2 Chronicles 9:1 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Bible Comments

IX.

(ii) SOLOMON’S WISDOM, WEALTH, AND GLORY. HIS DEATH.

(a) THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA (2 Chronicles 9:1-12).
Comp. 1 Kings 10:1-13.

The Hebrew text coincides with Kings, allowing for a few characteristic alterations, the chief of which will be noticed.
(1) And when the queen of Sheba heard.Now the queen of Sheba had heard. Kings, was hearing.

The fame of Solomon. — Kings, adds a difficult phrase (“as to the name of Jehovah”) which the chronicler omits.

Hard questions.Riddles, enigmas. LXX., αἰνίγμασιν (Judges 14:12).

At Jerusalem. — An abridgment but not an improvement of Kings. The Syr. agrees with the latter.

Gold in abundance. — The chronicler has substituted a favourite expression for the “very much gold” of Kings.

2 Chronicles 9:1

1 And 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 company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.