1 Kings 10:1

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 King James Version (NKJV)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.

Context of 1 Kings 10:1

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. 2She arrived in Jerusalem with a large group of attendants and a great caravan of camels loaded with spices, large quantities of gold, and precious jewels. When she met with Solomon, she talked with him about everything she had on her mind. 3Solomon had answers for all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her.

1 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

Cross-references for 1 Kings 10:1

• 2 Chronicles 9:1When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. She arrived with a large group of attendants and a great caravan of camels loaded with spices, large quantities of gold, and precious jewels. When she met with Solomon, she talked with him about everything she had on her mind.
• Matthew 12:42The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen.
• Luke 11:31“The queen of Sheba will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen.
• Genesis 10:7The descendants of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.
• Genesis 25:3Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. Dedan’s descendants were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites.
• Job 6:19The caravans from Tema search for this water; the travelers from Sheba hope to find it.
• Psalms 72:10The western kings of Tarshish and other distant lands will bring him tribute. The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba will bring him gifts.
• Isaiah 60:6Vast caravans of camels will converge on you, the camels of Midian and Ephah. The people of Sheba will bring gold and frankincense and will come worshiping the Lord.
• Jeremiah 6:20There’s no use offering me sweet frankincense from Sheba. Keep your fragrant calamus imported from distant lands! I will not accept your burnt offerings. Your sacrifices have no pleasing aroma for me.”
• Ezekiel 27:22The merchants of Sheba and Raamah came with all kinds of spices, jewels, and gold in exchange for your wares.
• Ezekiel 38:13But Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish will ask, ‘Do you really think the armies you have gathered can rob them of silver and gold? Do you think you can drive away their livestock and seize their goods and carry off plunder?’
• 1 Kings 4:31He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite and the sons of Mahol—Heman, Calcol, and Darda. His fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations.
• Job 28:28And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’”
• Proverbs 2:3Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.
• John 17:3And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.
• 1 Corinthians 1:20So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.

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

• Queen
• Sheba
• Solomon
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Sheba
• Solomon
• Queen of Sheba
• Exceed
• Gold
• Navy
• Seek
• Fame
• Games
• Hard; Hardiness; Harddiness; Hardly

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