2 Chronicles 9 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

A.M. 3012. B.C. 992.

The queen of Sheba visits Solomon, 2 Chronicles 9:1-12. The riches and splendour of his court, 2 Chronicles 9:13-28. The conclusion of his reign, 2 Chronicles 9:29-31.

There is little in this chapter but what is related in 1 Kings 10.; in the notes on which the reader will find it explained at large.

To set thee on his throne, to be king for the Lord thy God In the Lord's name and stead, in a special manner, because he sat in God's own throne, and ruled over God's peculiar people, and did, in an eminent manner, maintain the honour of God in his land, and in the eyes of all the world. Those mercies are doubly sweet, in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God as our God.

She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, &c. This was indeed a royal gift, for the gold alone amounted to more than sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling.

Besides that which she had brought unto the king Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him. See note on 1 Kings 10:13.

With a footstool of gold This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 10:18, where see the note.

All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon All in those parts of the world. To hear his wisdom Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence, or his skill in physic, or his state-policy, or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life, or perhaps the principles of his religion, and the evidences of it. That God put in his heart Which was God's supernatural gift to him, in answer to his prayer. The application which they then made, with such eagerness, to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, will aggravate, shame, and condemn men's general contempt of Christ and his gospel, in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; but which none of the princes of this world desire to know, for they are foolishness to them, 1Co 2:8; 1 Corinthians 2:14.

In the visions of Iddo the seer Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 12:15, and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed, 2 Chronicles 15:1. This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians, and wrote annals of their times, out of which these sacred books were taken, either by these or other prophets.

And Solomon slept with his fathers We have here Solomon in his throne, and Solomon in his grave; for the throne could not secure him from the grave. Here is he stripped of his pomp, and leaving all his wealth and power, not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool, but one he knew would be a fool! This was not only vanity, but vexation of spirit.