• Please see License for Copyright notice and Licensing information.
• [ Previous | Next ]

1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions.

2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.

4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,

5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.

6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.

7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.

8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.

9 Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.

10 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

11 And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.

12 And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.

13 And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,

15 Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.

16 And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target.

17 And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

18 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold.

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

20 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.

21 And all 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: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

22 For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.

24 And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

25 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.

27 And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.

28 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.

29 And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.

<html><b>And his elevated ramp by which he would go up to the Beis Hamikdosh of Adonoy.</b> By means of a passageway that he had prepared from his house to the Beis Hamikdosh, by which he would go up to the House of God.¹<i class=“footnote”>Alternatively, ועולתו אשר יעלה עליו refers to the sacrifices that Shlomo offered in the Beis Hamikdosh, described above in 9:25.—Targum</i></html>

<html><b>Coral.</b> <i>Corail</i>, in O.F.</html>

<html><b>A pathway to the Beis Hamikdosh of Adonoy.</b> But in Divrei Hayomim it is written, “paths [מסילות] to the House of Adonoy.”²<i class=“footnote”>II Divrei Hayomim 9:11.</i> I therefore say, that this support [מסעד] is an expression of a pavement. <b>For the singers.</b> For the <i>Leviyim</i>.</html>

<html><b>Gave to the queen of Sheva.</b> This giving refers only to the teaching of wisdom. <b>All that she desired.</b> (He had relations with her and Nevuchadnetzar was born, and he later destroyed the Beis [Hamikdosh] that had stood 410 years in the territory of all the twelve tribes. Rabbi Yitzchok [Luria] of blessed memory) [He gave her more,] in addition to giving her gifts and delicacies that are found here but are not found in her place.³<i class=“footnote”>Alternatively, Shlomo gave her gifts of intellectual wisdom by answering all the problems and questions that she had asked, in addition to solving the riddles that she had posed to him.—Ralbag</i></html>

<html><b>Six hundred sixty-six.</b> Chirom gave him 120 [talents], the Queen of Sheva 120, the ships of Tarshish brought from Ophir 420, totaling 660 [talents]. I do not know from where the other six came. It is written in Divrei Hayomim that [the ships brought] from Ophir 450 [talents],⁴<i class=“footnote”>See II Divrei Hayomim 8:18.</i> however it does not include the 120 talents of Chirom. We can resolve the contradictions that the extra 30 were from the 120 of Chirom, because Chirom’s servants were in Ophir with his servants.</html>

<html><b>This was in addition [to the gold that came from] traveling merchants.</b> Merchants would bring him who visited the land on business.⁵<i class=“footnote”>Alternatively, retailers who sell small quantities, spy [=תרים] out the land to determine where to do business.—Metzudas Tzion</i> <b>Spice dealers.</b> Spice dealers who would carry spices from one city to another. <b>And all the subordinate kings.</b> [Targum] Yonoson rendered, “and all dependent upon his support,”⁶<i class=“footnote”>Alternatively, Arab kings.—Metzudas Tzion</i> an expression of guarantee, [i.e.,] kings who were allies and were dependent upon his support, <i>garantie</i>, in O.F.</html>

<html><b>Full shields.</b> [A body shield that] encircles the person on three sides. This is the meaning of the verse in the Book of Tehillim, “as a body shield, with good, will You shall surround him.”⁷<i class=“footnote”>Tehillim 5:13.</i> <b>Six hundred.</b> Six <i>manim</i>, for [a piece of] gold is a dinar.</html>

<html><b> Soft gold.</b> It is soft and easy to flatten out.⁸<i class=“footnote”>This type of gold can be spun like thread [חוט]. See Maseches Yoma 44b-45a.</i></html>

<html><b>Glittering gold.</b> Sparkling like pearls.</html>

<html><b>Six steps.</b> Steps by which to go up [to it], and the top of the throne, was circular, where the king sits. <b>From behind.</b> The throne was wide, and the steps were to the front and to the width, to the back was the seat, higher than the throne, was a round place.⁹<i class=“footnote”>A circular dome protruded from above the throne above the king’s head.—Metzudas Dovid</i> <b>And there were arm-rests on each side.</b> On which to support his arms, like two gold rails from end to end, extending on the right and on the left. <b>There were two lions.</b> Of gold. The entire plan of the throne is described in the Aggadah of Megillas Esther.¹⁰<i class=“footnote”>Esther Rabboh 1:12.</i></html>

<html><b>None of them were made of silver, as [silver] was not considered of value.</b> There was no silver in any of them because it was not valuable.</html>

<html><b>Ships of Tarshish.</b> [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “ships of Africa.” <b>Ivory, monkeys, and peacocks.</b> [Targum Yonoson rendered,] ivory, monkeys and peacocks.</html>

<html><b>Weapons.</b> Weapons.</html>

<html><b>Fourteen hundred chariots.</b> But in Divrei Hayomim it states, “seventeen hundred.”¹¹<i class=“footnote”>II Divrei Hayomim 1:14. Rashi apparently had a different version of the text than ours. Our text in Divrei Hayomim reads, “fourteen hundred chariots.” Thus there is no discrepancy between the texts.</i> Therefore I say that fourteen hundred were in the chariot cities, and three hundred were with the king in Yerusholayim. And this is the explanation in Divrei Hayomim, “and he stationed them in the chariot cities, and with the king there were other chariots in Yerusholayim.” And while here, this is the explanation, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king; and in Yerusholayim [were additional ones]. <b>He placed them.</b> And he led them.¹²<i class=“footnote”>Alternatively, he stationed them.—Metzudas Dovid.</i></html>

<html><b>As stones.</b> But above it states, “of no value.”¹³<i class=“footnote”>Above v. 21.</i> Our Rabbis explained that one refers to the time before Shlomo married Pharaoh’s daughter, and one refers to the time after Shlomo wedded Pharaoh’s daughter.¹⁴<i class=“footnote”>See Maseches Sanhedrin 21b. After Shlomo married Pharaoh’s daughter and began to go astray, the nation became less prosperous and silver regained some value.</i></html>

<html><b>The source of the horses that Shlomo possessed.</b> Was from Egypt. <b>A privileged cartel.</b> The gathering of horse dealers was in Egypt. Shlomo’s merchants bought [the rights] from the king of Egypt, because no person could export horses from there except through them. This is what I heard. Therefore, there is a “zakef gadol”¹⁵<i class=“footnote”>I.e., a cantillation signifying a pause.</i> on “ומקוה,” to denote that the word מקוה stands by itself and is not connected with what follows it.¹⁶<i class=“footnote”>Alternatively, מקוה is linen thread [thread=תקוה, See Yehoshua 2:18], i.e. Egypt exported two items for Shlomo, horses and linen thread—Radak. Or מקוה [=מן קוה], i.e., they brought horses from a region called קוה.—Metzudas Dovid</i></html>

<html><b>And a single horse for one hundred fifty.</b> We deduce that a chariot consisted of four horses.¹⁷<i class=“footnote”>If a single horse was exported for 150 silver pieces, and a chariot was exported for 600 silver pieces, obviously a chariot consisted of four horses. </i> And for these prices [they sold] to all the kings of the Chitim and Aram. <b>Through them.</b> Through Shlomo’s merchants, they exported them from Egypt.</html>