1 Kings 10:8

_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._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

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...

Verse 1 Kings 10:8. _HAPPY_ ARE _THY MEN_] All these are very natural expressions from a person in her state of mind....

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

HAPPY ARE THY MEN,.... The men of Israel, that had a king over them so wise, so great, so good: HAPPY ARE THESE THY SERVANTS, WHICH STAND CONTINUALLY BEFORE THEE, AND HEAR THY WISDOM; who were now present, and to whom she pointed, and may respect not his nobles and courtiers only, but his menial servants, who had an opportunity of often hearing the wise sayings which dropped from his lips; and which no doubt were means of greatly improving their knowledge and understanding in things natural and divine....

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

_Happy are thy men_ The LXX. reads here μακάριαι αἱ γυναῖκές σου, having read נשׁיך -thy wives" instead of אנשׁיך -thy men." The Syriac and Arabic versions have the same variation....

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

SOLOMON AND THE QUEEN OF SHEBA 1. Sheba] the Sheba of Genesis 10:28 (in Arabia), not of Genesis 10:7 (in Africa). Arabia seems frequently to have been ruled by queens; more than one is mentioned in the Assyrian inscriptions. If Ophir was in Arabia (see on 1 Kings 9:28), it may have been through the traders at that port that the queen here alluded to had heard of Solomon. HARD QUESTIONS] These were probably of the nature of puzzles or riddles, the same word being used of Samson's riddle (Judges 14:12). Legend relates that one of the puzzles that Solomon was set to solve was how to distinguish between a bunch of natural and