Back to 1 Kings 10

1 Kings 10:6-9

She said to the king, “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom. However I didn’t believe the words until I came and my eyes had seen it. Behold, not even half was told me! Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard. Happy are your men, happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, who hear your wisdom. Blessed is Yahweh your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel. Because Yahweh loved Israel forever, therefore he made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”

World English Bible · Public Domain
Show the surrounding paragraph

1 Kings 10:6-9 sits inside this longer paragraph.

When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning Yahweh’s name, she came to test him with hard questions. She came to Jerusalem with a very great caravan, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she had come to Solomon, she talked with him about all that was in her heart. Solomon answered all her questions. There wasn’t anything hidden from the king which he didn’t tell her. When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the sitting of his servants, the attendance of his officials, their clothing, his cup bearers, and his ascent by which he went up to Yahweh’s house; there was no more spirit in her. She said to the king, “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom. However I didn’t believe the words until I came and my eyes had seen it. Behold, not even half was told me! Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard. Happy are your men, happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, who hear your wisdom. Blessed is Yahweh your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel. Because Yahweh loved Israel forever, therefore he made you king, to do justice and righteousness.” She gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was there such an abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

Read all of 1 Kings 10 →

Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    She said to the king, “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom.

    However I didn’t believe the words until I came and my eyes had seen it. Behold, not even half was told me! Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard.

    Happy are your men, happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, who hear your wisdom.

    Blessed is Yahweh your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel. Because Yahweh loved Israel forever, therefore he made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”

  • KJV King James Version

    And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.

    Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.

    Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.

    Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.

Show all 3 translations
  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    And she said to the king: 'It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom.

    Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it; and, behold, the half was not told me; thou hast wisdom and prosperity exceeding the fame which I heard.

    Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, that stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.

    Blessed be the LORD thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel; because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made He thee king, to do justice and righteousness.'

View more translations →

Cross-references (33)

  • Psalms 72:2 (v9) He will judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.
  • 1 Kings 5:7 (v9) When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly, and said, “Blessed is Yahweh today, who has given to David a wise son to rule…
  • Proverbs 8:34 (v8) Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts.
  • 2 Samuel 8:15 (v9) David reigned over all Israel; and David executed justice and righteousness for all his people.
  • 2 Chronicles 2:11 (v9) Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, “Because Yahweh loves his people, he has made you king over…
Show all 33 cross-references
  • Isaiah 42:1 (v9) “Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights: I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations.
  • Jeremiah 23:5-6 (v9) “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he will reign as king and deal wisely, and will…
  • John 20:25-29 (v7) The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails,…
  • 1 Corinthians 2:9 (v7) But as it is written, “Things which an eye didn’t see, and an ear didn’t hear, which didn’t enter into the heart of man, these God has…
  • 2 Samuel 23:3 (v9) The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, ‘One who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God,
  • 1 Chronicles 17:22 (v9) For you made your people Israel your own people forever; and you, Yahweh, became their God.
  • 2 Chronicles 9:5-6 (v6) She said to the king, “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom. However I didn’t believe their…
  • Psalms 18:19 (v9) He brought me out also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
  • Psalms 22:8 (v9) “He trusts in Yahweh. Let him deliver him. Let him rescue him, since he delights in him.”
  • Psalms 72:17-19 (v9) His name endures forever. His name continues as long as the sun. Men shall be blessed by him. All nations will call him blessed. Praise be…
  • Proverbs 10:21 (v8) The lips of the righteous feed many, but the foolish die for lack of understanding.
  • Isaiah 32:1-2 (v9) Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice. A man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a…
  • Luke 11:31 (v8) The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and will condemn them: for she came from the ends of…
  • Romans 13:3-4 (v9) For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and…
  • 1 John 3:2 (v7) Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him; for…
  • Deuteronomy 7:8 (v9) but because Yahweh loves you, and because he desires to keep the oath which he swore to your fathers, Yahweh has brought you out with a…
  • 2 Chronicles 9:7-8 (v8) Happy are your men, and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, and hear your wisdom. Blessed be Yahweh your God,…
  • Proverbs 3:13-14 (v8) Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding. For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is…
  • Proverbs 8:15-16 (v9) By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, nobles, and all the righteous rulers of the earth.
  • Proverbs 13:20 (v8) One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
  • Isaiah 9:7 (v9) Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold…
  • Isaiah 11:4-5 (v9) but he will judge the poor with righteousness, and decide with equity for the humble of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of…
  • Isaiah 62:4 (v9) You will not be called Forsaken any more, nor will your land be called Desolate any more; but you will be called Hephzibah, and your land…
  • Isaiah 64:4 (v7) For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him.
  • Zechariah 9:17 (v7) For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins.
  • Mark 16:11 (v7) When they heard that he was alive, and had been seen by her, they disbelieved.
  • Luke 10:39-42 (v8) She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she came up…
  • Luke 11:28 (v8) But he said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it.”

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (17 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv8–9 But much more happy are they, which hear the…

But much more happy are they, which hear the wisdom of God revealed in his word.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv6, 8, 9 1Ki 10:6 And she said to the king, It…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv7, 9 I believed not the words which the reporters used…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv6–9 And she said to the king,.... When she was…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On v8 Happy, &c. - With much more reason may we…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v8 Verse 8. Happy are thy men] All these are…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv7, 9 1Ki 10:7-8. I believed not the words — Which…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On v9 Blessed be the Lord thy God - This acknowledgment…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On v9 Justice. Kings are given by God, either in his…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv6, 9 It was a true report that I heard in…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On v9 9. Blessed be the Lord thy God — The…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv6–9 6. of thy acts] The word may mean ‘sayings,’…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On v6 (6-9) And she said.—These words (repeated almost word for…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv6, 8, 9 And she said to the king, It was a…
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On vv7, 9 Howbeit I believed not the words until I came.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv6, 8 I heard in my own land
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v6 10:6-9 The queen’s testimony confirmed her amazement. Not only…
Share