1 Kings 10:11-12

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 10:1-13

We have here an account of the visit which the queen of Sheba made to Solomon, no doubt when he was in the height of his piety and prosperity. Our Saviour calls her the queen of the south, for Sheba lay south of Canaan. The common opinion is that it was in Africa; and the Christians in Ethiopia, to this day, are confident that she came from their country, and that Candace was her successor, who is mentioned Acts 8:27. But it is more probable that she came from the south part of Arabia the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 10:11

And the navy also of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir ,.... This perhaps was before Solomon was concerned with Hiram in navigation and merchandise; though in 2 Chronicles 9:10 both their servants are said to bring it; and it is here inserted perhaps to show that Solomon had not his gold, at least all of it, from the queen of Sheba; but much from Hiram, who fetched it from Ophir; and as this was in India, as observed on 1 Kings 9:28 , many writers make mention of gold in that part of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 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 ,.... 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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Kings 10:11

Great plenty of almug trees - In the parallel place, 2 Chronicles 9:10 , 2 Chronicles 9:11 , these are called algum trees, the ם mem and the ג gimel being transposed; probably the latter is the more correct orthography. What the algum trees were we do not exactly know. The Vulgate calls it ligna thyina , the thya or lignum vitae wood; and Mr. Parkhurst thinks that the original אלגומים algumim , comes from אל al , not, and גם gem , to fill; because the lignum... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 10:1-13

The Queen of Sheba. Well may the journey of this Eastern queen have a triple mention in the sacred page ( 1 Kings 10:1-29 .; 2 Chronicles 9:1-31 .; St. Matthew 12:1-50 .; St. Luke 11:1-54 .), for it is almost, if not altogether, sui generis . We are so familiar with the story from our infancy that we often fail to realize its true character and proportions. A woman, a princess, an Arab queen, travels some three thousand miles in search of wisdom. We have read of long voyages... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 10:1-18

The Queen of Sheba. The suggestiveness of Solomon's intercourse with surrounding nations. His magnanimity was as remarkable as his magnificence. His broad policy stood out in striking contrast with the narrowness of some of his contemporaries and successors. It was one evidence of his divinely inspired wisdom. In some respects his enlightenment puts to shame modern diplomacy. Trace his relations with the king of Tyre and the queen of Sheba. These were not exceptionally treated by the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 10:11

And the navy of Hiram also [ i.e; built and equipped by him, 1 Kings 9:26-28 ], that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees [In 2 Chronicles 2:8 ; 2 Chronicles 9:10 , called "algum trees." The origin and meaning of the word are alike uncertain. By some the Al is supposed to be the Arabic article, as found in Al-coran, Al-cohol, Ad-miral, etc; but later authorities lend no support to this view. "Celsius enumerates fifteen different trees, each... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 10:12

And the king made of the almug trees pillars [lit; props . In 2 Chronicles 9:11 we have a different word, מְסִלוֹת (cf. 20:31 , 20:32 ; 1 Samuel 6:12 , etc.), there translated stairs . The word in the text מִסְעָד is ἅπαξ λεγ . Keil understands "steps with bannisters;" Bähr (after Jarchi) "tesselated pavements;" Gesenius, "balusters;" Thenius, "divans;" Bottcher, "benches and similar moveables." But was not the pavement already laid, and of cedar; and would the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Kings 10:11

The navy of Hiram - i. e., Solomon’s navy in the Red Sea, which was chiefly manned by subjects of Hiram. (see the marginal reference).Almug-trees - Probably the sandal-wood tree (pterocarpus santalinus). The wood is very heavy, hard, and fine grained, and of a beautiful garnet color, which, according to the rabbinical writers, was the color of the algum. One of the names of the red sandal-wood, in its own native country (India) is “valguka,” a word of which “algum” is a natural corruption. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Kings 10:12

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... read more

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