וּמַלְכַּת־שְׁבָא שֹׁמַעַת אֶת־שֵׁמַע שְׁלֹמֹה לְשֵׁם ה'וַתָּבֹא לְנַסֹּתוֹ בְּחִידוֹת

The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s renown in the name of the Lord, as Solomon became widely renowned among the nations as the cleverest of men, who possessed divine wisdom; she came to test him with riddles, and to hear his wise answers. She did not undertake the trip for political purposes, but did so mainly to meet the man whose fame had reached all the way to her land. Sheba was possibly located in southern Arabia, in the region of Yemen, or in East Africa, perhaps Ethiopia.

וַתָּבֹא יְרוּשָׁלְַמָה בְּחַיִל כָּבֵד מְאֹד גְּמַלִּים נֹשְׂאִים בְּשָׂמִים וְזָהָב רַב־מְאֹד וְאֶבֶן יְקָרָה וַתָּבֹא אֶל־שְׁלֹמֹה וַתְּדַבֵּר אֵלָיו אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר הָיָה עִם־לְבָבָהּ

She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices and gold in very large amounts, and precious stones. She came to Solomon, and she spoke to him of everything that was in her heart.

וַיַּגֶּד־לָהּ שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת־כָּל־דְּבָרֶיהָ לֹא־הָיָה דָבָר נֶעְלָם מִן־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר לֹא הִגִּיד לָהּ

Solomon responded to all her concerns; he answered all her questions, and there was no matter concealed from the king that he could not tell her.

וַתֵּרֶא מַלְכַּת־שְׁבָא אֵת כָּל־חָכְמַת שְׁלֹמֹה וְהַבַּיִת אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה

The queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, and also the house that he had built,

וּמַאֲכַל שֻׁלְחָנוֹ וּמוֹשַׁב עֲבָדָיו וּמַעֲמַד מְשָׁרְתָו וּמַלְבֻּשֵׁיהֶם וּמַשְׁקָיו וְעֹלָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲלֶה בֵּית ה'וְלֹא־הָיָה בָהּ עוֹד רוּחַ

and the food of his table, and the seating of his servants, and the standing of his attendants, and their garments, and his cupbearers, and his stairway by which he would go up from his house to the House of the Lord, and it took her breath away.

וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֱמֶת הָיָה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתִּי בְּאַרְצִי עַל־דְּבָרֶיךָ וְעַל־חָכְמָתֶךָ

She said to the king: It was true the account that I had heard in my land about your words and your wisdom.

וְלֹא־הֶאֱמַנְתִּי לַדְּבָרִים עַד אֲשֶׁר־בָּאתִי וַתִּרְאֶינָה עֵינַי וְהִנֵּה לֹא־הֻגַּד־לִי הַחֵצִי הוֹסַפְתָּ חָכְמָה וָטוֹב אֶל־הַשְּׁמוּעָה אֲשֶׁר שָׁמָעְתִּי

I did not believe the accounts I heard until I came and my eyes saw; behold, the half was not told to me. The stories that I thought were exaggerated do not cover even half of what I have witnessed myself. You have exceeded in wisdom and goodness beyond the report that I had heard. The term “goodness” can refer to moral, functional, or aesthetic qualities.

אַשְׁרֵי אֲנָשֶׁיךָ אַשְׁרֵי עֲבָדֶיךָ אֵלֶּה הָעֹמְדִים לְפָנֶיךָ תָּמִיד הַשֹּׁמְעִים אֶת־חָכְמָתֶךָ

Happy are your men, happy are these servants of yours, who stand before you continually, and who hear your wisdom. I had to come all the way to your land to hold a few conversations with you, whereas they are always here and can hear your wisdom at any time.

יְהִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּרוּךְ אֲשֶׁר חָפֵץ בְּךָ לְתִתְּךָ עַל־כִּסֵּא יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאַהֲבַת ה' אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעֹלָם וַיְשִׂימְךָ לְמֶלֶךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה

May the Lord your God be blessed, who favored you, to place you on the throne of Israel, in the Lord’s love of Israel forever, and He appointed you as king over them, to perform justice and righteousness.

וַתִּתֵּן לַמֶּלֶךְ מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים כִּכַּר זָהָב וּבְשָׂמִים הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד וְאֶבֶן יְקָרָה לֹא בָא כַבֹּשֶׂם הַהוּא עוֹד לָרֹב אֲשֶׁר נָתְנָה מַלְכַּת־שְׁבָא לַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה

She gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a great amount of spices, and precious stones. There has never come a quantity of spices like that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. Never again was there such a wealth of spices in Jerusalem.

וְגַם אֳנִי חִירָם אֲשֶׁר־נָשָׂא זָהָב מֵאוֹפִיר הֵבִיא מֵאֹפִיר עֲצֵי אַלְמֻגִּים הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד וְאֶבֶן יְקָרָה

In connection with the treasures that the queen of Sheba gave to Solomon from her region, the chapter mentions other riches that Solomon received at that time from the south via the sea: Also the fleet of Hiram, which had carried gold from Ofir, brought from Ofir a large amount of sandalwood [almuggim], and they also brought precious stones.

וַיַּעַשׂ הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־עֲצֵי הָאַלְמֻגִּים מִסְעָד לְבֵית־ה' וּלְבֵית הַמֶּלֶךְ וְכִנֹּרוֹת וּנְבָלִים לַשָּׁרִים לֹא בָא־כֵן עֲצֵי אַלְמֻגִּים וְלֹא נִרְאָה עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

The king made of the sandalwood a parapet for the House of the Lord, and for the king’s house, and harps and lyres for the singers. Sandalwood like this had not come and had not been seen to that day. Such a large quantity of sandalwood was capable of arriving in Jerusalem only thanks to Solomon’s navy.

וְהַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה נָתַן לְמַלְכַּת־שְׁבָא אֶת־כָּל־חֶפְצָהּ אֲשֶׁר שָׁאָלָה מִלְּבַד אֲשֶׁר נָתַן־לָהּ כְּיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה וַתֵּפֶן וַתֵּלֶךְ לְאַרְצָהּ הִיא וַעֲבָדֶיהָ

King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba everything she desired that she requested, which she could not obtain in her own land, besides that which he gave her as gifts out of the generosity of King Solomon. She turned and went to her land, she and her servants.

וַיְהִי מִשְׁקַל הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר־בָּא לִשְׁלֹמֹה בְּשָׁנָה אֶחָת שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת שִׁשִּׁים וָשֵׁשׁ כִּכַּר זָהָב

The weight of the gold that came to Solomon in one year, the year when the queen of Sheba visited and gold was brought in the Sidonian ships, was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,

לְבַד מאַנְשֵׁי הַתָּרִים וּמִסְחַר הָרֹכְלִים וְכָל־מַלְכֵי הָעֶרֶב וּפַחוֹת הָאָרֶץ

delivered centrally to the king’s treasury, besides that which was from the itinerant merchants, in the form of taxes to Solomon, and from the trade of the smaller-scale peddlers, and all the Arabian kings and the governors of the land.

וַיַּעַשׂ הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה מָאתַיִם צִנָּה זָהָב שָׁחוּט שֵׁשׁ־מֵאוֹת זָהָב יַעֲלֶה עַל הַצִּנָּה הָאֶחָת

King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold. Some explain that this refers to gold whose color changes from red to white with the addition of a small quantity of slag. Six hundred shekels of gold, golden coins whose combined weight is 6.84 kg, in accordance with the opinion that a gold shekel weighed 11.4 g, would go into each shield;

וּשְׁלֹשׁ־מֵאוֹת מָגִנִּים זָהָב שָׁחוּט שְׁלֹשֶׁת מָנִים זָהָב יַעֲלֶה עַל־הַמָּגֵן הָאֶחָת וַיִּתְּנֵם הַמֶּלֶךְ בֵּית יַעַר הַלְּבָנוֹן

and similarly, three hundred bucklers, smaller shields, of beaten gold, three maneh, a unit of weight consisting of one hundred coins, of gold would go into each buckler; and the king put them as a stockpile of weapons, a treasury, and perhaps also as an ornament, in the royal House of the Forest of the Lebanon.

וַיַּעַשׂ הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּסֵּא־שֵׁן גָּדוֹל וַיְצַפֵּהוּ זָהָב מוּפָז

This house also contained Solomon’s throne: The king made a great throne of ivory, and he plated it with the gold from the distant city of Ufaz [mufaz]. According to the Syriac translation, the city of Ufaz was in the region of Ofir. Some explain that mufaz means gold that had undergone extensive refinement through beating and stretching.

שֵׁשׁ מַעֲלוֹת לַכִּסֵּה וְרֹאשׁ עָגוֹל לַכִּסֵּה מֵאַחֲרָיו וְיָדֹת מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה אֶל־מְקוֹם הַשָּׁבֶת וּשְׁנַיִם אֲרָיוֹת עֹמְדִים אֵצֶל הַיָּדוֹת

There were six stairs ascending to the throne, and there was a round top for the throne at its back, for resting one’s head or for decoration; and armrests on this side and that of the place of the seat, and two lions standing next to the armrests. Two statues of lions, probably made of gold, were positioned near the armrests.

וּשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר אֲרָיִים עֹמְדִים שָׁם עַל־שֵׁשׁ הַמַּעֲלוֹת מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה לֹא־נַעֲשָׂה כֵן לְכָל־מַמְלָכוֹת

There were twelve lions standing there on the six stairs on this side and on that. A lion was placed on both sides of every step. Nothing like it was made for any other kingdom.

וְכֹל כְּלֵי מַשְׁקֵה הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה זָהָב וְכֹל כְּלֵי בֵּית־יַעַר הַלְּבָנוֹן זָהָב סָגוּר אֵין כֶּסֶף לֹא נֶחְשָׁב בִּימֵי שְׁלֹמֹה לִמְאוּמָה

All the drinking vessels of King Solomon were made of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of the Lebanon were of pure, refined gold. There was no vessel in the king’s house made of silver, because it, silver, was not considered anything in the days of Solomon, due to the overabundance of gold.

כִּי אֳנִי תַרְשִׁישׁ לַמֶּלֶךְ בַּיָּם עִם אֳנִי חִירָם אַחַת לְשָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים תָּבוֹא אֳנִי תַרְשִׁישׁ נֹשְׂאֵת זָהָב וָכֶסֶף שֶׁנְהַבִּים וְקֹפִים וְתֻכִּיִּים

For the king had a fleet of strong and powerful ships that were capable of reaching Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of Tarshish would come, bearing gold, silver, ivory, and monkeys and peacocks.

וַיִּגְדַּל הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה מִכֹּל מַלְכֵי הָאָרֶץ לְעֹשֶׁר וּלְחָכְמָה

King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in wealth and in wisdom.

וְכָל־הָאָרֶץ מְבַקְשִׁים אֶת־פְּנֵי שְׁלֹמֹה לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶת־חָכְמָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר־נָתַן אֱלֹהִים בְּלִבּוֹ

Due to his commerce with far-flung lands, all the world sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom that God had placed in his heart.

וְהֵמָּה מְבִיאִים אִישׁ מִנְחָתוֹ כְּלֵי־כֶסֶף וּכְלֵי זָהָב וּשְׂלָמוֹת וְנֵשֶׁק וּבְשָׂמִים סוּסִים וּפְרָדִים דְּבַר־שָׁנָה בְּשָׁנָה

Each of his many visitors would bring his tribute: silver vessels, gold vessels, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, each year’s due in its year. Thus Solomon amassed great treasures.

וַיֶּאֱסֹף שְׁלֹמֹה רֶכֶב וּפָרָשִׁים וַיְהִי־לוֹ אֶלֶף וְאַרְבַּע־מֵאוֹת רֶכֶב וּשְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר אֶלֶף פָּרָשִׁים וַיַּנְחֵם בְּעָרֵי הָרֶכֶב ועִם־הַמֶּלֶךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם

Solomon accumulated chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, and he directed them into the chariot cities. He transferred some of his horsemen and chariots to those cities for organizational purposes and to thwart possible robbers and plunderers, and some of them remained with the king in Jerusalem.

וַיִּתֵּן הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף בִּירוּשָׁלִַם כַּאֲבָנִים וְאֵת הָאֲרָזִים נָתַן כַּשִּׁקְמִים אֲשֶׁר־בַּשְּׁפֵלָה לָרֹב

The king caused silver to be in Jerusalem like stones. There was so much silver that it was as common as stones. And cedars he caused to be as abundant as sycamores that are in the lowland. The cedars that were brought to Jerusalem were as numerous as sycamore trees in the lowlands, where they are quite widespread.

וּמוֹצָא הַסּוּסִים אֲשֶׁר לִשְׁלֹמֹה מִמִּצְרָיִם וּמִקְוֵה סֹחֲרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ יִקְחוּ מִקְוֵה בִּמְחִיר

The origin of the horses of Solomon was from Egypt. Collection was by the king’s merchants, who would buy a collection at a price. In other words, in Egypt there was a collection of horses by Solomon’s merchants, as Solomon had obtained the right to sell the horses, and purchasers would acquire them at a price from him.

וַתַּעֲלֶה וַתֵּצֵא מֶרְכָּבָה מִמִּצְרַיִם בְּשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת כֶּסֶף וְסוּס בַּחֲמִשִּׁים וּמֵאָה וְכֵן לְכָל־מַלְכֵי הַחִתִּים וּלְמַלְכֵי אֲרָם בְּיָדָם יֹצִאוּ

A chariot would cost and be exported from Egypt for six hundred silver and a horse for one hundred and fifty; so it was for all the kings of the Hitites, they were sold to them at this price, and for the kings of Aram. Since they all required chariots and horses for their armies, they would bear the expense by their means. They all acquired them from Solomon, as he was the supplier. Solomon bought the horses in Egypt, cultivated them, and sold them to the more northern kingdoms.