Bible Commentaries

2 Chronicles 9:1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

Ver. 1. And when the queen of Sheba.] See on 1 Kings 10:1. Saba forte α σεβομαι, for the plenty of frankincense and sweet odours there.

2 Chronicles 9:2 And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.

Ver. 2. And Solomon told her all her questions.] Which were not of those curious and frivolous ones condemned by St Paul: but weighty and necessary, concerning God and his providence, concerning sin, good works, life eternal, &c., questions also political and moral.

2 Chronicles 9:3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

Ver. 3. Had seen the wisdom of Solomon.] 1 Kings 10:4.

2 Chronicles 9:4 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD there was no more spirit in her.

Ver. 4. And their apparel] 1 Kings 10:5.

2 Chronicles 9:5 And she said to the king, [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom:

Ver. 5. It was a true report.] Praeclare de ipso loquitur. Lipsius conqueritur - an Iustus ipse viderit - desiisse homines non mode laudanda facere, sed laudare. ^(a) Praise worthy persons are not to be defrauded of their due praises. "If any virtue, if any praise." [Philippians 4:8]

2 Chronicles 9:6 Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen [it]: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard.

Ver. 6. For thou exceedest, &c.] See 1 Kings 10:7.

2 Chronicles 9:7 Happy [are] thy men, and happy [are] these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.

Ver. 7. Which stand continually before thee.] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had therein a happiness; [Matthew 13:17] how much more such as see him in heaven! See on 1 Kings 10:8.

2 Chronicles 9:8 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, [to be] king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.

Ver. 8. To establish them for ever.] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel.

2 Chronicles 9:9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon.

Ver. 9. And she gave the king.] See 1 Kings 9:14.

2 Chronicles 9:10 And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.

Ver. 10. And the servants also of Huram.] See 1 Kings 10:11.

Brought algum trees.] Not corals, as some would have it, but brazil wood, or rather ebony.

2 Chronicles 9:12 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside [that] which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.

Ver. 12. And king Solomon gave to the queen.] 1 Kings 10:13.

Besides that which she had brought unto the king,] i.e., Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents, he added many more thereunto, out of his own mere bounty and liberality; even the greatest rarities of his country. Munster’s translation therefore is not to be admitted, Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi. Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions.

2 Chronicles 9:13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;

Ver. 13. Now the weight.] See 1 Kings 10:14.

2 Chronicles 9:14 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

Ver. 14. See 1 Kings 10:15-17, &c.

2 Chronicles 9:17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.

Ver. 17. Moreover the king made.] See on 1 Kings 10:18.

2 Chronicles 9:18 And [there were] six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, [which were] fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the stays:

Ver. 18. And there were six steps.] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica. All about this throne was mystical and significative.

2 Chronicles 9:19 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.

Ver. 19-23, &c.] See 1 Kings 10:20-22, &c.

2 Chronicles 9:25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

Ver. 25. And Solomon had, &c.] See 1 Kings 10:26.

2 Chronicles 9:26 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.

Ver. 26. And he reigned.] See 1 Kings 4:21.

2 Chronicles 9:27 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance.

Ver. 27. That are in the low plains.] That grow in every hedgerow.

2 Chronicles 9:28 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.

Ver. 28. And they brought.] See 1 Kings 10:28.

2 Chronicles 9:29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

Ver. 29. Now the rest, &c.] And worst. See 1 Kings 11:41.

First and last.] His first were best: of his last this historian saith nothing, but layeth his finger on the scar.

In the book of Nathan.] In part of the First Book of Kings, written by these three prophets.