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2 Chronicles Chapter 9

Old Testament Historical 31 Verses

What is 2 Chronicles 9 about?

Solomon's Temple construction and the history of the Judean kings through Josiah's reformation and the Babylonian exile. The complete chapter text below provides the immediate literary context for study.

Text — American Standard Version (1901)

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. For original Hebrew/Greek interlinear text, open in BibleWord.ai.
1And 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 train, 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 not anything 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 food 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 unto the house of Jehovah; there was no more spirit in her.
5And she said to the king, It was a true report that 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 half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: thou exceedest the fame that I heard.
7Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, that stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.
8Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on his throne, to be king for Jehovah thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do justice and righteousness.
9And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
10And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, that brought gold from Ophir, brought algum-trees and precious stones.
11And the king made of the algum-trees terraces for the house of Jehovah, and for the king`s house, and harps and psalteries for the 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, besides that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants.
13Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold,
14besides that which the traders and merchants brought: and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15And king Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred [shekels] of beaten gold went to one buckler.
16And [he made] three hundred shields 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.
18nd there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside 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 king Solomon`s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.
21For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years came the ships of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
22So king Solomon exceeded 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, which God had put in his heart.
24And they brought every man his tribute, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.
25And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
26And he ruled 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 to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore-trees that are in the lowland, for abundance.
28And they brought horses for Solomon 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 history of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning 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.
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What do historical commentaries say about this chapter?

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“THE QUEEN OF SHEBA VISITS SOLOMON; SHE ADMIRES HIS WISDOM AND MAGNIFICENCE. (Ch2 9:1-12) when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon--(See on Kg1 10:1-13). It is said that among the things in Jerusalem which drew forth the admiration of Solomon's royal visitor was "his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord." This was the arched viaduct that crossed the valley from Mount Zion to the opposite hill. In the commentary on the passage quoted above, allusion was made to the recent discovery of its remains. Here we give a full account of what, for boldness of conceptions for structure and…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference, from which it varies but little, and to which it adds nothing. 2 Chronicles 9:11 Terraces - Rather, as in the margin, “stairs” (see the 1 Kings 10:12 note). 2 Chronicles 9:12 Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text. A slight alteration will give the meaning: “Beside that which the king had brought for her;” which is in conformity with 1 Kings 10:13. The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference, from which it varies but little, and to…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · on verse 8
“For the Lord - In the Lord's name and stead, in a special manner, because he sat in God's own throne, and ruled over God's peculiar people, and did in an eminent manner maintain the honour of God in his land, and in the eyes of all the world. Those mercies are doubly sweet, in which we can taste the kindness and good will of God as our God. 2 Chronicles 9:12”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 1
“9:1-2 Although Solomon had long-term economic and political ties with Hiram of Tyre (8:17-18; 9:10-11), the queen of Sheba visited just once. Ancient Sheba (roughly modern Yemen) was noted for its important female rulers and for a wealthy economy based on trade in frankincense and myrrh. An ancient tradition suggests that the queen of Sheba came from Cush (Ethiopia), perhaps because of Sheba son of Raamah, a descendant of Cush (Gen 10:7; 1 Chr 1:9).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · on verse 1
“And when: Kg1 10:1, Kg1 10:2-13; Mat 12:42; Luk 11:31 Sheba: Gen 10:7, Gen 10:28, Gen 25:3 fame: Ch2 1:1, Ch2 1:12; Kg1 4:31 questions: Psa 49:4, Psa 78:2; Pro 1:6; Mat 13:11, Mat 13:35 camels: Psa 72:10, Psa 72:15; Isa 60:6 spices: Ch2 9:9; Mat 2:11 communed: Sa1 1:15; Psa 142:2; Mat 12:34 2 Chronicles 9:2”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · on verse 1
“The visit of the queen of Sheba. Cf. Kg1 10:1-13. \- This event is narrated as a practical proof of Solomon's extraordinary wisdom. The narrative agrees so exactly in both texts, with the exception of some few quite unimportant differences, that we must regard them as literal extracts from an original document which they have used in common. For the commentary on this section, see on Kg1 10:1-13. 2 Chronicles 9:13”
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