2 Chronicles 9

King James Version

Full text for 2 Chronicles Chapter 9

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.

2And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.

3And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

4And 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.

5And she said to the king, [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom:

6Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen [it]: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard.

7Happy [are] thy men, and happy [are] these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.

8Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, [to be] 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.

9And 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.

10And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.

11And the king made [of] 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.

12And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside [that] which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.

13¶ Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;

14Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15And king Solomon made two hundred targets [of] beaten gold: six hundred [shekels] of beaten gold went to one target.

16And 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.

17Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.

18And [there were] six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, [which were] fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the stays:

19And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom.

20And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon [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 [not] any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

21For 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.

22And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

23And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart.

24And 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.

25And 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.

26And he reigned over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.

27And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance.

28And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.

29Now 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?

30And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

31And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Second Chronicles chapter 9 details the visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, where she was overwhelmed by his wisdom and the splendor of his kingdom. The chapter then describes Solomon's unparalleled wealth, including vast amounts of gold, elaborate golden artifacts, and his extensive trade networks. It highlights his supremacy over all other kings in riches and wisdom. The chapter concludes by noting Solomon's forty-year reign and his death, succeeded by his son Rehoboam.

Medium Summary

Second Chronicles chapter 9 opens with the Queen of Sheba's visit to Jerusalem, drawn by Solomon's renowned fame. She tested him with difficult questions, all of which Solomon answered, leaving her astonished by his wisdom and the magnificent order of his court and kingdom. Overwhelmed, she praised God for setting Solomon on the throne and presented him with lavish gifts of gold, spices, and precious stones, receiving gifts in return. The chapter then transitions to detail Solomon's immense annual intake of gold, alongside other valuable commodities like silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks, acquired through extensive trade. His wealth was further displayed in two hundred golden targets, three hundred golden shields, and an elaborate ivory throne overlaid with pure gold. Solomon's drinking vessels and the furnishings of his palace were exclusively gold, silver being considered of little value. The narrative emphasizes that Solomon surpassed all other kings in both riches and wisdom, with rulers from across the earth seeking his presence. The chapter concludes by stating Solomon reigned for forty years in Jerusalem before his death and the succession of Rehoboam.

Long Summary

Second Chronicles chapter 9 commences with the arrival of the Queen of Sheba in Jerusalem, having heard of King Solomon's widespread fame. She came with a grand entourage, bearing abundant spices, gold, and precious stones, intending to test Solomon with "hard questions." Solomon answered all her inquiries, leaving nothing hidden from her understanding. Upon witnessing his profound wisdom, the grandeur of his built house, the order of his table, the attendance of his servants and ministers, and his ascent to the house of the LORD, the Queen was utterly overwhelmed, declaring that the half of his greatness had not been told to her. She blessed the LORD God for delighting in Solomon and establishing him as king to execute judgment and justice for Israel. In tribute, she presented Solomon with a hundred and twenty talents of gold, great abundance of spices, and precious stones, receiving in return all her desire from the king. The narrative then shifts to detail the vastness of Solomon's wealth, noting that six hundred threescore and six talents of gold came to him annually, in addition to what merchants and other kings brought. He fashioned two hundred large targets and three hundred shields entirely of beaten gold, placing them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. A magnificent throne of ivory, overlaid with pure gold and adorned with twelve lions, was also constructed, unparalleled in any kingdom. All his drinking vessels and the furnishings of his house were of pure gold, as silver was considered of no value during his reign due to its abundance. This immense wealth was partly facilitated by his ships, which sailed to Tarshish every three years, bringing back gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. The chapter emphatically states that King Solomon surpassed all other kings of the earth in both riches and wisdom, with rulers from across the globe seeking his presence to hear the wisdom God had placed in his heart, bringing him annual gifts. He maintained a vast military, possessing four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, and his dominion extended from the river to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt. Silver became as common as stones in Jerusalem, and cedar trees as abundant as sycomores. The chapter concludes by noting that Solomon reigned for forty years in Jerusalem over all Israel, his acts recorded in the books of Nathan, Ahijah, and Iddo. He then died and was buried in the city of David, with his son Rehoboam succeeding him.

Core Concepts

  • Wisdom of SolomonSolomon's extraordinary God-given wisdom is a central theme, demonstrated by his ability to answer all the Queen of Sheba's "hard questions" and his reputation that drew kings from all over the earth to hear him.
  • Solomon's Wealth and SplendorThe chapter extensively details Solomon's immense riches, including vast amounts of gold, elaborate golden artifacts like targets, shields, and a throne, and the abundance of precious materials in his kingdom.
  • Queen of Sheba's VisitA significant event where a foreign monarch travels to Jerusalem to witness Solomon's fame, wisdom, and kingdom's grandeur, resulting in her profound admiration and an exchange of lavish gifts.
  • International Trade and InfluenceSolomon's kingdom engaged in extensive trade, notably with Tarshish and other lands, bringing in vast quantities of gold, silver, and exotic goods, underscoring his global economic and political reach.
  • Divine Favor and BlessingThe Queen of Sheba acknowledges that Solomon's reign and prosperity are a direct result of the LORD God's delight in him, establishing him on the throne to administer judgment and justice for Israel.
  • End of Solomon's ReignThe chapter concludes with the summary of Solomon's forty-year rule, his peaceful death, and the immediate succession of his son Rehoboam, marking a transition in the kingship of Israel.