וּמַלְכַּת־שְׁבָא שָׁמְעָה אֶת־שֵׁמַע שְׁלֹמֹה וַתָּבוֹא לְנַסּוֹת אֶת־שְׁלֹמֹה בְחִידוֹת בִּירוּשָׁלִַם בְּחַיִל כָּבֵד   9:1

 מְאֹד וּגְמַלִּים נֹשְׂאִים בְּשָׂמִים וְזָהָב לָרֹב וְאֶבֶן יְקָרָה וַתָּבוֹא אֶל־שְׁלֹמֹה וַתְּדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר הָיָה

 עִם־לְבָבָהּ׃

2Chr. 9:1   When the queen of Sheba heard the report of Solomon, then she came to test Solomon with difficult questions in Jerusalem, with a very great force including camels carrying spices and gold in abundance, and precious stone.  And she came to Solomon and spoke with him all that was with her heart.

Most of the verses in this chapter are similar to and cover the same information as is contained in 1Kings Chapter 10

וַיַּגֶּד־לָהּ שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת־כָּל־דְּבָרֶיהָ וְלֹא־נֶעְלַם דָּבָר מִשְּׁלֹמֹה אֲשֶׁר לֹא הִגִּיד לָהּ׃   9:2

2Chr. 9:2   And Solomon declared to her all her matters, and nothing was hidden from Solomon that he did not reveal to her.

וַתֵּרֶא מַלְכַּת־שְׁבָא אֵת חָכְמַת שְׁלֹמֹה וְהַבַּיִת אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה׃   9:3

2Chr. 9:3   When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

וּמַאֲכַל שֻׁלְחָנוֹ וּמוֹשַׁב עֲבָדָיו וּמַעֲמַד מְשָׁרְתָיו וּמַלְבּוּשֵׁיהֶם וּמַשְׁקָיו וּמַלְבּוּשֵׁיהֶם וַעֲלִיָּתוֹ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲלֶה   9:4

 בֵּית יְהוָה וְלֹא־הָיָה עוֹד בָּהּ רוּחַ׃

2Chr. 9:4   and the food of his table, and the entourage of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel, and his cup bearers and their apparel, and his stairway that he had to ascend of the house of the Lord, then was no breath in her anymore.

וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֱמֶת הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתִּי בְּאַרְצִי עַל־דְּבָרֶיךָ וְעַל־חָכְמָתֶךָ׃   9:5

2Chr. 9:5   Then she said to the king, “The word that I heard in my land about your acts and about your wisdom was true.”

וְלֹא־הֶאֱמַנְתִּי לְדִבְרֵיהֶם עַד אֲשֶׁר־בָּאתִי וַתִּרְאֶינָה עֵינַי וְהִנֵּה לֹא הֻגַּד־לִי חֲצִי מַרְבִּית חָכְמָתֶךָ יָסַפְתָּ   9:6

עַל־הַשְּׁמוּעָה אֲשֶׁר שָׁמָעְתִּי׃

2Chr. 9:6   “But I did not believe in their words until I came and my eyes saw it.  Behold, not even half was told to me of the greatness of your wisdom.  You have added beyond the report that I had heard.”

אַשְׁרֵי אֲנָשֶׁיךָ וְאַשְׁרֵי עֲבָדֶיךָ אֵלֶּה הָעֹמְדִים לְפָנֶיךָ תָּמִיד וְשֹׁמְעִים אֶת־חָכְמָתֶךָ׃   9:7

2Chr. 9:7   “Your men are happy, and your servants are happy, these standing before you continually and hearing your wisdom.”

יְהִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּרוּךְ אֲשֶׁר חָפֵץ בְּךָ לְתִתְּךָ עַל־כִּסְאוֹ לְמֶלֶךְ לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּאַהֲבַת אֱלֹהֶיךָ   9:8

אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַעֲמִידוֹ לְעוֹלָם וַיִּתֶּנְךָ עֲלֵיהֶם לְמֶלֶךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה׃

2Chr. 9:8   “Let the Lord, your God, be blessed, Who delights in you to set you on His throne to be king for the Lord, your God, because of your God so loving Israel to establish it forever, and He set you over them as king to do justice and righteousness.”

וַתִּתֵּן לַמֶּלֶךְ מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים כִּכַּר זָהָב וּבְשָׂמִים לָרֹב מְאֹד וְאֶבֶן יְקָרָה וְלֹא הָיָה כַּבֹּשֶׂם הַהוּא   9:9

 אֲשֶׁר־נָתְנָה מַלְכַּת־שְׁבָא לַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה׃

2Chr. 9:9   And she gave to the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold and spices in excessive abundance and precious stone.  And spice like that had never been that the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

וְגַם־עַבְדֵי (חִירָם) [חוּרָם] וְעַבְדֵי שְׁלֹמֹה אֲשֶׁר־הֵבִיאוּ זָהָב מֵאֹופִיר הֵבִיאוּ עֲצֵי אַלְגּוּמִּים וְאֶבֶן   9:10

 יְקָרָה׃

2Chr. 9:10   And also the servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon who had brought gold from Ophir brought wood of algum trees and precious stone. 

In 1Kin. 10:11, the second of two words similar to two that appear here in the top line, namely עֲצֵי אַלְגּוּמִּים, has the letters gimel and mem interchanged.  Thus the words translated there as sandalwood are translated here as wood of algum trees.  Otherwise the two verses are mostly similar.  Note the spelling of Huram’s name in the parentheses; it is the old spelling from Solomon’s own time, with a yad in place of the vav.  The correction is in the brackets.

וַיַּעַשׂ הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־עֲצֵי הָאַלְגּוּמִּים מְסִלּוֹת לְבֵית־יְהוָה וּלְבֵית הַמֶּלֶךְ וְכִנֹּרוֹת וּנְבָלִים לַשָּׁרִים וְלֹא־נִרְאוּ   9:11

 כָהֵם לְפָנִים בְּאֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה׃

2Chr. 9:11   And with the wood of algum trees the king made walkways for the house of the Lord and for the house of the king and harps and psalteries for the singers that such as them had never been seen before in the land of Judah.

This verse is quite dissimilar from 1Kin. 10:12Walkways here are pillars there.  I find it difficult to believe that Solomon made walkways of wood.  They would have deteriorated fairly quickly from multitudes of footsteps.  More likely, I believe, 1Kings provides the more accurate description.

וְהַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה נָתַן לְמַלְכַּת־שְׁבָא אֶת־כָּל־חֶפְצָהּ אֲשֶׁר שָׁאָלָה מִלְּבַד אֲשֶׁר־הֵבִיאָה אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ   9:12

 וַתַּהֲפֹךְ וַתֵּלֶךְ לְאַרְצָהּ הִיא וַעֲבָדֶיהָ׃

2Chr. 9:12   And the king, Solomon, gave to the queen of Sheba her every desire that she had asked for, beside what she had brought to the king.  And she turned and went to her land, with her servants.

וַיְהִי מִשְׁקַל הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר־בָּא לִשְׁלֹמֹה בְּשָׁנָה אֶחָת שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת וְשִׁשִּׁים וָשֵׁשׁ כִּכְּרֵי זָהָב׃   9:13

2Chr. 9:13   And the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,

לְבַד מֵאַנְשֵׁי הַתָּרִים וְהַסֹּחֲרִים מְבִיאִים וְכָל־מַלְכֵי עֲרַב וּפַחוֹת הָאָרֶץ מְבִיאִים זָהָב וָכֶסֶף לִשְׁלֹמֹה׃   9:14

2Chr. 9:14   aside from what the traders and merchants were bringing, and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country were bringing, of gold and silver to Solomon.

וַיַּעַשׂ הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה מָאתַיִם צִנָּה זָהָב שָׁחוּט שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת זָהָב שָׁחוּט יַעֲלֶה עַל־הַצִּנָּה הָאֶחָת׃   9:15

2Chr. 9:15   And the king, Solomon, made two hundred targets of hammered gold (six hundred of hammered gold would be taken up for each target),

וּשְׁלֹשׁ־מֵאוֹת מָגִנִּים זָהָב שָׁחוּט שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת זָהָב יַעֲלֶה עַל־הַמָּגֵן הָאֶחָת וַיִּתְּנֵם הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּבֵית יַעַר   9:16

הַלְּבָנוֹן׃

2Chr. 9:16   and three hundred shields of hammered gold (three hundred of gold would be taken up for each shield), and the king put them in the Lebanon forest house.

This verse is similar to 1Kin. 10:17 except for one detail.  There the weight of the gold for each shield is given as 150 shekels (three pounds).  Here the weight is 300 shekels.  Which number is correct?  I don’t believe there’s any way to know with certainty.

וַיַּעַשׂ הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּסֵּא־שֵׁן גָּדוֹל וַיְצַפֵּהוּ זָהָב טָהוֹר׃   9:17

2Chr. 9:17   And the king made a large ivory throne, and he laid over it pure gold.

וְשֵׁשׁ מַעֲלוֹת לַכִּסֵּא וְכֶבֶשׁ בַּזָּהָב לַכִּסֵּא מָאֳחָזִים וְיָדוֹת מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה עַל־מְקוֹם הַשָּׁבֶת וּשְׁנַיִם אֲרָיוֹת   9:18

 עֹמְדִים אֵצֶל הַיָּדוֹת׃

2Chr. 9:18   And there were six steps to the throne, and a footstool in gold to the throne, both attached, and hand rests on each side above the seating place, and two lions standing near the hand rests.

וּשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר אֲרָיוֹת עֹמְדִים שָׁם עַל־שֵׁשׁ הַמַּעֲלוֹת מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה לֹא־נַעֲשָׂה כֵן לְכָל־מַמְלָכָה׃   9:19

2Chr. 9:19   And twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on each side.  Nothing like this had been made for any kingdom.

וְכֹל כְּלֵי מַשְׁקֵה הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה זָהָב וְכֹל כְּלֵי בֵּית־יַעַר הַלְּבָנוֹן זָהָב סָגוּר אֵין כֶּסֶף נֶחְשָׁב בִּימֵי   9:20

 שְׁלֹמֹה לִמְאוּמָה׃

2Chr. 9:20   And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were gold, and all the utensils of the Lebanon forest house were pure gold. There was no silver; it was esteemed in the time of Solomon as nothing.

כִּי־אֳנִיּוֹת לַמֶּלֶךְ הֹלְכוֹת תַּרְשִׁישׁ עִם עַבְדֵי חוּרָם אַחַת לְשָׁלוֹשׁ שָׁנִים תָּבוֹאנָה אֳנִיּוֹת תַּרְשִׁישׁ   9:21

נֹשְׂאוֹת זָהָב וָכֶסֶף שֶׁנְהַבִּים וְקוֹפִים וְתוּכִּיִּים׃

2Chr. 9:21   Because the king's ships were going to Tarshish with the servants of Huram, once in three years the ships of Tarshish would come carrying gold and silver, ivory tusks and apes and peacocks.

וַיִּגְדַּל הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה מִכֹּל מַלְכֵי הָאָרֶץ לְעֹשֶׁר וְחָכְמָה׃   9:22

2Chr. 9:22   Thus the king, Solomon, was greater than all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom.

וְכֹל מַלְכֵי הָאָרֶץ מְבַקְשִׁים אֶת־פְּנֵי שְׁלֹמֹה לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶת־חָכְמָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר־נָתַן הָאֱלֹהִים בְּלִבּוֹ׃   9:23

2Chr. 9:23   And all the kings of the earth were seeking the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom that God had put in his heart.

וְהֵם מְבִיאִים אִישׁ מִנְחָתוֹ כְּלֵי כֶסֶף וּכְלֵי זָהָב וּשְׂלָמוֹת נֵשֶׁק וּבְשָׂמִים סוּסִים וּפְרָדִים דְּבַר־שָׁנָה   9:24

 בְּשָׁנָה׃

2Chr. 9:24   And they would be bringing, each his gift of vessels of silver, or vessels of gold, or mantles of armor, or spices, horses or mules, an annual occupation.

Up to this verse, the structure of the chapter followed pretty closely the structure of 1Kings Chapter 10.  From here to the end of this chapter the verses deviate considerably.

וַיְהִי לִשְׁלֹמֹה אַרְבַּעַת אֲלָפִים אֻרְיוֹת סוּסִים וּמַרְכָּבוֹת וּשְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר אֶלֶף פָּרָשִׁים וַיַּנִּיחֵם בְּעָרֵי   9:25

  הָרֶכֶב וְעִם־הַמֶּלֶךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם׃

2Chr. 9:25   And Solomon had four thousand stalls of horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, and he deposited them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

וַיְהִי מוֹשֵׁל בְּכָל־הַמְּלָכִים מִן־הַנָּהָר וְעַד־אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים וְעַד גְּבוּל מִצְרָיִם׃   9:26

2Chr. 9:26   And he was the ruler among all the kings from the river and as far as the land of the Philistines and as far as the border of Egypt.

וַיִּתֵּן הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף בִּירוּשָׁלִַם כָּאֲבָנִים וְאֵת הָאֲרָזִים נָתַן כַּשִּׁקְמִים אֲשֶׁר־בַּשְּׁפֵלָה לָרֹב׃   9:27

2Chr. 9:27   And the king fashioned the silver in Jerusalem as stones, and set the cedar trees as abundantly as the sycamores that were in the valley.

וּמוֹצִיאִים סוּסִים מִמִּצְרַיִם לִשְׁלֹמֹה וּמִכָּל־הָאֲרָצוֹת׃   9:28

2Chr. 9:28   And they were bringing out horses from Egypt to Solomon and from all the countries.

וּשְׁאָר דִּבְרֵי שְׁלֹמֹה הָרִאשֹׁנִים וְהָאֲחֲרֹונִים הֲלֹא־הֵם כְּתוּבִים עַל־דִּבְרֵי נָתָן הַנָּבִיא וְעַל־נְבוּאַת   9:29

 אֲחִיָּה הַשִּׁילֹונִי וּבַחֲזֹות (יֶעְדִּי) [יֶעְדֹּו] הַחֹזֶה עַל־יָרָבְעָם בֶּן־נְבָט׃

2Chr. 9:29   Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, the first as well as the last, are they not written according to the words of Nathen, the prophet, and according to the prophecy of Achijah, the Shilonite, and according to the visions of Jedo, the seer, about Jeroboam son of Nebat?

The alleged error in the parentheses is the name Jedi or Jedo.  This name is mentioned nowhere else in the bible.  The name Iddo appears twice later in 2Chronicles chapters 12 and 13.  In all the popular bibles, the name as it appears here is translated as Iddo under the apparent assumption that they are the same person.  As it turns out Iddo is referred to as a seer in Chapter 12 also, but as a prophet in Chapter 13.  So it’s not certain if all of these are the same person.  Of course, if they are the same person, he would have been alive and well known for at least thirty or more years.  He is mentioned in the context of Solomon, Rehoboam, and Abijah, three successive kings of Judah (all Israel for Solomon).

These last three verses of this chapter are similar to three verses at the end of 1Kings Chapter 11, but without the name Jedo being mentioned.

וַיִּמְלֹךְ שְׁלֹמֹה בִירוּשָׁלִַם עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה׃   9:30

2Chr. 9:30   So Solomon was king in Jerusalem over all of Israel forty years.

וַיִּשְׁכַּב שְׁלֹמֹה עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ בְּעִיר דָּוִיד אָבִיו וַיִּמְלֹךְ רְחַבְעָם בְּנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו׃   9:31

2Chr. 9:31   Then Solomon slept with his ancestors and they buried him in the city of David, his father, and Rehoboam, his son, became king in his place.

 

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2Chronicles 9