Commentary— Tyndale Open Study Notes (plain English)
10:1-13 The queen of Sheba visited to test the accuracy of accounts concerning Solomon’s wisdom (10:1, 3, 6-7). She may also have sought commercial partnership (10:2, 10, 13). All of Solomon’s accomplishments resulted from his God-given wisdom, as the queen of Sheba testifies in the central speech of the narrative (10:6-9). 10:1 The queen likely heard tales of Solomon’s wisdom and wealth because of his trading ventures to Ophir (10:11; see 9:26-28). Sheba, located in southwestern Arabia (modern Yemen), was a notably fertile commercial center. The trading enterprises of the ancient Sabeans encompassed great swaths of territory, including Syria, Africa, and India. • test . . . with hard questions (literally riddles): Arabian literature is famous for its riddles and proverbs. The queen tested Solomon’s wisdom and explored perplexities of her own.
Commentary— Tyndale Open Study Notes (plain English)
10:1-13 The queen of Sheba visited to test the accuracy of accounts concerning Solomon’s wisdom (10:1, 3, 6-7). She may also have sought commercial partnership (10:2, 10, 13). All of Solomon’s accomplishments resulted from his God-given wisdom, as the queen of Sheba testifies in the central speech of the narrative (10:6-9). 10:1 The queen likely heard tales of Solomon’s wisdom and wealth because of his trading ventures to Ophir (10:11; see 9:26-28). Sheba, located in southwestern Arabia (modern Yemen), was a notably fertile commercial center. The trading enterprises of the ancient Sabeans encompassed great swaths of territory, including Syria, Africa, and India. • test . . . with hard questions (literally riddles): Arabian literature is famous for its riddles and proverbs. The queen tested Solomon’s wisdom and explored perplexities of her own.
Literal English (Darby)ⓘThe Darby Bible (1890) — a deliberately literal, word-for-word translation used here as the Old Testament comparison text.The Darby Bible (1890) — a deliberately literal, word-for-word translation used here as the Old Testament comparison text.
And the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon in connection with the name of Jehovah, and came to prove him with enigmas.
Hebrew (Masoretic Text)ⓘThe Masoretic Text — the authoritative Hebrew manuscript tradition behind most Old Testaments, standardized by Jewish scribes (the Masoretes) between roughly the 7th and 10th centuries AD.The Masoretic Text — the authoritative Hebrew manuscript tradition behind most Old Testaments, standardized by Jewish scribes (the Masoretes) between roughly the 7th and 10th centuries AD.
King James VersionⓘKing James Version (1611) — the classic formal, word-for-word English translation. Historic and widely memorized, but uses Early Modern English vocabulary.
King James Version (1611) — the classic formal, word-for-word English translation. Historic and widely memorized, but uses Early Modern English vocabulary.
And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.
American Standard VersionⓘAmerican Standard Version (1901) — a more literal, precision-focused revision in the King James tradition.American Standard Version (1901) — a more literal, precision-focused revision in the King James tradition.
And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of Jehovah, she came to prove him with hard questions.
World English BibleⓘWorld English Bible — a modern, public-domain update to the KJV/ASV formal style, without archaic language.World English Bible — a modern, public-domain update to the KJV/ASV formal style, without archaic language.
When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning Yahweh’s name, she came to test him with hard questions.
Bible in Basic EnglishⓘBible in Basic English (1949) — deliberately written using a limited vocabulary of about 1,000 words.Bible in Basic English (1949) — deliberately written using a limited vocabulary of about 1,000 words.
Now the queen of Sheba, hearing great things of Solomon, came to put his wisdom to the test with hard questions.