A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Commentary on 1 and 2 Kings · Chapter 10
1 Kings CHAP. X.
THIS Chapter is a Graphical Deſcription of the Grandeur and Splendor, the pompous Glory and unparallel'd Opulency of King Solomon, which dazled the Eyes, not only of the Queen of Sheba in ſpecial, but alſo of all other Princes and Potentates all the World over in general, &c.
Remarks upon the firſt part relating to the Queen of Sheba.
The (1ſt.) is, Omitting in part the many curious Queſtions about her Perſon, whether a Sibyl, as ſome ſay, or one that took Solomon for the Meſſiah, as the Rabbins affirm.
N. B. Thoſe Notioniſts that fancy ſhe came to Solomon to have a Son begot upon her by him, as Thaleſtris came to great Alexander on that Errand, (ſaith Grotius) are very injurious to her, whoever ſhe was; her Errand and Action was undoubtedly good, ſeeing our Saviour himſelf commends her for it, Mat. 12.42. Luke 11.31. Peter Martyr praiſeth her Action in many reſpects: As (1.) She being a Woman, the infirmity of her Sex might well have detain'd her. (2.) She was a Queen, over a moſt pleaſant Countrey, a Kingdom abounding with all worldly Delights, which moſtly make its Inhabitants over-delicate for any hard work or Travel. (3.) This Journey from the Remotest part of the Earth (as our Lord calls it, Mat. 12.42.) to Jeruſalem, was a very long and tedious Jorney for ſo delicate a Queen and her very great Train, ver. 1, 2. here. All her company being ſo copiouſly laden with the Commodities of her Countrey &c. (4.) Notwithſtanding all thoſe Difficulties, ſhe both undertook and accompliſh'd this Service to hear Solomon's Wiſdom, &c.
Remark (2d.) is, The famous End ſhe propounded to her ſelf in her Undertaking this Difficult Action, was truly noble and of a Religious tincture. N.B. Tho' the Aethiopian Chronicles do conſtantly (as Lavater telleth us) make her Their Queen of Aethiopia, calling her Mackeda; and farther telling us, ſhe had a Son by Solomon whom ſhe named David, and that the Aethiopians received Circumciſion, and the Sacred Scriptures from Solomon: Hereupon the Aethiopian Eunuch came to Read Iſaiah the Prophet, Acts 8.27, 28. And that it was the Cuſtom of that Countrey to have Queens to Reign, as Candace there, and this Mackeda here. Notwithſtanding theſe Humane Traditions, and Additions to the Divine Scriptures, yet this is plain (ſaith P. Martyr) from God's Word, that ſhe came not to Solomon for Inſtruction in Natural, Civil, or Humane affairs; (theſe things ſhe could learn from her Philoſophers and Wiſe-men at home, much leſs to ſatisfie her Carnal Deſires) ſo much as to learn Divine Matters, true Wiſdom and Religion from Solomon. N.B. 'Tis certain ſhe is highly commended here, that being a Woman and a Queen, and living in ſublimeſt Delicacy, and in the Remoteſt parts of the World, ſhe takes ſo tedious and chargeable a Journey to improve her ſelf in the knowledge of the beſt things, as is here neceſſarily implied.
Remark (3.) The Problems ſhe proved Solomon with, more than probably were propounded concerning the things of God; for ſhe and divers other Heathens had ſome knowledge of the Being, Nature, and Worſhip of God; wherein they were generally at a great loſs, yet endeavoured to underſtand, &c. N. B. Her Riddles or hard Queſtions, were ſuch as ſhe could not elſewhere get any ſatisfactory ſolution unto, ſave only from that incomparable Wiſdom ſhe heard Solomon had, therefore is ſhe more praiſeworthy than Plato, Pythagoras, and others who went into Remote Countries only to learn Philoſophy, but ſhe came from far to learn true Divinity, which is imported in thoſe words [Leſhem Jehovah] concerning the Name of the Lord, ver. 1. demonſtrating that ſhe did acknowledge the true God. Baronius ſaith, ſhe was of that Countrey where ſhe might learn the Prophecy of Balaam touching the Meſſiah's Birth, and hearing of Solomon's Wiſdom concerning the two Harlots, &c. came to know whether this were not He whom Balaam predicted, &c.
Remark (4.) Peter Martyr's Inference hence is excellent, ſaying, The common Contemners of God's Word are branded here, who lazily loiter and linger, and oft-times will not rouze themſelves out of their Beds of Idleneſs to hear God's Word purely and powerfully Preached; and our Saviour alledgeth Her as an Inſtance to the ſame purpoſe, Mat. 12.42. Luk. 11.31. taking it very ill (as well he might) that men came not ſo far to hear him who was greater than Solomon, but much more ill, from thoſe wretched Jews, who prized not the Wiſdom of the Son of God, tho' it was brought home to their doors.
Remark (5.) When Solomon had anſwered not only all her Theological, but alſo her Political and her Phyſical Philoſophical Queſtions, then did this Arabian Queen ſtand aſtoniſhed, &c. ver. 3, 4, 5. being ſtruck with an Extaſie of deep Admiration; but ſo ſoon as ſhe could recover her ſelf, ſhe brake forth both into good words, and into good deeds alſo. As (1.) Her good words, ver. 6, 7, 8, 9. ſaying, Common fame (which commonly makes matters more than they are) hath in this thy caſe, fallen far ſhort of the truth, tho' even that which was reported, ſeemed incredible: Her Eyes were now raviſhed with the Rarities of his Structures, and with the beauty and order of all his Royal Concerns; as well as her Ears, which had been only tickled before with bare Reports at a great diſtance, but now are more abundantly gratified with hearing his Matchleſs, and None-ſuch Anſwers to all her profound Problems, and Aenigmatical Enquiries: When both her perſonal Seeing and Hearing had confirmed her in Believing, then ſhe bleſſeth God for ſo loving Iſrael, as to beſtow ſuch a None-ſuch King to Rule them: Tho ſhe lived among the Heathen, yet was ſhe convinced that ſuch a King as Solomon was given of God, (as Prov. 8.15, 16.) and therefore doth ſhe praiſe God for him: Then (2.) As to her deeds, She gave Solomon and 120 Talents of Gold, with all other the choiceſt Commodities of her Countrey, ver. 10. all which ſhe doth freely part with to purchaſe Divine Knowledge. Yea in a word, ſhe was ſo taken with Solomon's Wiſdom, that ſhe could have been content to have made an exchange of her own Throne for Solomon's Footſtool, ſeeing his Servants ſo happy in him. How much more happy are we in Chriſt's Court, where we may continually behold his face greater than Solomon? Pſal. 17.15.
Remark (6.) The great Grandeur, and prodigious Pomp and Opulency is next deſcribed in form and matter of Solomon' Wealth and Glory. As, (1.) After his Royal Bounty to this Queen of Sheba, and her Return home with her Deſires fully ſatisfied, ver. 13. We are told how Solomon's Navy brought him in yearly 666 Talents of Gold, ver. 14. which amounts to two millions and more of our Money. (2.) His vaſt Revenues by Tribute, Cuſtome, &c. from Inland and Outland Commodities, &c. ver. 15. and a Monopoly of Yarn and Horſes, ver. 28, 29. (3.) His adorning the Temple and his Palace with Almug-trees, and Inſtruments of Muſick, ver. 12. with Targets and Shields of Gold, v. 16, 17. and with a goodly Golden Throne, ver. 18, 19, 20. and with drinking Veſſels all of Gold, ver. 21. (4.) His plenty of Gold; ſo that comparatively Gold was nothing accounted of in his day, as it is in other Lands, and in our days wherein Money beareth the Maſtery, and is the Monarch of this lower World (few Medes matter is not, as Iſa. 13.17. among us) tho' 'tis not currant Coin in the other World, ver. 21.27. So that Solomon's Reign was a Type of that New Jeruſalem where Gold and Silver are nothing ſet by. N. B. Would to God, every Pot and Bowl in our Jeruſalem had Holineſs to the Lord writ upon them, as 'tis propheſied, Zech. 14.20. This is better than the fineſt Gold even the Gold of Godlineſs, Pſal, 19.10. Prov. 16.16, &c. Silver in Solomon's day was look'd on like Stones in the Street, which every paſſenger tramples upon, and treads under foot. N. B. God placed all things under Man's feet, Pſal. 8.6. 'tis the Devil that advanceth them and placeth them in Man's heart, Eccleſ. 3.11. Thoſe Metals may be good Servants (like Fire and Water) but they are exceeding bad Maſters, &c.
The ſecond part of this Chapter ſhews how all the Kings of the Earth came to complement and to court King Solomon, ver. 24. as the Queen of Sheba had done before them. The ſame is ſaid in chap. 4.34. but the Diſtinct Hiſtory of none of thoſe Kings is Recorded any where, ſave only of that famous Queen, becauſe her Example far excell'd all others; yet ſome ſay at a venture, that All the Kings of the Earth came and did their Homage to him as to the Abſolute Monarch of the World, and that they tendred themſelves and their Kingdoms to Solomon to be Ruled by him: However 'tis expreſly ſaid, [They all brought Preſents to him, &c.] ver. 25. who out-ſhined all Crowned Heads in all other Lands, both for his Throne, ver. 20. and for his Wealth and Wiſdom, ver. 23. He might have a Parallel for Wealth alone tho' very Hardly: but he was without any Parallel for his Wealth and Wiſdom conjunct. Few be wiſe and wealthy too, &c.
N.B. (1.) Pray that all the Kings of the Earth may ſeek unto our Lord and Saviour for Wiſdom, as they did here unto King Solomon, &c.
N.B. (2.) How many make ſuch Voyages thus far with Solomon, for his Apes, Parrots and Peacocks; namely, are taken up with Fancies and fine Notions, but miſs the main, the Pearl of Price, and the true Treaſure, ver. 22.