1-13 Visit of the Queen of Sheba
- Queen of Sheba hears of Solomon (his fame due to the name of the LORD), and comes to see for herself, with a large entourage and bearing spices, gold, and precious stones
- She tests Solomon with questions, and he answers them all, until there is "no more spirit in her." Similar, I guess, to "it took her breath away," or "she was speechless."
- She confesses to him that his wisdom is greater than what she has heard, and "Happy are your wives [Chr: people). Happy are your servants....Blessed be the LORD your God."
- She gives him 120 talents of gold, spices, and stones. "Never again did spices come in such quantity...."
- Also, the fleet of Hiram, brings almug wood and precious stones from Ophir, and Solomon makes supports [Chr: steps] for the temple and for his house from the wood. "No such almug wood has come or been seen to this day." Almug wood (or algum) could be sandalwood, if Ophir was in India, or possibly juniper.
- Solomon gives the queen of Sheba gifts in return [Chr: well beyond what she brought him] and she returns home.
- 666 talents of gold come to Solomon in one year, besides that which comes from traders, kings of Arabia and governors of the land. With the gold he makes
- 200 large shields (600 shekels of gold in each one)
- 300 shields of beaten gold (3 minas of gold in each one).
- He puts the shields in the House of the Forest of Lebanon
- He also makes an elaborate ivory throne with 6 steps, with a rounded back, one lion standing beside each armrest, 12 lions on the 6 steps.
- Drinking vessels all of gold. Never silver -- it is considered as nothing in those days.
- Every three years his fleet of ships, with those of Hiram, bring back gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks. I wonder what purpose the apes served. Entertainment?
- Thus Solomon excels all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom, sought by the whole world, and each visitor brings presents - silver, gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
- He stations his 1400 chariots and 12,000 horses in chariot cities around the country and in Jerusalem.
- In Jerusalem he makes silver as common as stones, cedars as numerous as sycamores, imported horses for 150 shekels, chariots for 600 shekels of silver, and exports them to kings of the Hittites and of Aram
1-13 Solomon's Downfall
- BUT - Solomon loves many foreign women besides the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite -- going against God's commandments to the Israelites not to marry foreign women.
- "Among" his wives are 700 princesses and 300 concubines
- When Solomon is old, his heart goes far enough away from God to build high places for Chemosh, the "abomination" of Moab, and even Molech, the "abomination" of Ammon.
- Angry, God tells him he will tear the kingdom out of Solomon's family, just like he had promised to do, but not in Solomon's lifetime -- for David's sake -- but from Solomon's son, who will retain only one tribe.
14-23 Adversaries of Solomon
- Hadad, an Edomite who had escaped to Egypt when Joab was killing all males in Edom.
- He found such favor in Pharaoh's sight that he marries the Pharaoh's wife's sister.
- When he finds out David and Joab are dead, he insists on returning to Israel
- Rezon son of Eliada, who fled from King Hadadezer of Sobah and has become leader of a gang of marauders, eventually becoming king in Damascus, reigning over Aram. He despises Israel.
- Son of Nebat an Ephraimite, a servant of Solomon and of Zeruah, now a widow
- When Solomon built Millo, Jeroboam was in charge of all the forced labor.
- As he leaves Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite appears to him. He tears a garment into 12 pieces and gives 10 to Jeroboam, indicating God's intention to divide the kingdom because of Solomon's faithlessness and idol worship and giving 10 tribes to the leadership of Jeroboam.
- Because of this, Solomon tries to kill him, but he escapes to Egypt, to King Shishak, where he remains until Solomon's death.
- Solomon reigns 40 years before his death
- His history written in the history of Nathan, prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the visions of the seer Iddo re Jeroboam son of Nebat
- He is buried in the city of David, and his son Rehoboam succeeds him
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