2 Chronicles 9
PATVer.l. iCl-NDwhen 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 tvhen she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
2 Chronicles 9:2
And Solomon told Iter all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not. There is little in this chapter, but what, is related in 1 Kings x. where see concerning these two verses, ver. 1—3. I shall only add, that the hard questions she came to ask, were not the curious inquiries into the secrets of natural things, or new political matters, but about things pertaining to piety, and the service of God. For our Saviour saith, she came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and should therefore rise up in judgment against that generation, who would not learn of him: and inl Kings x. 1. it is said, the fame she heard of Solomon was concerning the name of the Lord: which moved her to this journey.
2 Chronicles 9:3
And when the* queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, •
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 atp-bearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by tvhichhe tvent up into the house of the Loi’d; there was no more spirit in her.
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.
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 ivisdomwas not told me: for thou exceedest live fame that I heard.
2 Chronicles 9:7
Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom. All that is contained in the foregoing verses, is related in the same words (with very little difference) in 1 Kings x. 4 — 8. where see what I have noted.
2 Chronicles 9:8
Blessed be the Lord thy God, ivhich delighted in thee, to set thee on his throne, to be king for the Lord thy God. In these words she says a great deal more than ih there related ver. 9. for she here calls the throne of Israel the throne of the Lord: and acknowledges Solomon to be made king for the Lord his God; that is, not only to rule by his authority, and as his viceroy, but for his glory, and to promote his religion. Because thy God loved Israel, to establish theni far ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.] See upon 1 Kings x. 9.
2 Chronicles 9:9
And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spied as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon.
2 Chronicles 9:10
And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, ivhich. brought gold from Ophir, brought algum-trees and precious stones. Ver. 11 i And the king made. of the algum-trees terraces to the house of tlte Lord, and to the king’s palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land ofJudah.] This and the two foregoing verses are explained in 1 Kings x.,10 — 12.
2 Chronicles 9:12
And Jcing Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, besides that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away toiler oivn land, she and her servants.] The last clause, concerning his presents (viz. besides that ivhich she had brought unto the king), is expressed much otherwise in 1 Kings x. 13. where the words are, besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. What is here explained to have been done, to requite her for the great presents she had made the king.‘Ver. 13. Nqw, the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold.] See there, ver. 14.
2 Chronicles 9:14
Besides that tvhich chapmen and merchants brought: and all the kings of Arabia, and governors of the country, brought gold and silver unto Solomon. See there, ver. 15.
2 Chronicles 9:15
And king Solomon made.two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one target. Ver. 1G. And three hundred shields made he of beaten gold; three hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.’] See both this and the foregoing verse there, explained, ver. 16, 17.
2 Chronicles 9:17
Moreover, the kingmade a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it ivith pure gold.
2 Chronicles 9:18
And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which there fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting-place, and two lions standing by the stays.] These and the follpwing. verses are explained in 1 Kings x. 18—21. where there are. the same w r ords; only here is mention made of a footstool of gold, which is not taken notice of there.
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.
2 Chronicles 9:20
And all the drinking-vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: itivasnot any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon. •
2 Chronicles 9:21
For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants oflluram: every three years once came the shij)S of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. 1 See 1 Kings x. 22.
2 Chronicles 9:22
And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 60S A COMMENTARY UPON [CHAP; X, * Vcr. 23. And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that. God had put in his heart…
2 Chronicles 9:24
And they brought every man his present; vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, harness, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year. See of these verses 1 Kings x. 23 — 25.
2 Chronicles 9:25
And Solomo7i had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots. See 1 Kings x. 2G. and what I have noted there to make this place and that agree together. And twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the chariot-cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.’] See there. It is evident that in David’s time they had no horses: for Absalom, when he had. lost the battle wherein he perished, rodo upon a mule to make his escape; and David ordered his own mule to carry Solomon to be anointed. And indeed the country did not. produce them: but Solomon being able to make great expenses, had them brought out of Egypt, and maintained this number of chariots; which resembled those of the Grecians; that is, they were small, with two wheels a-piece, carrying a man or two, standing or leaning forward. The following kings could not be at this charge; but upon occasion sent for. succour from Egypt, and then mention is always made of their horses.
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. That is, they were tributaries to him. (See 1 Kings iv. 2G.)
2 Chronicles 9:27
And the king made silver. in Jerusalem as stones. This is an hyperbolical expression, signifying such abundance of it, as exceeded all belief. * And cedar-trees made he as the sycamore-trees that are in the low plains in abundance.] This is a wild fig-tree, with which those countries abound; bearing fruit not unlike to figs, but much sweeter, and have no little seeds in.them. And being not so good as others are, little esteqmed, but commonly sold only to the poorer sort of people, as Leon Iiawholf informs us in his Travels, par. i. chap. 4. r.;’ -
2 Chronicles 9:28
And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands. Such as Cappadocia, which was. famous for a noble breed of horses. (See 1 Kings x.;28.) But Egypt is here especially mentioned, because it was nearer, and no place afforded more. From whence, •even till the captivity, they sought for supplies, as appears by Zedekiah’s sending ambassadors to Egypt, requesting horses from thence, (Ezek.xvii. 15.)
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 ofNebat?] In the first book of the Kings it is only said, that his acts were written in the. book of the Acts of Solomon. (See chap, xi.’ 41.) But here we are told the particular books wherein they were recorded. And the last of these authors (viz. Iddo) wrote also the acts of Rehoboam, chap.xii. 15. of this book: and some suppose he lived till the time of Asa, chap. xv. 1. where he is called Obed. Howsoever that be, it appears by this, that the prophets, as I noted before, were also historians, who gave an account of what passed in their times: out of whose work this short history w r as extracted. And Abarbinel is of opinion, that there were two books or catalogues written of the acts of Solomon; one, De Rebus Prioribus, of what passed in the beginning of his reign, giving an account of his great buildings, and of the splendour wherein he lived, and the prosperity he enjoyed; and these were written by Nathan: the other, De Rebus Posterioribus, giving an account of what passed in the latter end of his life; how he doated upon women, and fell into idolatry, and was threatened with terrible punishments, and had several adversaries raised against him, &c. which were all written by Ahijah the Shilonite. And some of these things were also recorded by another author, Iddo; who wrote concerning the acts of Jeroboam, which could not be related without touching upon some part of Solomon’s reign. These three did not join to make one book, but severally and distinctly gave an account of such things as occurred to their knowledge; out of which, it is probable, Ezra took many things, which he hath supplied in this book, j
2 Chronicles 9:30
And Solomon reigned, in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
2 Chronicles 9:31
And Solomon slept with his fathers; and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead. These two verses are the last words of 1 Kings xi. 42, 43.