2 Chronicles 9

2 Chronicles 9:1

Ch. 2 Chronicles 9:1-12 (= 1 Kings 10:1-13). The Visit of the Queen of Sheba

1. Sheba] An important district in Arabia Felix, the seat of a kingdom. Psalms 72:10. hard questions] Heb. ḥ ?idoth, “dark sayings” (Proverbs 1:6); the sing. is translated “riddle” (Judges 14:12-18). a very great company] R.V. a very great train (as 1 Kin.).

2 Chronicles 9:2

2. nothing] R.V. not any thing (as 1 Kin.).

2 Chronicles 9:4

4. and their apparel] The phrase is repeated probably through an error of transcription; it occurs once only in the parallel place in 1 Kin. his ascent by which he went up] Render (if the text be sound), his manner of going up, i.e. the pomp with which he went up (so Targ.); but LXX. and Pesh. give, the burnt-offerings which he used to offer, a rendering which is right in 1 Kings 10:5 (cp. R.V. mg.). The difference of reading between Chron. and 1 Kin. in the Heb. is slight.

2 Chronicles 9:5

5. of thine acts] Lit. of thy matters; the reference is quite general.

2 Chronicles 9:6

6. the greatness of thy wisdom] Cp. 1 Kings 10:7, “thy wisdom and prosperity.”

2 Chronicles 9:8

8. on his throne] The Israelite throne is God’s; the visible king occupies it only as a deputy. Cp. 1 Chronicles 28:5 (“the throne of the kingdom of the Lord”); ibid. 1 Chronicles 29:23 (“Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord”).

2 Chronicles 9:9

9. an hundred and twenty talents of gold] A sum so large must be regarded rather as tribute than as a complimentary gift. any such spice] i.e. as in 1 Kin. “such abundance of spices.”

2 Chronicles 9:10-11

10, 11. These vv. interrupt the connexion. 2 Chronicles 9:12 concludes the account of the visit of the Queen of Sheba.

2 Chronicles 9:11

11. terraces] Perhaps “raised paths.” In 1 Kings 10:12 a different Heb. word is used, which means probably “railings” (“pillars,” A.V.). psalteries] Cp. 1 Chronicles 13:8 (note). in the land of Judah] Here the Chronicler speaks as a man of his own age. We should expect, land of Israel.

2 Chronicles 9:12

12. besides that which she had brought unto the king] This means that the king beside returning the queen the value of her presents to him, also gave her additional gifts; cp. 1 Kings 10:13.

2 Chronicles 9:13

13–28 (= 1 Kings 10:14-28). Solomon’s Greatness 13. six hundred and threescore and six] This may be called a “round” number, for a system of counting based on the number six was known in ancient times, e.g. among the Assyrians.

2 Chronicles 9:14

14. chapmen] R.V. the chapmen. The English word means “merchant”; cp. the verb, “to chaffer” and the German “Kaufmann.” The Heb. word means “those who go about” as merchants. governors] Heb. Paḥ ?oth, a word applied specially to governors of provinces of the Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian empires. Probably here governors outside the land of Israel are meant.

2 Chronicles 9:15

15. targets] Heb. çinnâh, a word meaning a large shield; cp. 1 Samuel 17:7. On the other hand in 2 Chronicles 9:16 (Heb. mâgçn) small shields are meant. The English renderings should be transposed so as to be “shields” in 2 Chronicles 9:15 and “targets” in 2 Chronicles 9:16. went to one target] Render (also in 2 Chronicles 9:16) were spread upon one target.

2 Chronicles 9:16

16. shields] See note on 2 Chronicles 9:15. the house of the forest of Lebanon] So called probably because it was built of cedar of Lebanon (1 Kings 7:2). It was in Jerusalem and seems to have existed as late as the time of Isaiah (Isaiah 22:8) as an armoury.

2 Chronicles 9:18

18. with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne] A quite different detail takes the place of this in 1 Kings 10:19, and the top of the throne was round behind. Perhaps both details were found in the original text of Kings. and stays on each side of the sitting place] R.V. and stays (mg. “arms”) on either side by the place of the seat.

2 Chronicles 9:20

20. none were of silver; it was not any thing accounted of] R.V. silver was nothing accounted of.

2 Chronicles 9:21

21. For the king’s ships went to Tarshish] R.V. For the king had ships that went to Tarshish. Here the Chronicler misunderstands the parallel passage (1 Kings 10:22, “For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish”). “Navy (or ‘ships’) of Tarshish” is a phrase meaning large ships fit for long voyages; cp. Psalms 48:7. The merchandise mentioned in this verse doubtless came from the East and not from Tarshish (= Tartessus in Spain). every three years once] R.V. once every three years. apes] These animals were much sought after; they appear e.g. pictured in relief on the Black Obelisk (in the British Museum) among the tribute received by Shalmaneser II. of Assyria.

2 Chronicles 9:22

22. And king Solomon passed] R.V. So king Solomon exceeded (so 1 Kings 10:13).

2 Chronicles 9:23

23. all the kings of the earth] In 1 Kings, all the earth.

2 Chronicles 9:24

24. his present] i.e. his tribute. harness] R.V. armour (so Pesh. of 1 Kin. and Targ. of 2 Chr. and 1 Kin.). A less probable rendering is óôáêôὴ (“oil of myrrh”) LXX. (in both places), “myrrh,” Pesh. of 2 Chr.

2 Chronicles 9:25

25. four thousand stalls for horses and chariots] In the parallel passage (1 Kings 4:26 = 2 Chronicles 5:6 Heb.), forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots. The meaning of the word rendered “stalls” is quite uncertain. The rendering of the LXX. suggests “brood-mares” as the meaning. twelve thousand horsemen] So 1 Kings 4:26 (2 Chronicles 5:6 Heb.); and 2 Chronicles 1:14 (= 1 Kings 10:26). chariot cities] See note on 2 Chronicles 1:14.

2 Chronicles 9:26

26. from the river] R.V. from the River, i.e. the Euphrates. even unto the land of the Philistines] The Philistines seem to have been able to keep their independence.

2 Chronicles 9:27

27. cedar trees] Rather, cedar wood. sycomore] i.e. the fig-mulberry, not now a common tree in Palestine; cp. 1 Chronicles 27:28, note. the low plains] R.V. the lowland (Heb. “Shephelah”). See G. A. Smith, Hist. Geography, Chap. 10. “The Shephelah.”

2 Chronicles 9:28

28. And they brought etc.] Cp. 2 Chronicles 1:16-17.

2 Chronicles 9:29-31

29–31 (= 1 Kings 11:41-43). The Epilogue An important section of 1 Kin. (2 Chronicles 11:1-23) giving an account of Solomon’s patronage of idolatry and of the troubles of his reign is unnoticed by the Chronicler.

2 Chronicles 9:30

30. forty years] The number is perhaps a round number; cp. Judges 3:30; Judges 5:31; Judges 8:28; Judges 13:1.

2 Chronicles 9:31

31. slept with his fathers] This is not said of David (1 Chronicles 29:28), perhaps because David’s father was not a king. in the city of David] 1 Chronicles 11:7.