Chapter Ten

 Ki 10:1  And the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon as to the name of Jehovah, and she came to test him with hard questions. 

1Ki 10:2  And she came to Jerusalem with a very great company, camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones. And she came to Solomon and spoke with him all that had been in her heart. 

1Ki 10:3  And Solomon told her all her matters; there was not one thing hidden from the king that he did not declare to her. 

1Ki 10:4  And the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he built, 

1Ki 10:5  and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the standing of his ministers, and their clothing, and his cupbearers and his burnt offering that he offered in the house of Jehovah; and there was no more breath in her. 

1Ki 10:6  And she said to the king, The word that I heard in my land was true as to your matters and your wisdom. 

1Ki 10:7  And I did not believe the words until I had come and my eyes had seen; and behold, the half was not told to me. You have wisdom and prosperity exceeding the fame which I heard. 

1Ki 10:8  Oh the happiness of your men! Oh the happiness of your servants, these who stand before you continually, who hear your wisdom! 

1Ki 10:9  Blessed be Jehovah your God who delighted in you, putting your person on the throne of Israel, because Jehovah loved Israel forever, therefore He appointed you king, to do judgment and righteousness. 

1Ki 10:10  And she gave to the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and very many spices, and precious stones; no spice like that came any more for abundance, that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. 

1Ki 10:11  And also, the navy of Hiram that bore gold from Ophir brought in from Ophir almug trees, a great many, and precious stones; 

1Ki 10:12  and the king made the almug trees a support for the house of Jehovah, and for the king's house, and harps and lyres for singers; no such almug trees have come, nor have there been seen such to this day. 

1Ki 10:13  And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire that she asked, apart from that which he gave to her as a memorial of King Solomon. And she turned and went to her land, she and her servants. 

1Ki 10:14  And the weight of the gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty six talents of gold,

1Ki 10:15  apart from the merchant men, and from the traffic of the traders, and from all the Arabian kings, and from the governors of the lands. 

1Ki 10:16  And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target; 

1Ki 10:17  and 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. 

1Ki 10:18  And the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with refined gold. 

1Ki 10:19  The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind; and stays were on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays; 

1Ki 10:20  and twelve lions were standing on the six steps, on this side and on that; there was not the like made in any kingdom. 

1Ki 10:21  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 refined gold; there was none of silver; it was not counted for anything in the days of Solomon; 

1Ki 10:22  For the king had a navy of Tarshish at sea with a navy of Hiram; once in three years the navy of Tarshish would come bearing gold, and silver, and ivory, and apes, and peacocks. 

1Ki 10:23  And King Solomon was greater than any of the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom; 

1Ki 10:24  and all the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom that God had put into his heart; 

1Ki 10:25  and they were each one bringing his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a year by year matter. 

1Ki 10:26  And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen, and he had a thousand, four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; and he placed them in the cities of the chariots, and with the king in Jerusalem. 

1Ki 10:27  And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as the sycamores that are in the low country, for abundance. 

1Ki 10:28  And the horses that King Solomon had were brought from Egypt, and from Kue; the king's merchants received them from Kue at a price; 

1Ki 10:29  and a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty; and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria they brought them out by their means. 

Verses 1-13 Summary: The queen of Sheba visits Solomon and is overwhelmed by what she sees.
Solomon answers her questions (displays wisdom). They trade gifts (alliance).

Note verse 5: "there was no more breath in her" describes her reaction to the splendor shown to her - 
Verse 8 "happy" - eh'-sher - denotes a grand exclamation - What was she saying? It must be assumed that she came with some doubt, but the grandness of the kingdom simply overwhelmed her. Even Solomon's subjects were "happy."

Verse 9: The queen gives credit to Jehovah. She names Him and give Him the Glory.

2. Locate Sheba on a map. Southern part of Arabia across from Africa

3. What did Jesus say about the queen of Sheba?
Mat 12:42  The queen of the south will be raised in the Judgment with this generation and will condemn it. For she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and, behold, a Greater-than-Solomon is here. 
Jesus predicted condemnation upon the Pharisees for ignoring what was sent from God (Himself). They asked for a sign. He indicated that HE was the sign.
Do we know more than the Pharisees? What conclusions should we come to? 

Verses 14-29 Summary: Solomon gains vast amounts of gold. Makes shields, and an elaborate throne. All of the king's drinking vessels are gold. He continues gaining wealth from his navy. Solomon's wisdom is sought out, the world understands that it was Jehovah that made it all happen. Solomon amasses horses, chariots and other physical wealth beyond measure. 

4. If the weight of a talent of gold is about seventy-five pounds, how much gold did Solomon bring in on a yearly basis? Value on today's market?
666x75=49,950 lbs - 49,950x16=799,200 oz. - 799,200 oz. x $1,961.00= $1,576,231,200.00 (at today's prices)

Based on all of this, what was the general understanding about Jehovah?
No doubt Jehovah was glorified during this time. What we do not see are measures to denounce other gods and idolatry. Jehovah God becomes well known, but does he get His true respect? As we see later  in the time of Daniel, gods are simply a means to an end (of wealth and power). Kings, queens, pharaoh's, and other rulers are considered as "gods."

Note: 2Ch 9:21  For the ships of the king were going to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. This alliance with Hiram is what made this at all possible.  So now Solomon's navy (with Hiram) influences the southern region into Africa and north toward west Asia.