CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0;"/><title>2 Chronicles 9 Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/commentaries/expositors/2_chronicles/9.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/5001com.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 4800px), only screen and (max-device-width: 4800px)" href="/4801.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 1550px), only screen and (max-device-width: 1550px)" href="/1551.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 1250px), only screen and (max-device-width: 1250px)" href="/1251.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 1050px), only screen and (max-device-width: 1050px)" href="/1051.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 900px), only screen and (max-device-width: 900px)" href="/901.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 800px), only screen and (max-device-width: 800px)" href="/801.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 575px), only screen and (max-device-width: 575px)" href="/501.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-height: 450px), only screen and (max-device-height: 450px)" href="/h451.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/2_chronicles/9.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="//biblehu.com/bmcom/2_chronicles/9-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="/commentaries/">Commentary</a> > <a href="../">Ellicott</a> > <a href="../2_chronicles/">2 Chronicles</a></div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../2_chronicles/8.htm" title="2 Chronicles 8">◄</a> 2 Chronicles 9 <a href="../2_chronicles/10.htm" title="2 Chronicles 10">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</div><div class="chap"> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-1.htm">2 Chronicles 9:1</a></div><div class="verse">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.</div><span class= "bld">IX.</span><p>(ii) <span class= "bld">SOLOMON’S WISDOM, WEALTH, AND GLORY. HIS DEATH.</span><p>(<span class= "ital">a</span>) <span class= "bld">THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA</span> (<a href="/context/2_chronicles/9-1.htm" title="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 bore 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.">2Chronicles 9:1-12</a>).<p>Comp. <a href="/context/1_kings/10-1.htm" title="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.">1Kings 10:1-13</a>.<p>The Hebrew text coincides with Kings, allowing for a few characteristic alterations, the chief of which will be noticed.<p>(1) <span class= "bld">And when the queen of Sheba heard.</span>—<span class= "ital">Now the queen of Sheba had heard.</span> Kings, <span class= "ital">was hearing.</span><p><span class= "bld">The fame of Solomon.</span>—Kings, adds a difficult phrase (“as to the name of Jehovah”) which the chronicler omits.<p><span class= "bld">Hard questions.</span>—<span class= "ital">Riddles, enigmas.</span> LXX., <span class= "greekheb">αἰνίγμασιν</span> (<a href="/judges/14-12.htm" title="And Samson said to them, I will now put forth a riddle to you: if you can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:">Judges 14:12</a>).<p><span class= "bld">At Jerusalem.</span>—An abridgment but not an improvement of Kings. The Syr. agrees with the latter.<p><span class= "bld">Gold in abundance.</span>—The chronicler has substituted a favourite expression for the “<span class= "ital">very much</span> gold” of Kings.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-4.htm">2 Chronicles 9:4</a></div><div class="verse">And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.</div>(4) <span class= "bld">And his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord.</span>—Kings, “And his <span class= "ital">burnt offering which he offered</span> in the house of the Lord.” The LXX., Syr., and Vulg. here agree with Kings; and the Arab. reads, “the altar on which he offered.” In all other passages, the word used in our text (<span class= "ital">‘alîyāh</span>) means not <span class= "ital">ascent,</span> but <span class= "ital">upper chamber;</span> it is likely, therefore, that in the present instance it is merely an error of transcription for the term occurring in Kings (<span class= "ital">‘ôlāh,</span> “burnt-offering”).<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-5.htm">2 Chronicles 9:5</a></div><div class="verse">And she said to the king, <i>It was</i> a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom:</div>(5) <span class= "bld">Of thine acts.</span>—Literally, <span class= "ital">words.</span> LXX., <span class= "greekheb">περὶ τῶν λόγων σου</span><span class= "ital">.</span> We might render <span class= "ital">matters, affairs.</span><p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-6.htm">2 Chronicles 9:6</a></div><div class="verse">Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen <i>it</i>: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: <i>for</i> thou exceedest the fame that I heard.</div>(6) <span class= "bld">The one half of the greatness of thy wisdom.</span>—Kings has simply, “the half was not told me.” The chronicler has made an explanatory addition. (See <a href="/1_chronicles/12-29.htm" title="And of the children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul, three thousand: for till now the greatest part of them had kept the ward of the house of Saul.">1Chronicles 12:29</a>, and <a href="/2_chronicles/30-18.htm" title="For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one">2Chronicles 30:18</a>, for the word <span class= "ital">marbith,</span> “increase,” “multitude,” which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere.)<p><span class= "bld">Thou exceedest the fame.</span>—Literally, <span class= "ital">Thou kast added to the report.</span> Kings, more fully, “Thou hast added wisdom and weal to the report.”<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-7.htm">2 Chronicles 9:7</a></div><div class="verse">Happy <i>are</i> thy men, and happy <i>are</i> these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.</div>(7) <span class= "bld">And happy . . . and hear.</span>—The conjunctions weaken the rhetorical effect of the verse, and are not read in Kings.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-8.htm">2 Chronicles 9:8</a></div><div class="verse">Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, <i>to be</i> king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.</div>(8) <span class= "bld">On his throne</span>—i.e., Jehovah’s throne. (Comp. <a href="/1_chronicles/28-5.htm" title="And of all my sons, (for the LORD has given me many sons,) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.">1Chronicles 28:5</a>.) Kings has, “on the throne of Israel.”<p><span class= "bld">To be king for the Lord thy God.</span>—A further insistance on the idea that Solomon was but the vicegerent of Jehovah. The clause is added by the chronicler, but need not be called “an evidently wilful alteration” (<span class= "ital">Thenius</span>)<span class= "ital">.</span><p><span class= "bld">To establish.</span>—This phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings, but is probably original, as the LXX. there has it.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-9.htm">2 Chronicles 9:9</a></div><div class="verse">And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon.</div>(9) <span class= "bld">Spices.</span>—<span class= "ital">B’sāmîm,</span> from which come our words <span class= "ital">balsam</span> and <span class= "ital">balm.</span><p><span class= "bld">Great abundance.</span>—See Note on <a href="/2_chronicles/9-1.htm" title="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 bore 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.">2Chronicles 9:1</a>. Here <span class= "ital">lārōb</span> is substituted for the ancient <span class= "ital">harbēh.</span><p><span class= "bld">Neither was there any such spice.</span>—Or, <span class= "ital">there had not been such spicery, i.e.,</span> in Jerusalem. A defect in the chronicler’s MS. authority probably occasioned this deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text, “There came no more such abundance of spicery” (<a href="/1_kings/10-10.htm" title="And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.">1Kings 10:10</a>).<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-10.htm">2 Chronicles 9:10</a></div><div class="verse">And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.</div>(10) <span class= "bld">And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon.</span>—Kings, “And the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophir.” The phrase is altered here to correspond with <a href="/2_chronicles/8-18.htm" title="And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took there four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.">2Chronicles 8:18</a>.<p><span class= "bld">Brought algum trees.</span>—See <a href="/2_chronicles/2-8.htm" title="Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that your servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with your servants,">2Chronicles 2:8</a>. LXX., <span class= "greekheb">ξύλα πεύκιυα</span>; Vulg., “ligna thyina;” Syriac, “acacia (?) wood” (’<span class= "ital">eshkor</span>‘<span class= "ital">ō</span>); Kings, “brought from Ophir <span class= "ital">almug trees</span> in great abundance.” In the Mishna ’<span class= "ital">almûg</span> is “coral;” and the Rabbis ascribe a <span class= "ital">red</span> colour to the algum wood. The <span class= "ital">Pterocarpus Santalinus</span> has blood-red wood with black streaks, is fragrant, and is used in works of art, as well as for burning. The tree called <span class= "ital">Valgu</span> or <span class= "ital">Valgum</span> is the <span class= "ital">Santalum album,</span> which produces <span class= "ital">white</span> and <span class= "ital">yellow</span> sandalwood. Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (<span class= "ital">Cytharexylon Tectona</span>)<span class= "ital">,</span> which abounds in East India, and is a hard, yellow-streaked, strongly-scented wood, used in India for temple building.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-11.htm">2 Chronicles 9:11</a></div><div class="verse">And the king made <i>of</i> the algum trees terraces to the house of the LORD, and to the king's palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.</div>(11) <span class= "bld">Terraces.</span>—<span class= "ital">M’sillôth,</span> which usually means <span class= "ital">highways,</span> that is, raised paths. The word is an interpretation of <span class= "ital">mis‘ād,</span> which only occurs in <a href="/1_kings/11-12.htm" title="Notwithstanding in your days I will not do it for David your father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of your son.">1Kings 11:12</a>. LXX., <span class= "greekheb">ἀναβάσεις</span>; Vulg., “gradus;” Arabic, “pillars.”<p><span class= "bld">Singers.</span>—<span class= "ital">The singers.</span><p><span class= "bld">And there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.</span>—A shortened paraphrase of, “There came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day” (Kings). “The land of Judah” is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactor’s thought.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-12.htm">2 Chronicles 9:12</a></div><div class="verse">And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside <i>that</i> which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.</div>(12) <span class= "bld">Beside that which she had brought unto the king.</span>—It can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents. If the reading be sound, we may understand <span class= "ital">return presents, i.e.,</span> gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed. Or better, we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chronicler’s, to the effect that the giving of presents was <span class= "ital">not all on one side.</span> Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor. Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer: “And quite apart from what she brought the king, Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desire.” Bertheau, however, proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text, so as to get the sense, “beside what the king had brought for her.” <a href="/1_kings/10-13.htm" title="And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.">1Kings 10:13</a> is much clearer: “besides what he had given her, according to the hand of king Solomon.” LXX. translates, “besides all that she brought to king Solomon;” the Vulg., “and far more than she had brought him,” which <span class= "ital">may</span> be a trace of the original reading; the Syriac, “besides what he had given her.” Syriac and Arabic add, “and he revealed to her all that was in her heart.”<p><span class= "bld">She turned.</span>—<span class= "ital">Hāphak,</span> for <span class= "ital">pānāh</span> of Kings, which is more usual in this sense.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-13.htm">2 Chronicles 9:13</a></div><div class="verse">Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;</div>(<span class= "ital">b</span>) <span class= "bld">SOLOMON’S INCOME, SPLENDOUR, AND DOMINION</span>—(<a href="/context/2_chronicles/9-13.htm" title="Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and three score and six talents of gold;">2Chronicles 9:13-28</a>). Comp. <a href="/context/1_kings/10-14.htm" title="Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred three score and six talents of gold,">1Kings 10:14-29</a>, and <a href="/context/1_kings/4-26.htm" title="And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.">1Kings 4:26-27</a>.<p>(13) <span class= "bld">Now the weight of gold.</span>—See <a href="/1_kings/10-14.htm" title="Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred three score and six talents of gold,">1Kings 10:14</a>, with which this verse coincides.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-14.htm">2 Chronicles 9:14</a></div><div class="verse">Beside <i>that which</i> chapmen and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.</div>(14) <span class= "bld">Besides that which chapmen and merchants brought.</span>—The Hebrew is difficult, and probably corrupt. Literally it seems to run, <span class= "ital">besides the men of the itinerants</span> (a strange phrase), <span class= "ital">and that which the merchants were bringing;</span> or, perhaps, <span class= "ital">apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing.</span> The last word may be a clerical error, as it occurs again directly. The conjecture of Thenius on <a href="/1_kings/10-15.htm" title="Beside that he had of the merchants, and of the traffic of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.">1Kings 10:15</a> seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions. He would read instead of <span class= "ital">’anshê ha-tārîm,</span> “men of the travellers,” <span class= "ital">‘onshê ha-r’dûyîm, “fines</span> or tributes <span class= "ital">of the subjects.”</span> The Syriac of Chronicles has “tributes of the cities.” Perhaps, therefore, the true original reading was <span class= "ital">‘onshê he‘arîm.</span> The Vulg. renders “envoys of divers peoples;” but the LXX., “<span class= "ital">men of the subjected</span> (states).”<p>For the second half of the phrase Kings has, “and the merchandise of the pedlars.”<p><span class= "bld">The kings of Arabia.</span>—Kings, “the kings of the mixed tribes;” that is, the <span class= "ital">Bêdâwîs,</span> bordering on and <span class= "ital">mingling</span> with Israel. (Comp. <a href="/exodus/12-38.htm" title="And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.">Exodus 12:38</a>.) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only. (Comp. <a href="/jeremiah/25-24.htm" title="And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert,">Jeremiah 25:24</a>, where both words occur; and <a href="/ezekiel/30-5.htm" title="Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword.">Ezekiel 30:5</a>.)<p><span class= "bld">Governors.</span>—<span class= "ital">Pachôth,</span> i.e., pashas. Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the “later composition of the section.” (See Note on <a href="/2_kings/18-24.htm" title="How then will you turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?">2Kings 18:24</a>.)<p><span class= "bld">Brought.</span>—<span class= "ital">Were bringing =</span> used to bring. (Comp. <a href="/context/2_chronicles/9-23.htm" title="And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart.">2Chronicles 9:23-24</a>.)<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-15.htm">2 Chronicles 9:15</a></div><div class="verse">And king Solomon made two hundred targets <i>of</i> beaten gold: six hundred <i>shekels</i> of beaten gold went to one target.</div>(15) <span class= "bld">And king Solomon made.</span>—Word for word as <a href="/1_kings/10-16.htm" title="And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target.">1Kings 10:16</a>.<p><span class= "bld">Beaten gold.</span>—Rather, according to Gesenius, <span class= "ital">mixed</span> or <span class= "ital">alloyed gold.</span> But the word (<span class= "ital">shahût, i.e., shatûah</span>) seems to mean gold <span class= "ital">beaten out, gold-leaf.</span> So LXX., <span class= "greekheb">ἐλατούς</span><span class= "ital">.</span><p><span class= "bld">Went to.</span>—<span class= "ital">He put on, i.e.,</span> he plated the “targets,” which were large oblong shields, with gold. (Comp. <a href="/amos/8-10.htm" title="And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth on all loins, and baldness on every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.">Amos 8:10</a>, “And I will <span class= "ital">put upon</span> all loins sackcloth.”) So in <a href="/2_chronicles/9-16.htm" title="And three hundred shields made he 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.">2Chronicles 9:16</a>.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-16.htm">2 Chronicles 9:16</a></div><div class="verse">And three hundred shields <i>made he of</i> beaten gold: three hundred <i>shekels</i> of gold went to one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.</div>(16) <span class= "bld">Shields.</span>—<span class= "ital">Maginnîm.</span> The <span class= "ital">māgēn</span> was a rouud or oval shield, about half the size of the “target” (<span class= "ital">çinnah</span>)<span class= "ital">,</span> with which it is often contrasted; <span class= "ital">e.g.,</span> <a href="/psalms/35-2.htm" title="Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help.">Psalm 35:2</a>; LXX., <span class= "greekheb">ἀσπίδα</span>.<p><span class= "bld">Three hundred shekels of gold.</span>—Kings, <span class= "ital">three manehs of gold.</span> The maneh or mina (Assyrian, <span class= "ital">mana</span>)<span class= "ital">,</span> was 1-60th part of a talent, and was equivalent to fifty or sixty shekels. Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (<span class= "ital">sh’losh mē’ôth</span> for <span class= "ital">sh’losheth manîm</span>)<span class= "ital">,</span> or the word <span class= "ital">shekels</span> is wrongly supplied in our version, and we ought rather to read <span class= "ital">drachms</span> (100 drachms = 1 mina). The Syriac reads, “And three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shield;” so also the Arabic.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-17.htm">2 Chronicles 9:17</a></div><div class="verse">Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.</div>(17) <span class= "bld">Pure.</span>—<span class= "ital">Tahôr,</span> a common word, for the once occurring <span class= "ital">mûphaz</span> of Kings.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-18.htm">2 Chronicles 9:18</a></div><div class="verse">And <i>there were</i> six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, <i>which were</i> fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the stays:</div>(18) <span class= "bld">With a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne.</span>—Instead of this Kings has, <span class= "ital">And the throne had a rounded top behind.</span> Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones, it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings, and with which the Syriac here agrees. The LXX. renders, “and six steps to the throne, fastened with gold,” omitting the footstool. The Heb. is at all events suspiciously awkward.<p>For the remainder of this and the following verse see <a href="/context/1_kings/10-19.htm" title="The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.">1Kings 10:19-20</a>. The chronicler has made two, slight verbal corrections in <a href="/2_chronicles/9-19.htm" title="And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom.">2Chronicles 9:19</a>.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-20.htm">2 Chronicles 9:20</a></div><div class="verse">And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon <i>were of</i> gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon <i>were of</i> pure gold: none <i>were of</i> silver; it was <i>not</i> any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon.</div>(20) <span class= "bld">None were of silver; it was not anything accounted of.</span>—The <span class= "ital">not</span> appears to be rightly supplied by our version; comp. <a href="/1_kings/10-21.htm" title="And all king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.">1Kings 10:21</a>, with which the verse otherwise entirely agrees.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-21.htm">2 Chronicles 9:21</a></div><div class="verse">For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.</div>(21) <span class= "bld">For the king’s ships went to Tarshish.</span>—<a href="/1_kings/10-22.htm" title="For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.">1Kings 10:22</a>, <span class= "ital">“</span>For the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea, with the fleet of Hiram.” It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression, “Tarshish fleet,” <span class= "ital">i.e.,</span> a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages. (Comp. <a href="/isaiah/2-16.htm" title="And on all the ships of Tarshish, and on all pleasant pictures.">Isaiah 2:16</a>.) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in <a href="/2_chronicles/9-10.htm" title="And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.">2Chronicles 9:10</a> is not evident. Solomon may have had a fleet in the Mediterranean (“the sea” of <a href="/1_kings/10-22.htm" title="For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.">1Kings 10:22</a>) trading westward, as well as in the Red Sea, trading south and east. Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf. (See Note on <a href="/2_chronicles/20-36.htm" title="And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Eziongaber.">2Chronicles 20:36</a>.)<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-22.htm">2 Chronicles 9:22</a></div><div class="verse">And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.</div>(22) <span class= "bld">And king Solomon.</span>—See <a href="/1_kings/10-23.htm" title="So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.">1Kings 10:23</a>.<p><span class= "bld">Passed all.</span>—<span class= "ital">Was great above all.</span><p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-23.htm">2 Chronicles 9:23</a></div><div class="verse">And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart.</div>(23) <span class= "bld">All the kings of the earth.</span>—Explanatory of “all the earth were seeking” (Kings). <span class= "ital">The earth,</span> an expression defined in <a href="/2_chronicles/9-26.htm" title="And he reigned over all the kings from the river even to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.">2Chronicles 9:26</a>.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-24.htm">2 Chronicles 9:24</a></div><div class="verse">And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, harness, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.</div>(24) <span class= "bld">And they brought.</span>—<span class= "ital">Used to bring.</span> (Comp. <a href="/2_chronicles/9-14.htm" title="Beside that which chapmen and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.">2Chronicles 9:14</a>.)<p><span class= "bld">Harness</span>—<span class= "ital">i.e.,</span> weapons and armour. Compare Macbeth’s<p>“At least we’ll die with <span class= "ital">harness</span> on our back.”<p><span class= "bld">A rate year by year.</span>—Literally, <span class= "ital">a year’s matter in a year.</span> Solomon’s vassal kings are intended.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-25.htm">2 Chronicles 9:25</a></div><div class="verse">And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.</div>(25) <span class= "bld">And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.</span>—See <a href="/1_kings/4-26.htm" title="And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.">1Kings 4:26</a> (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40,000).<p>The remainder of the verse coincides with <a href="/1_kings/10-26.htm" title="And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.">1Kings 10:26</a>.<p>Having already given an account of Solomon’s chariots and horses, and his importation of the latter from Egypt, in <a href="/context/2_chronicles/1-14.htm" title="And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.">2Chronicles 1:14-17</a>, an account which is identical with <a href="/context/1_kings/10-26.htm" title="And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.">1Kings 10:26-29</a>, the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in <a href="/context/2_chronicles/9-25.htm" title="And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.">2Chronicles 9:25-28</a>.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-26.htm">2 Chronicles 9:26</a></div><div class="verse">And he reigned over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.</div>(26) <span class= "bld">And he reigned over all the kings.</span>—This verse corresponds to <a href="/1_kings/4-21.htm" title="And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.">1Kings 4:21</a>.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-27.htm">2 Chronicles 9:27</a></div><div class="verse">And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that <i>are</i> in the low plains in abundance.</div>(27) <span class= "bld">And the king made silver.</span>—Identical with <a href="/1_kings/10-27.htm" title="And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.">1Kings 10:27</a>. On this and the following verse, comp. the prohibitions of <a href="/context/deuteronomy/17-16.htm" title="But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: for as much as the LORD has said to you, You shall from now on return no more that way.">Deuteronomy 17:16-17</a>.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-28.htm">2 Chronicles 9:28</a></div><div class="verse">And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.</div>(28) <span class= "bld">And they brought.</span>—<span class= "ital">Used to bring.</span> The verse summarises <a href="/context/1_kings/10-28.htm" title="And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.">1Kings 10:28-29</a> (=<a href="/context/2_chronicles/1-16.htm" title="And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.">2Chronicles 1:16-17</a>), and adds that Solomon imported horses “out of all the lands,” as well as from Egypt.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-29.htm">2 Chronicles 9:29</a></div><div class="verse">Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, <i>are</i> they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?</div>(<span class= "ital">c</span>) <span class= "bld">REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTS.—CLOSE OF THE REIGN</span> (<a href="/context/2_chronicles/9-29.htm" title="Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?">2Chronicles 9:29-31</a>). (Comp. <a href="/context/1_kings/11-41.htm" title="And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?">1Kings 11:41-43</a>.)<p>(29) <span class= "bld">Now the rest of the acts of Solomon.</span>—Or, <span class= "ital">story, history</span>; literally, <span class= "ital">words.</span> (Comp. <a href="/1_chronicles/29-29.htm" title="Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,">1Chronicles 29:29</a>.)<p><span class= "bld">First and last.</span>—Or, <span class= "ital">the former and the latter.</span> Instead of this, Kings has, “and all that he did, and his wisdom.”<p><span class= "bld">In the book.</span>—Or, <span class= "ital">history.</span> For the sources named here, see the Introduction. Kings has simply, “are they not written in the book of the history of Solomon? “His name conveyed the idea of <span class= "ital">peace</span> to the Hebrew ear. But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian <span class= "ital">Salmânu</span>)<span class= "ital">,</span> the name of a god. Tiglath-pileser II. mentions a <span class= "ital">Salamânu</span> king of Moab. This name exactly corresponds to Solomon.<p><span class= "bld">Ahijah the Shilonite.</span>—See <a href="/context/1_kings/11-29.htm" title="And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:">1Kings 11:29-39</a>; <a href="/context/1_kings/14-2.htm" title="And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray you, and disguise yourself, that you be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get you to Shiloh: behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this people.">1Kings 14:2-18</a>.<p><span class= "bld">Iddo.</span>—Hebrew, <span class= "ital">Ie‘dî</span> or <span class= "ital">Ie‘dô.</span> This seer is not mentioned in Kings. (See <a href="/2_chronicles/12-15.htm" title="Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.">2Chronicles 12:15</a>; <a href="/2_chronicles/13-22.htm" title="And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.">2Chronicles 13:22</a> for further references to his works.)<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-30.htm">2 Chronicles 9:30</a></div><div class="verse">And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.</div>(30) <span class= "bld">And Solomon reigned.</span>—So <a href="/1_kings/11-42.htm" title="And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.">1Kings 11:42</a>, “And the days that Solomon reigned,” etc., as here.<p><span class= "bld">Over all Israel</span>—i.e., the undivided nation.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/2_chronicles/9-31.htm">2 Chronicles 9:31</a></div><div class="verse">And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.</div>(31) <span class= "bld">Slept.</span>—Literally, <span class= "ital">lay down.</span><p><span class= "bld">He was buried.</span>—<span class= "ital">They buried him.</span> Kings has, “he was buried.” The two texts are otherwise identical.<p><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers<br /><br />Text Courtesy of <a href="//biblesupport.com" target="_top">BibleSupport.com</a>. Used by Permission. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a></div></div></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../2_chronicles/8.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="2 Chronicles 8"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="2 Chronicles 8" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../2_chronicles/10.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="2 Chronicles 10"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="2 Chronicles 10" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="rightbox"><div class="padright"><div id="pic"><iframe width="100%" height="860" scrolling="no" src="//biblescan.com/mpc/2_chronicles/9-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div></div><div id="rightbox4"><div class="padright2"><div id="spons1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td class="sp1"><iframe width="122" height="860" scrolling="no" src="/commentaries/ellicott/sidemenu.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="bot"><br /><br /><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhchap.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></body></html>