translation_id: net-engnet

label: NET translator note

text: Heb “the report about Solomon.”


text: Or “test.”


text: Heb “Solomon.” The recurrence of the proper name here is redundant in terms of contemporary English style, so the pronoun has been used in the translation instead.


text: Or “riddles.”


text: For location see Map5-B1 ; Map6-F3 ; Map7-E2 ; Map8-F2 ; Map10-B3 ; JP1-F4 ; JP2-F4 ; JP3-F4 ; JP4-F4 .


text: Heb “with very great strength.” The Hebrew word חַיִל ( khayil , “strength”) may refer here to the size of her retinue or to the great wealth she brought with her.


text: Or “balsam oil.”


text: Heb “Solomon declared to her all her words; there was not a word hidden from the king which he did not declare to her.” If riddles are specifically in view (see v. 1 ), then one might translate, “Solomon explained to her all her riddles; there was no riddle too complex for the king.”


text: Heb “all the wisdom of Solomon.”


text: Heb “the food on his table.”


text: Heb “the seating of his servants and the standing of his attendants.”


label: NET textual note

text: The Hebrew text has here, “and his upper room [by] which he was going up to the house of the Lord .” But עֲלִיָּתוֹ (’ aliyyato , “his upper room”) should be emended to עֹלָתוֹ , (’ olato , “his burnt sacrifice[s]”). See the parallel account in 1 Kgs 10:5 .


text: Or “it took her breath away”; Heb “there was no breath still in her.”


text: Heb “about your words [or perhaps, “deeds”] and your wisdom.”


text: Heb “the half was not told to me.”


text: Heb “How happy are your men! How happy are these servants of yours, who stand before you continually, who hear your wisdom!”


text: Or “delighted in.”


text: Heb “as king for the Lord your God.”


text: Heb “to make him stand permanently.”


text: Heb “to do justice and righteousness.”


text: The Hebrew word כִּכַּר ( kikar , “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the gold was 8,076 lbs. (3,672 kg).


text: Heb “there has not been like those spices which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.”


text: Heb “Huram’s” (also in v. 21 ). Some medieval Hebrew mss , along with the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate spell the name “Hiram,” agreeing with 1 Chr 14:1 . “Huram” is a variant spelling referring to the same individual.


text: Heb “who brought gold from Ophir, brought.”


text: Heb “algum.”


text: Heb “tracks.” The parallel text in 1 Kgs 10:12 has a different term whose meaning is uncertain: “supports,” perhaps “banisters” or “parapets.”


text: Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned in the Hebrew text, the כִּנּוֹר ( kinnor , “zither”) and נֶבֶל ( nevel , “harp”).


text: Heb “there was not seen like these formerly in the land of Judah.”


text: Heb “besides what she brought to the king.”


text: Heb “turned and went.”


text: The Hebrew word כִּכַּר ( kikar , “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the gold Solomon received annually was 44,822 lbs. (20,380 kg).


text: Heb “the weight of the gold which came to Solomon in one year was 666 units of gold.”


text: Heb “traveling men.”


text: The Hebrew text has simply “600,” with no unit of measure given.


text: The Hebrew text has simply “300,” with no unit of measure given.


text: The parallel text of 1 Kgs 10:19 has instead “and the back of it was rounded on top.”


text: Heb “[There were] armrests on each side of the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.”


text: Heb “nothing like it had been made for any kingdom.”


text: Heb “there was no silver, it was not regarded as anything in the days of Solomon.”


text: Heb “for ships belonging to the king were going [to] Tarshish with the servants of Huram.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.


text: Heb “servants.”


text: Heb “the fleet of Tarshish [ships].”


text: Heb “the ships of Tarshish came carrying.”


text: The meaning of this word is unclear; some suggest it refers to “baboons.” NEB has “monkeys,” NASB, NRSV “peacocks,” and NIV “baboons.”


text: Heb “King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth with respect to wealth and wisdom.”


text: Heb “and all the kings of the earth were seeking the face of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had placed in his heart.”


text: Heb “and they were bringing each one his gift, items of silver…and mules, the matter of a year in a year.”


text: The parallel text of 1 Kgs 10:26 reads “fourteen hundred chariots.”


text: Heb “he placed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.” map For location see Map5-B1 ; Map6-F3 ; Map7-E2 ; Map8-F2 ; Map10-B3 ; JP1-F4 ; JP2-F4 ; JP3-F4 ; JP4-F4 .


text: Heb “the River.” In biblical Hebrew the Euphrates River was typically referred to simply as “the River.”


text: The words “as plentiful” are supplied for clarification.


text: Heb “he made cedar.”


text: Heb “as the sycamore fig trees which are in the Shephelah.”


text: Heb “As for the rest of the events of Solomon, the former and the latter, are they not written?”


text: For location see Map5-B1 ; Map6-F3 ; Map7-E2 ; Map8-F2 ; Map10-B3 ; JP1-F4 ; JP2-F4 ; JP3-F4 ; JP4-F4 .


text: Heb “lay down with his fathers.”