2 Chronicles 9:1
in 2 Chronicles 9Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she came to test him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. So she came to Solomon and spoke with him about all that was on her mind.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And 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.
KJV
And 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 company, 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.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 9
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference, from which it varies but little, and to which it adds nothing. 2Ch 9:11 Terraces - Rather, as in the margin, “stairs” (see the 1Ki 10:12 note). 2Ch 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 1Ki 10:
This site's exposition
when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon
on 2 Chronicles 9:1-2
The queen of Sheba comes “to test him with difficult questions”. Jesus names her the Queen of the South who will rise against a generation that refuses “One greater than Solomon,” at Matthew 12:42. Near the reign's close, the visit answers 1:1, where the LORD “highly exalted him”.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon--(See on 1Ki 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.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The queen of Sheba - See all the particulars of this royal visit distinctly marked and explained in the notes on 1Ki 10:1-10 (note). The Targum calls her queen of Zemargad.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
to test Solomon whether that which she had heard about his wisdom was true, and she came to test him.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 7 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
33 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּמַֽלְכַּת־ | umalkat- | and [the] queen of | H4436 → | 35 times |
| שְׁבָ֗א | sheva' | Sheba | H7614 → | 23 times |
| שָֽׁמְעָה֮ | shameah | she heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שֵׁ֣מַע | shema' | [the] report of | H8088 → | |
| שְׁלֹמֹה֒ | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| וַתָּב֣וֹא | vatavo' | and she came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לְנַסּוֹת֩ | lenasot | to put to [the] test | H5254 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שְׁלֹמֹ֨ה | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| בְחִיד֜וֹת | vechidot | by difficult matters | H2420 → | |
| בִּירֽוּשָׁלִַ֗ם | birushalim | in Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| בְּחַ֣יִל | bechayil | with a retinue | H2428 → | 246 times |
| כָּבֵ֣ד | kaved | numerous | H3515 → | 41 times |
| מְאֹ֡ד | meod | very | H3966 → | 300 times |
| וּ֠גְמַלִּים | ugemalim | and camels | H1581 → | |
| נֹשְׂאִ֨ים | noseim | carrying | H5375 → | 656 times |
| בְּשָׂמִ֧ים | besamim | spices | H1314 → | 29 times |
| וְזָהָ֛ב | vezahav | and gold | H2091 → | 389 times |
| לָרֹ֖ב | laro | to abundance | H7230 → | 149 times |
| וְאֶ֣בֶן | veeven | and stone[s] | H68 → | 273 times |
| יְקָרָ֑ה | yekarah | precious | H3368 → | 36 times |
| וַתָּבוֹא֙ | vatavo' | and she came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| וַתְּדַבֵּ֣ר | vatedaber | and she spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| עִמּ֔וֹ | imo | with him | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| אֵ֛ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הָיָ֖ה | hayah | it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| לְבָבָֽהּ׃ | levavah | heart her | H3824 → | 252 times |
וּמַֽלְכַּת־and [the] queen of
umalkat-H4436 →35 times
שְׁבָ֗אSheba
sheva'H7614 →23 times
שָֽׁמְעָה֮she heard
shameahH8085 →1159 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שֵׁ֣מַע[the] report of
shema'H8088 →
שְׁלֹמֹה֒Solomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
וַתָּב֣וֹאand she came
vatavo'H935 →2568 times
לְנַסּוֹת֩to put to [the] test
lenasotH5254 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שְׁלֹמֹ֨הSolomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
בְחִיד֜וֹתby difficult matters
vechidotH2420 →
בִּירֽוּשָׁלִַ֗םin Jerusalem
birushalimH3389 →643 times
בְּחַ֣יִלwith a retinue
bechayilH2428 →246 times
כָּבֵ֣דnumerous
kavedH3515 →41 times
מְאֹ֡דvery
meodH3966 →300 times
וּ֠גְמַלִּיםand camels
ugemalimH1581 →
נֹשְׂאִ֨יםcarrying
noseimH5375 →656 times
בְּשָׂמִ֧יםspices
besamimH1314 →29 times
וְזָהָ֛בand gold
vezahavH2091 →389 times
לָרֹ֖בto abundance
laroH7230 →149 times
וְאֶ֣בֶןand stone[s]
veevenH68 →273 times
יְקָרָ֑הprecious
yekarahH3368 →36 times
וַתָּבוֹא֙and she came
vatavo'H935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
שְׁלֹמֹ֔הSolomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
וַתְּדַבֵּ֣רand she spoke
vatedaberH1696 →1141 times
עִמּ֔וֹwith him
imoH5973 →1050 times
אֵ֛ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הָיָ֖הit was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
לְבָבָֽהּ׃heart her
levavahH3824 →252 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 12:42The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now One…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 10:1–13
Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Chronicles 9:1–12
Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she came to test him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in…
- Luke 11:31–32
The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon,…
- 1 Kings 10:1–13
Through
Isaiah 60:6Caravans of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah, and all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and frankincense and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.
it leads to
- Psalms 72:10
May the kings of Tarshish and distant shores bring tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 2:11
On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense…
- Psalms 72:15
Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him; may they bless him all day long.
- Genesis 25:3–4
Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites, and the Leummites.
- Judges 6:5
For the Midianites came with their livestock and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were innumerable, and they entered the land to ravage it.
- Psalms 72:10
About 2 Chronicles
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Keil, The Books of the Chronicles and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.