1 Kings 10:12

_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._ No JFB commentary on this verse....

1-13 The queen of Sheba came to Solomon to hear his wisdom, thereby to improve her own. Our Saviour mentions her inquiries after God, by Solomon, as showing the stupidity of those who inquire not after God, by our Lord Jesus Christ. By waiting and prayer, by diligently searching the Scriptures, by consulting wise and experienced Christians, and by practising what we have learned, we shall be delivered from difficulties. Solomon's wisdom made more impression upon the queen of Sheba than all his prosperity and grandeur. There is a spiritual excellence in heavenly things, and in consistent Christians, to which no reports can do justice. Here the truth exceeded; and all who, through grace, are brought to commune with God, will say the one half was not told them of the pleasures and the advantages of wisdom's ways. Glorified saints, much more, will say of heaven, that the thousandth part was...

PILLARS - The Hebrew word signifies ordinarily a “prop” (margin). It is generally supposed to mean in this place a “railing,” or “balustrade,” a sense which connects and harmonises the present passage with the parallel passage in Chronicles (marginal reference), where Solomon is said to have made of the almug-wood “stairs” for the temple and for his own house. HARPS - The Jewish harp כנור _kı̂nnôr_ was of a triangular shape, and had ordinarily ten strings. It probably resembled the more ancient harp of the Assyrians, which was played with a plectrum, as was (ordinarily) the “kinnor.” PSALTERIES - The psaltery, or viol. Hebrew: נבל _nebel_; Greek: νάβλα _nabla_, was a stringed instrument played with the hand; perhaps a lyre, like tho

EXPOSITION THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA.—The last words of the preceding chapter spoke of Solomon's fleet, of its voyages, and the treasures it brought home. The historian now proceeds to tell of one result to which these voyages led. The fame of the king and his great undertakings was so widely diffused, and excited so much wonder and curiosity, that a queen of Arabia came, among others, to see the temple and the palaces and the many marvels of Solomon's city and court. The prediction of Solomon's prayer (1 Kings 8:42) has soon had a fulfilment. 1 KINGS 10:1 AND WHEN THE QUEEN OF SHEBA [There is no good ground for doubting that

AND THE KING MADE OF THE ALMUG TREES PILLARS FOR THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, AND FOR THE KING'S HOUSE,.... Or terraces, as in 2 Chronicles 9:11, causeways; and means the ascent or causeway he made from his own house to the temple; the pavement of which, as Jarchi interprets the word here, was made of the wood of these trees; or the supports of it, or rather the rails on each side, on which men might stay themselves as they passed along, as Ben Gersom; and since this ascent was admired by the queen of Sheba, it is particularly observed what wood it was made of, and from whence it came: HARPS ALSO, AND PSALTERIES FOR SINGERS; these musical instruments were made of the same wood; Josephus i says of amber, and that their number was 400,000: THERE CAME NO SUCH ALMUG TREES, NOR WERE SEEN UNTO THIS DAY; not in the land of Israel, neither before nor since,

6. SOLOMON AND THE QUEEN OF SHEBA: HIS GREAT RICHES AND SPLENDOUR CHAPTER 10 _ 1. The visit of the Queen (1 Kings 10:1)_ 2. Solomon's enormous wealth (1 Kings 10:14) 3. the targets and shields (1 Kings 10:16) 4. The ivory throne (1 Kings 10:18) 5. The abundance of gold and the depreciation of silver (1 Kings 10:21) 6. The greatest living monarch (1 Kings 10:23) 7. His chariots and hors

1 KINGS 10. VISIT OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA. By Sheba or Saba a district in S. Arabia is meant. The Sabæ ans were known to the Israelites as exporters of gold (Isaiah 60:6; Psalms 72:15); Ezekiel (Ezekiel 27:23) says that they dealt extensively with Tyre. In Job (Job 1:15; Job 6:19), they are represented as marauders. The civilisation of Arabia was considerable, and much light has been thrown on it by scholars like Hommel and Glaser. Our Lord calls the queen of Sheba the queen of the south (Mat

_pillars for the house of the Lord_ The noun signifies -a prop," and it may be that some ornamental work like that indicated in the margin of the R.V. -a railing" is intended. It was some later addition, not any part of the fabric, which was already completed. In the parallel place of 2 Chron. (1 Kings 9:11) there is a different word in the Hebrew, and one usually applied to a -highway." Both A. V. and R.V. have -terraces" in that passage. If we combine the two narratives it may be that what is intended is a staircase with handrail and balustrade. The former word would suit in Chronicles, where A. V. has -stairs" on the margin, and the latter here. _for singers_ The word is definite, THE singers. Cf. Ecclesiastes 2:8. _almug trees_ Here the LXX. adds -unto the land," and the

AND THE NAVY ALSO OF HIRAM, &C.— Parkhurst thinks, that the אלמגים _almugim, thya,_ or _lignumvitae tree,_ is so called from אל _al, not,_ and גם _gem, to fill,_ because it is of so close a texture, as _not to imbibe water,_ nor be affected by the wet and weather. See Dr. Shaw's Travels, p. 422. REFLECTIONS.—The spreading fame of Solomon brought to his court a vast resort of strangers. Among the most distinguished of which, we must reckon the queen of Sheba. 1. She came with a vast retinue, and the richest presents, to converse with a person of whom she had heard such wonders, to prove him by hard questions, to gain advice in her difficulties, and especially to inquire concerning the name of the Lord who had bestowed on Solomon such uncommon wisdom. _Note;_ (1.) Wisdom can never be too dearly bought, or too far fetched. (2.) If her solicitude to inquire after God was so commendable, how...

II. THE RECOGNITION OF SOLOMON'S GLORY (1 Kings 10:1-13) TRANSLATION (1) When the queen of Sheba continued to hear the report of Solomon in relation to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with riddles. (2) And she came to Jerusalem with a very heavy host, with camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. When she came unto Solomon, she spoke unto him all which was within her heart. (3) And Solomon related to her all of her matters. Nothing was hidden from the king which he did not relate to her. (4) When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the house which he had built, (5) the food of his table, the sitting of his servants, the attendance of his ministers and their apparel, his cup-bearers, and his ascent[270] by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit within her. (6) And she said unto the king, Tr