Indeed the half was not told me: The Queen of Sheba heard wonderful things about Solomon and his kingdom, but upon seeing it with her own eyes she realized it was far greater than she had heard.ī. Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”Ī. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard. However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes and indeed the half was not told me. Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. “What happened to the Queen of Sheba is a natural and not an uncommon effect which will be produced in a delicate sensible mind at the sight of rare and extraordinary productions of art.” (Clarke) 3. Yet she was completely overwhelmed by the wisdom of Solomon and the glory of his kingdom. When the Queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food on his table… there was no more spirit in her: This Queen was obviously familiar with the world of royal splendor and luxury. “The hard questions were not just riddles, but included difficult diplomatic and ethical questions… The test was not an academic exercise but to see if he would be a trustworthy business party and a reliable ally capable of giving help.” (Wiseman)Ĭ. The Queen of Sheba had great – and seemingly difficult – questions, and Solomon answered all her questions.

When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart: Solomon’s kingdom was famous not only for its material prosperity, but also for his great wisdom. She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue: This queen traveled in the manner of queens, with a large royal procession, heavily laden with gifts and goods for trade.ī. And when the Queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.Ī. So Solomon answered all her questions there was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her. She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. The great prosperity, splendor, and wisdom of Solomon’s kingdom were internationally famous. When the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him: She came to Solomon and Israel at their material zenith.

She probably came as part of a trade delegation (1 Kings 10:2-5), but there is no doubt that she was highly motivated to see Solomon and his kingdom.ī. This was a long trip – up to about 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers). History also tells us that they were known to have queens as well as kings. We know from geography this was a wealthy kingdom with much gold, spices, and precious woods. The Queen of Sheba: Sheba (also known as Sabea) was where modern-day Yemen is today (Southern Arabia). Now when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions.Ī. (1) The Queen of Sheba arrives at Jerusalem.

Pro tools 101 questions lesson 10