2 Chronicles 9 · WEB
The Queen of Sheba; Solomon's Wealth and Death
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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 train, and camels that bore spices and gold in abundance, and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she talked with him of all that was in her heart.
2Solomon told her all her questions; and there was not any thing hidden from Solomon which he didn't tell her.
3When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,
4and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their clothing, and his cup bearers also, and their clothing, and his ascent by which he went up to Yahweh's house, she was overwhelmed.
5She said to the king, "It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom.
6However I didn't believe their words until I came, and my eyes had seen it; and behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame that I heard.
7Happy are your men, and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom.
8Blessed be Yahweh your God, who delighted in you, to set you on his throne as king for Yahweh your God! Because your God loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore he made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness."
9She gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and precious stones. There was no such spice as the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
10The servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones.
11The king made of the algum trees terraces for Yahweh's house and for the king's house, and harps and stringed instruments for the singers; and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.
12King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, more than she had brought to the king. So she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants.
13Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold,
14in addition to that which the traders and merchants brought. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one buckler.
16He made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield; and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
17Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
18There were six steps to the throne, and a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.
19Twelve lions stood there on the six steps on either side. There was nothing like it made in any kingdom.
20All king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was not esteemed as anything in the days of Solomon.
21For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years came the ships of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
22So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
23All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom that God had put in his heart.
24They each brought his tribute, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and clothing, armor, spices, horses, and mules, year by year.
25Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, and he placed them in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
26He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates even to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.
27The king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland, for abundance.
28They brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt, and out of all countries.
29Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, aren't they written in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
30Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
31Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father; and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.
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Summary
The Queen of Sheba makes a royal visit to test Solomon's legendary wisdom and comes away overwhelmed — declaring that the half of his wisdom was not told her. She blesses Israel's God for placing Solomon on the throne. The chapter then catalogs Solomon's staggering annual wealth — 666 talents of gold, an ivory throne overlaid with gold, silver as common as stones in Jerusalem. Solomon's dominion extends from the Euphrates to Egypt. He reigns 40 years and dies, succeeded by his son Rehoboam.
Themes
- Wisdom recognized and honored by the nations
- The fulfillment of God's promise of unparalleled prosperity
- The end of an era — the golden age of Solomon
Key verses
- 2 Chr 9:22 — “So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.”
- 2 Chr 9:6-7 — “The half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me... Happy are your men... who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom.”
- 2 Chr 9:8 — “Blessed be Yahweh your God, who delighted in you, to set you on his throne as king for Yahweh your God!”
Context & background
Sheba was likely the kingdom of Saba in modern Yemen (southwestern Arabian Peninsula), known for its spice and gold trade routes. The Queen's journey to Jerusalem — a round trip of roughly 3,000 km through the Arabian desert — was extraordinary and speaks to the reach of Solomon's fame. Her blessing of Israel's God is a remarkable testimony from a foreign monarch. The Chronicler omits Solomon's idolatry (1 Kings 11) entirely, maintaining his focus on David and Solomon as models of faithful kingship. Solomon reigned c. 970–930 BC. His death ends the united monarchy; from chapter 10 onward, Chronicles will follow the kings of Judah only.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 10 — Parallel account of the Queen of Sheba visit
- 1 Kings 11 — Solomon's idolatry and judgment (omitted by Chronicles)
- Isaiah 60:6 — Nations bringing gold and frankincense to Zion; echoes this international tribute
- Matthew 12:42 — Jesus references the Queen of the South who came to hear Solomon's wisdom; "something greater than Solomon is here"
- Proverbs 1-9 — The wisdom Solomon offered, available to all who seek it