2 Chronicles 9

2 Chronicles 9:1-12

Here is, 1. The honour which the queen of Sheba did to Solomon, ver. 1—12. 2. Many influence given of the riches and splendor of Solomon’s court, ver. 13—28. 3. The conclusion of his reign, ver. 29—31.

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. 2. And Solomon told her all her questions; and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not. 3. And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, 4. And the meat of his table, and the fitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, his cup-bearers also, and their apparel, and his assent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. 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. 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 exceedeth the fame that I heard. 7. Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom. 8. Bleifed 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. 9. And the 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. 10. And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought alqum-trees, and precious stones. 11. And the king made of the alqum-trees a terrific to the house of the LORD, and to the king’s palace, and harps and psalteries for fingers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah. 12. And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, before that which he had brought unto the king: so the turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.

This story hath been considered, 1 Kings x. It remains only to observe, (1.) That they who know the value of Divine truth, will count no pains too great to search after it. (2.) They are truly great, whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them. (3.) Whatever gifts we enjoy, they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ, and to be employed diligently. (4.) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church, and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls. (5.) Great souls are ever generous. (6.) Though for a time absence from home may be needful and probable, yet we must, whatever pleasing engagements intervene, remember that there is our poll, and hasten our return.

13. Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year, was six hundred and threefoure and six talents of gold; 14. Besides that which chapmen and merchants brought: and all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the country, brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15. And king Solomon made two hun-

The following are the following: 16. And three hundred thields made be of beaten gold: three hundred thields of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. 17. ¶ Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 18. And there were six steps to the throne, with a foot-shool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and 9 days on each side of the sitting-place, and two lions standing by the stays. 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. 20. ¶ And all the drinking-veffels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: 7 none were of silver; it was not any thing accounted or in the days of Solomon. 21. For the king’s ships went to Tarfhish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarfhish, bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and 8 peacocks. 22. And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 23. ¶ And all the kings of the earth bought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom that God had put in his heart. 24. And they brought every man his prelimi, vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and raiment, barnefs and spices, horses and mules, a rate year by year. 25. ¶ And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bellowed in the chariot-cities, and with the king at Jerusalem. 26. ¶ And he reigned over all the kings from the river, even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. 27. And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar-trees made he as the sycamore-trees, that are in the low plains in abundance. 28. And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands. 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? 30. And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father, and 9 Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

9. 13—31. 1. Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur. Wealth flowing in upon him like a river; surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble prelimi, and eager to bear his wisdom; and his magnificence, palaces, guards, throne, &c. all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours, and the reverence of his subjects. Note, (1.) Great was the glory of Solomon, but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendent; before his throne all human magnificence vanishes, as the stars lose their luffes before the meridian sun. (2.) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet; and offer not the gold of Arabia, but that more valuable prelimi, our bodies, souls, and spirits, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable, which is our reasonable service.

10. Solomon is laid low in the grave. Mars aquia pede passet, &c. No greatness bars death from earring. A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages, of which no doubt he had repeated; and which being forgiven, shall not be mentioned any more against him. His sun sets in glory, but his crown descends to a son, whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness. Note, (1.) The faults of great good men should be forgotten, and their virtues remembered for imitation. (2.) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquittions of his wife and illustrious ancestors.