.
25verseYear after year, every man brought his tribute, vessels of silver, vessels of gold, clothing, armor, spices, horses, and mules.
26verseSolomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen. He kept them in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.
27verseThe king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and cedars as common as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland.
28verseThe horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt. The king’s merchants received them in droves, each drove at a price.
29verseA chariot was imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty shekels; and so they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria.
The Visit of the Queen of Sheba (Verses 1–13)
The Queen of Sheba hears of Solomon’s fame and comes to Jerusalem with difficult questions. She personally confirms how great Solomon’s wisdom is and how greatly blessed he is by God. The Queen of Sheba is amazed by Solomon’s wisdom, God, and the abundance of the nation, and she brings valuable gifts to Solomon. Through this visit, Solomon’s fame is raised to an international level, and the status of the kingdom of Israel is revealed once again.
Solomon’s Wealth and Prosperity (Verses 14–29)
Next, the author describes in detail the wealth and glory enjoyed by Solomon. We see the amount of gold Solomon brought in, his magnificent throne and banqueting tables, articles made from valuable materials, and the scenes of kings from various regions bringing offerings to Solomon. Also, Solomon’s flourishing maritime trade and military/economic prosperity—such as horses and chariots—appear as well. All of this emphasizes the prosperity that Israel experienced during Solomon’s era.
The Structure and Flow of the Whole Chapter
- Verses 1–13:The visit of the Queen of Sheba and evidence of Solomon’s wisdom/fame
- Verses 14–25:A description of Solomon’s wealth and glory
- Verses 26–29:Mentions of military/political prosperity and international influence
]Thus, this chapter shows that the glory Solomon the king enjoyed culminated through the wisdom and blessings he received from God, and it also indicates that Israel at that time had a considerable standing in the world.
Points for Reflection
- Think about the fact that even the Queen of Sheba acknowledged that the source of Solomon’s wisdom and wealth is God.
- Look at how the wisdom God gives can change not only an individual, but the entire nation.
- You can learn the lesson that the greatest prosperity and glory ultimately come from a relationship with God.
Applying It to Me
- In your life, consider how you can share and give evidence to others about the blessings and grace you have received from God.
- I hope this will be a time for you to remind yourself that the world’s fame and success are not the final goal, but that God’s will and glory should come first.
