New King James Version
1 Kings 10:1
1Now 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.
1 Kings 10:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions.
- New International Version (NIV)When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the Lord, she came to test Solomon with hard questions.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, which brought honor to the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions.
Context of 1 Kings 10:1
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. 2She 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. 3So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her.
Read all of 1 Kings 101 Kings 10:1 word by word
וּמַֽלְכַּת־שְׁבָ֗א שֹׁמַ֛עַת אֶת־שֵׁ֥מַע שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לְשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה וַתָּבֹ֥א לְנַסֹּת֖וֹ בְּחִידֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And when the queenמַלְכָּהmalkâh · Queen (of Sheba)H4436
- of Shebaשְׁבָאshebâ' · ShebaH7614
- heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- of the fameשֵׁ֫מַעshêma‛ · reportH8088
- of Solomonשְׁלֹמֹהshelômôh · SolomonH8010
- concerning the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- she cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- to proveנָסָהnâsâh · to testH5254
- him with hard questionsחִידָהchîydâh · riddleH2420
People and places in 1 Kings 10:1
Cross-references for 1 Kings 10:1
- 2 Chronicles 9:1Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, having a very great retinue, camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.
- Matthew 12:42The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.
- Luke 11:31The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.
- Genesis 10:7The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabtechah; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.
- Genesis 25:3Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.
- Job 6:19The caravans of Tema look, The travelers of Sheba hope for them.
- Psalms 72:10The kings of Tarshish and of the isles Will bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba Will offer gifts.
- Isaiah 60:6The multitude of camels shall cover your land, The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba shall come; They shall bring gold and incense, And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.
- Jeremiah 6:20For what purpose to Me Comes frankincense from Sheba, And sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, Nor your sacrifices sweet to Me.”
- Ezekiel 27:22The merchants of Sheba and Raamah were your merchants. They traded for your wares the choicest spices, all kinds of precious stones, and gold.
- Ezekiel 38:13Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, ‘Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’ ” ’
- 1 Kings 4:31For he was wiser than all men—than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations.
- Job 28:28And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.’ ”
- Proverbs 2:3Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding,
- John 17:3And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
- 1 Corinthians 1:20Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
Commentaries on 1 Kings 10:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1When the queen of Sheba heard - As our Lord calls her queen of the south, ( Matthew 12:42;), it is likely the name should be written Saba, Azab, or Azaba, all of which signify the south. She is called Balkis by the Arabians, but by the Abyssinians Maqueda. See the account at the end of this chapter, 1 Kings 10:29; (note). With hard questions - בחידות bechidoth ; Septuagint, , riddles. With parables and riddles, says the Arabic.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Doubt has arisen whether the “queen of Sheba” was an Ethiopian or an Arabian princess. Both countries profess to have traditions on the subject connecting the queen of Sheba with their history; and in both countries, curiously enough, government by queens was common. But the claims of Arabia decidedly preponderate. The Arabian Sheba was the great spice country of the ancient world; whereas Ethiopia furnished no spices. The Arabian Sheba was an important…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The queen of Sheba's visit to Solomon. (1-13) Solomon's wealth. (14-29) Verses 1-13 The queen of Sheba came to Solomon to hear his wisdom, thereby to improve her own. Our Saviour mentions her inquiries after God, by Solomon, as showing the stupidity of those who inquire not after God, by our Lord Jesus Christ. By waiting and prayer, by diligently searching the Scriptures, by consulting wise and experienced Christians, and by practising what we have…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1The queen probably heard about Solomon's wisdom and wealth because of his trade trips to Ophir (1 Kings 10:11; see 1 Kings 9:26–28). Sheba, in southwestern Arabia (modern Yemen), was a fertile trade center. The ancient Sabeans traded across vast areas, including Syria, Africa, and India. test … with difficult questions (literally riddles): Arabian literature is known for its riddles and proverbs. The queen tested Solomon's wisdom and explored her own…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-131Ki 10:1-13. The Queen of Sheba Admires the Wisdom of Solomon. 1. the queen of Sheba--Some think her country was the Sabean kingdom of Yemen, of which the capital was Saba, in Arabia-Felix; others, that it was in African Ethiopia, that is, Abyssinia, towards the south of the Red Sea. The opinions preponderate in favor of the former. This view harmonizes with the language of our Lord, as Yemen means "South"; and this country, extending to the shores of the…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 10:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Kings 10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries